St. Paul’s Ambassador October 2017 1 St. Paul’s Ambassador A newsletter making Christ Jesus known, looking forward to October 2017 “So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us.” 2 Corinthians 5:20 Ah, October. Wood smoke, fallen leaves, apples and spices. Do you recognize those smells for what they are? Death and decay never smelled so good. Throughout October we are surrounded by images of dying, not only in the natural world of harvested fields and denuded trees but also upon every store shelf and front porch. Hallow- een comes, bearing with it legions of grinning skulls, spider webs, and fiends of every con- ceivable variety. And while this quite American-ish celebration has become almost completely secularized in the popular imagination, nevertheless its Christian roots show through in the laughter that accompanies all this iconography of horror. Halloween is not really about death. It’s about laughing at death, skipping past the graveyard gate. There are thrills but no real terror, gooseflesh but no true danger. There is no mourning, no despair, for the tomb has been opened by Easter glories. Death has no power here, and we delight in this victory of new life in the midst of darkness. This is Christianity, through and through. There is no paganism about it. Appearances to the contrary, October is not a month that the Church dedicates to remember- ing those who have died. That honor is reserved for November, what with All Saints’ Day on November 1st. Just as happens before Christmas and Easter, the stores are at least one good month ahead of the church. Nevertheless, October is especially nice this year as we mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation on its last day. All this promise of the Resurrection might just wake the dead… Pr. Jeff
Transcript
St. Paul’s Ambassador October 2017 1
St. Paul’s Ambassador A newsletter making Christ Jesus known,
looking forward to October 2017
“So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us.” 2 Corinthians 5:20
Ah, October. Wood smoke, fallen leaves, apples and spices. Do you recognize those smells for what they are? Death and decay never smelled so good.
Throughout October we are surrounded by images of dying, not only in the natural world of harvested fields and denuded trees but also upon every store shelf and front porch. Hallow-een comes, bearing with it legions of grinning skulls, spider webs, and fiends of every con-ceivable variety. And while this quite American-ish celebration has become almost completely secularized in the popular imagination, nevertheless its Christian roots show through in the laughter that accompanies all this iconography of horror.
Halloween is not really about death. It’s about laughing at death, skipping past the graveyard gate. There are thrills but no real terror, gooseflesh but no true danger. There is no mourning, no despair, for the tomb has been opened by Easter glories. Death has no power here, and we delight in this victory of new life in the midst of darkness. This is Christianity, through and through. There is no paganism about it.
Appearances to the contrary, October is not a month that the Church dedicates to remember-ing those who have died. That honor is reserved for November, what with All Saints’ Day on November 1st. Just as happens before Christmas and Easter, the stores are at least one good month ahead of the church. Nevertheless, October is especially nice this year as we mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation on its last day.
All this promise of the Resurrection might just wake the dead…
Pr. Jeff
St. Paul’s Ambassador October 2017 2
Gathering News
Remember in prayer
Please remember in prayer our members and friends who are experiencing illness, all who are in hospitals or nursing homes, those who serve in the military, and families who are grieving the loss of a loved one.
Special care: Elizabeth Arnett, Mary Barb, Max Bowers, Evelyn and Elwood Funkhouser, Hope Funkhouser, Mertie Funkhouser, and Butch Ho-saflook.
Annual Congregational Meeting
The Annual Congregational Meeting will be held on Sunday, November 26, following worship. Please mark your calendars and plan to partici-pate. Agenda items include the approval of a 2018 spending plan and the election of Council members.
Christian Sympathy
Christian sympathy is extended to the family of Mary Y. Funkhouser.
Adult Education
Half Truths: God Helps Those Who Help Themselves and Other Things the Bible Doesn’t Say. You will enjoy this look at some common sayings that actually misrepresent the Bible. Offered during adult Sunday School.
Altar flowers
Altar flowers in October are given to the glory of God.
Luke’s Backpack/Food Pantry
Thank you for the single-serving food you provide to Luke’s Backpack!
In August, the Bread of Life Food Pantry served 73 families (208 individuals) for a total of 4,161 lbs. of food.
Thank you!
Thanks to everyone who prepared, decorated, cooked, cleaned, installed, and fixed everything that needed to be fixed in anticipation of Home-coming!
Paint Nite
Last year’s Paint Nite FUNraiser for youth pro-grams was so successful, we are doing it again!
This evening’s theme is “Falling Fast.” You can create your own unique painting in a relaxed, supportive environment. Please register online at this link:
The Council has voted to appoint the following people to serve on the Long Range Planning Team (LRPT): Dara Booher, Chair; Thelma Moomaw, Becky Jenkins, Elaine Specht, Jeff Dellinger, and Pastor May. Long range planning is a way to ensure the health and mission of the congregation as it looks to the future.
St. Paul’s Ambassador St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Jerome Parish
4109 Jerome Road, Edinburg, VA 22824 Office 540-856-2639
Contact Pastor Jeff May at 540-333-5928 (cell) or 540-856-2413 (home)
E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://stpaulsjerome.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stpauljeromeva
Our mission is to be a living example of God’s love.
The Rev. Jeff May, Pastor Oma Gail Simmons, Organist
Dara Booher, Pianist
Congregation Council
Linda Hawkins, Vice Chair Shelby Boyden, Secretary
Anna Barb Matt Booher Gail Dawson Karen Doane Nancy Evans
Pat Good Miranda Hawkins
Becky Jenkins Keith Knupp
Orville Smoot
Youth representative: Jean Getz
Articles for the St. Paul’s Ambassador are welcomed from members and friends of the congregation. Please submit your articles to the church office or to Gail Dawson at [email protected].
We enjoyed the presence of 148 people at our Homecoming on September 10! Thank you to everyone who participated in worship, fellowship, and good food! More pictures are on our Facebook page at
Next Youth Group gathering is Sunday, October 15, 4 – 6 pm!
Youth will also be participating in this year’s Trunk or Treat, October 31, 6 – 8 pm. You’re invited, too! It’s a great way to reach out to our neighborhood. Food, fun, and fellowship guaranteed!
From the Faith Community Nurse Corner Today, instead of discussing a physical health topic, it seems to be a good time to discuss memories. As the seasons change, we are reminded of the beauty of the past and we anticipate the beauty of the coming season. The leaves here are just starting to change; reds and oranges can be seen on the tips or even sometimes the whole side of a tree. This morning my daughter reminded me of a favorite picture that she captured many years ago, the ma-ples at Court Square in their glorious splendor, the perfect shades of red and orange. Today in mid-September, those trees are gone. For her it has been a week of 100 degree days, but in her mind she has the perfect fall picture. For her this is a special joy and memory that she will always carry. It is also one that few Texans are able to share, as they have never seen an East Coast fall.
Each of us has a special memory that we carry: even as we age and become forgetful, there are memories that are captured in our minds. Many times we can no longer put into words the memory or the feelings it conveys, but it is there as a warm feeling. I have been working with many different people who have various stages of dementia. However, each of them has captured memories that make them smile, and perhaps they are still able to share a word or two with you about that memory. So when you see a faraway look and a smile on someone’s face, remember that they are still here and very present. It is just that they are remembering, and sometimes those memories are stored in a special place where there are no words left to share.
Wishing each of you a basket of stored memories that make you smile.
We have happy memories of the godly, but the name of the wicked person rots away. Proverbs10:7
Jeannie Coffman, Shenandoah Valley Lutheran Ministries Faith Community Nurse
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October 31, 2017: Freed and Renewed in Christ October 31, 2017 marks the 500th anniversary of the beginning of Protestant Reformation, the day that Luther’s 95 Theses were made public. Lutherans traditionally recognize this date as a day of freedom and renewal, a day to wear red, a day for singing A Mighty Fortress is Our God. Lutherans celebrate Reformation Day; many other Christians observe the day. For some, the observation is muted with a sense of loss: shouldn’t Christians be united in belief and practice? Why are there so many different denominations? Luther initially rejected division in the church. He responded sharp-ly when he learned that some of his followers were calling themselves “Lutherans”: "I ask that my name be left silent and people not call themselves Lutheran, but rather Christians.”
The 95 Theses are about indulgences, which are not the forgiveness of sin, but about actions (often prayers) that an individual undertook to show humility, sorrow for sin, and repentance. Luther ob-jected to the then-widespread sales of indulgences. In Luther’s day, the sales served two purposes: it was a way for the living to hasten the release of their dead loved ones from Purgatory, and it was a way to raise funds for the renovation of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the very capital of a unified Christian Europe.
Luther strenuously objected to these practices. His 95 Theses are about how lay people should un-derstand God’s grace as sufficient alone for the forgiveness of sin in Christian teaching. Luther was passionate about wanting everyday people to understand this central teaching about how sinful hu-mans were justified by God. Throughout Luther’s life, he emphasized the importance of lay partici-pation in the Church. He translated the words of the Mass into German, and offered both Latin and German services. He translated the text of the Bible into the common language, so that all could read it. And his Small Catechism, familiar to generations of Lutherans, interprets his key theological beliefs in simple and clear language, so that parents can pass on Christian faith to their children.
Many, though not all, of Luther’s reforms were adopted by the Catholic Church—some sooner, some much later. But the rifts that Luther opened ushered in centuries of political violence and wars. Theological differences weren’t resolved in a conciliar way, but with persecution and death within the Christian community. Looking back at the five centuries since the posting of the 95 Theses, there is much to mourn.
But anniversaries are not just for looking back, but for looking ahead. Lutherans have done much to reach out to other Christian communities and focus on the central beliefs of the Christian faith. In 1999, Catholic and Lutheran representatives signed the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justifi-cation, a doctrine dear to the heart of Luther. The ELCA has been a leader in the ecumenical movement, and is in full communion with six other Protestant bodies. Lutherans also participate in interfaith dialogue with Jews and Muslims.
In response to the grace and forgiveness that has been freely given to us, we respond to the needs of others. Here at St. Paul’s, food is collected and shared, shut-ins are remembered and visited, money is raised to find cures for cancer, youth are cherished and taught, the grieving are comforted, and we reach out to our community.
We are “freed and renewed in Christ.” In “The Freedom of a Christian” (1520) Luther famously wrote “A Christian is lord of all, completely free of everything; a Christian is a servant, completely attentive to the needs of all.” The ELCA’s theme in this 500th anniversary year of the Reformation expresses this message of the Christian faith’s freedom and a renewed life of service to others in Jesus Christ.
St. Paul’s Ambassador October 2017 6
ST. PAUL'S LUTHERAN CHURCH NON - PROFIT ORGANIZATION JEROME PARISH U. S. POSTAGE & FEES PAID 4109 JEROME ROAD PERMIT #14 EDINBURG, VIRGINIA 22824 EDINBURG, VA 22824
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Welcome to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Jerome, Virginia!
Worship with us every Sunday at 10:30 am / Learn with us at 9:15 am
Mark Your Calendar! Upcoming Events for St. Paul’s
Oct 1: Holy Communion, 10:30 am; Sunday School, 9:15 am
Oct 2, 3, 4: (Mon, Tues, Wed) Photography sessions for the Pictorial Directory, 1:30 – 9 pm
Oct 8: Holy Communion, 10:30 am; Sunday School, 9:15 am
Oct 9: Flu shots, Fellowship Hall, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm. Bring Medicare or insurance card
Oct 12: (Thurs; note date change) Congregation Council meeting at 7 pm
Oct 15: Holy Communion, 10:30 am; Sunday School, 9:15 am
Oct 22: Holy Communion, 10:30 am; Sunday School, 9:15 am
Oct 29: Holy Communion, 10:30 am; Sunday School, 9:15 am. Observation of Reformation
Sunday. Senior Sunday meal and fellowship following worship
Oct 31: 500th Anniversary of the Reformation; Trunk or Treat in parking lot, 6 – 8 pm
Nov 4: (Saturday) Paint Nite FUNraiser for youth
Nov 6: (Monday; note date change) Congregation Council meeting at 7 pm
