Volume 46, Number 2 March/April 2021 THE PULSE BEAT A Word from the Pastor The season of Lent is in full swing. So, the early stages of spring, at least, are now upon us. And the large snowbanks have begun to melt, at least a little. Perhaps this year, unlike the last one, will turn out to be a year of newly emerging good things, like hope. There are now vaccines of a few varieties to help fight the deadly Covid-19 virus. The cases of the disease have begun to drop, as have the number of deaths, which is all good news, certainly. But make no mistake, the worst number of deaths from Covid - 19, across the entire world, are in our own backyard, called the USA. It’s not a happy milestone that we, as a nation have crossed the 500,000 person, death mark! We seriously pray for the large number of human beings who have died tragically from this virus, and those who have recovered, yet have suffered serious effects. All those who have died, were of course, real persons, with families, and friendships, co-workers, fellow travelers on life’s journey, who have left behind someone else to feel the emptiness of their loss. Yet as people of faith in Jesus Christ, and the Trinitarian God we worship, as St. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4, “We do not grieve as people who have no hope, for if we believe Jesus died & rose again, so also will God bring those who have fallen asleep in the Messiah with him.” According to our faith, there is the reality of HOPE that lights the way through any darkness. Just like John’s Gospel reveals in the well-known prologue: “In him was life, and that life was the light of human beings. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overtaken it.” (Antioch Bible, New Testament, John 1:4-5) This is who we are --- people who belong to the light no darkness can overcome --- the light that is Jesus Christ! So we do well to remember that for every Good Friday, there is an Easter Sunday awaiting us! Our hope, our reliance during lent, and every other season of life! Blessings & Peace to you this Spring! Pastor Jim
Transcript
Volume 46, Number 2 March/April 2021
THE PULSE BEAT
A Word from the Pastor The season of Lent is in full swing. So, the early stages of spring, at least, are now upon us. And the large snowbanks have begun to melt, at least a little. Perhaps this year, unlike the last one, will turn out to be a year of newly emerging good things, like hope. There are now vaccines of a few varieties to help fight the deadly Covid-19 virus. The cases of the disease have begun to drop, as have the number of deaths, which is all good news, certainly. But make no mistake, the worst number of deaths from Covid - 19, across the entire world, are in our own backyard, called the USA. It’s not a happy milestone that we, as a nation have crossed the 500,000 person, death mark! We seriously pray for the large number of human beings who have died tragically from this virus, and those who have recovered, yet have suffered serious effects. All those who have died, were of course, real persons, with families, and friendships, co-workers, fellow travelers on life’s journey, who have left behind someone else to feel the emptiness of their loss. Yet as people of faith in Jesus Christ, and the Trinitarian God we worship, as St. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4, “We do not grieve as people who have no hope, for if we believe Jesus died & rose again, so also will God bring those who have fallen asleep in the Messiah with him.”
According to our faith, there is the reality of HOPE that lights the way through any darkness. Just like John’s Gospel reveals in the well-known
prologue: “In him was life, and that life was the light of human
beings. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not
overtaken it.” (Antioch Bible, New Testament, John 1:4-5)
This is who we are --- people who belong to the light no darkness can overcome --- the light that is Jesus Christ! So we do well to remember that for every Good Friday, there is an Easter Sunday awaiting us! Our hope, our reliance during lent, and every other season of life! Blessings & Peace to you this Spring!
Pastor Jim
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: Ecclesiastes 3 I’ve always loved that bible verse. I have a cross stitch kit with the verse that I keep telling my-self I need to get to work on – to hang somewhere in my house to remind myself that I’m not al-ways in charge. That God has a plan which I can tweak a little bit, but of which there are rules that He has already pretty much put in place. Good things will happen…bad things will hap-pen…and life will go on. While I know these particular verses of Ecclesiastes, I didn’t realize that the rest of Chapter 3 can be a great lesson in hope! We all could use a good dose of that right now. God is really good at throwing tests in front of us. It seems that the world today is especially full of them. We have a virus that just won’t go away, friends and family that we’re told to stay dis-tant from, hugs we need to collect and can’t (I have a REALLY hard time with that one), events that have been postponed and repostponed, worship services we want to be able to attend, and a world that just can’t seem to calm itself down. Chapter 3 tells us that there’s a plan – doesn’t God always have a plan? But it’s HIS plan…and we’re not privy to the ending. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eter-nity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11. That’s not so great if you’re the one that turns to the end of the book to see how everything turns out. But it does reinforce that there is a plan in place, and we need to be patient enough and trusting enough to wait it out to the end. Are you a winter person? I’m definitely not a winter person. I’m more of an 80s and sunny kind of person, and every year I wait and wait until I see my first robin. That is my indication that winter may actually be letting go, because those robins wouldn’t be coming home if they didn’t know that spring was on its way, would they? They trust in the system! While this chapter doesn’t specifically talk about literal “seasons,” it does give us the hope and knowledge of know-ing that there definitely is a time for everything. We have been given a gift – a life waiting to be lived. And a precious home to go to after this life on Earth is over.
In a world where there is good and evil, we are told in this chapter of Ecclesiastes: And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment—wickedness was there, in the place of justice—wickedness was there. I said to myself, “God will bring into judgment both the right-eous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.” Ec-clesiastes 3:16-17. God has a total plan, and eternity is a really long time. We need to live our best lives NOW – because all deeds – good or bad – will follow us through as we leave this life on Earth and move on to the next.
Barb Beckner (friend of Judy McMullin), Clarice Buchholz (Mary Jaeger’s mother), Anna Bullio (great-granddaughter of Florence Van Cleave), Mark Bullio (Florence
Van Cleave grandson-in-law), Roger Butt (Bob Butt’s brother), Adrian Buntrock (friend of Robin Fatla), Carol Butt, Chris Capelle (friend of Kay Freyer), Emily Carney (friend of Kylene Wright), Jenny Zarling Caesar (goddaughter of Marian Witte), Cathy Collins (Florence Van Cleave’s daughter), Amanda Combs (friend of Laura Christenson), Frank DeGaetano (Borgne McClelland’s brother-in-law), Pastor Dale Erickson (friend of Audrey Crowell), Roger Faretra (Doug’s brother), Amy Fischer (Robin Fatla’s niece), Audrey Fischer (sister of Monica Faretra & Donna Dowe), Brian Gadzalinski (Suzette Travis’ son), Shamir Garcia, Dave Gink (friend of Robin Fatla), Tom & Joellyn Hammond (daughter and son-in-law of Kay Freyer), George Lawver (great-grandson of Anita Misun), Joanne Levenick, Ken Matthews (Kayla Matthews’ father-in-law), Joanne McClelland (Robert McClelland’s sister-in-law), Marion Meyer, Ann & Ed (Anita Misun’s family members), Chuck & Cary Mueller (friends of Glenn Sievers), Sue Ellen Nelsen, Gerri Noack (friend of Florence Van Cleave), Sandy Nyenhuis (friend of Audrey Crowell), Nellie Padilla (Sugeily Garcia’s mother), Sugeily Pineiro-Garcia, Joe Porth, Eric & Karen Rautenberg (Sue Dowe’s mother and step-father), Tom Rogahn, Ginny Scarborough (sister of Jackie Rogahn), Wendy Werner (Sandy Allen’s sister-in-law), Military personnel: Kenn Matthews, Jared Nelson, Kyle Christenson, Andy David, Cooper Hunt, “Home away from home” members: Jeanine Burhop (sister of the late Marilyn Speranza) – Lasata; Tim McClosky & John Clasen – at home with sister Merry Lou Green
Beatrice E. Warren
September 2, 1928 - January 29, 2021
Volume 46, Number 2 Pulse Beat March/April 2021
Annual Meeting - February 7, 2021 Open council positions were filled by the election of Sharlene Sandquist, Sheila Kapke, and Sue Dowe. There are still several positions open and volunteers are being sought. Donna Dowe, Robin Fatla, and Harold Immekus were thanked for their service. Discussion was held concerning a Chili Drive
Thru and the date was set for March 7. Chili and crackers will be offered.
Thanks were given to Paula Juedes, our organ-ist, and Anita Misun, choir director upon their retirement from these positions. Paula continues to provide recorded music for Sunday Facebook worship services.
The Trust Fund is in need of one member and they will be looking for someone to fill the
position that was held by Fritz Dowe. Fritz was thanked for his years of service.
Council Meeting - February 21, 2021 We will return to worship beginning Easter
Sunday, April 4. Persons are asked to call or email their intention to attend before Friday, April 2.
The heating system is in need of a new compressor which will be installed in the next two weeks., The application for a Small Business Stimulus
Loan was granted and the funds were received and placed in our account. These funds will help to pay for salaries and utilities and will be
expended in about twelve weeks. After they are expended, we can file for forgiveness of the loan.
Monday
Set your clocks March 21 ahead 1 hour Provide dinner for Sunday guests at March 14 Chalet Motel
MEETING NOTES
Worship Assistants
Lector:
March 3 (Wed.) - Dennis Jaeger
7 - Borgne McClelland
10 (Wed.) - Robert McClelland
14 - Judy McMullin
17 (Wed.) -Sharlene Sandquist
21 - Suzette Travis
24 (Wed.) -Florence Van Cleave
28 (Palm Sunday) -Sandy Allen
April 2 (Good Friday) -Carol Butt
4 (Easter) -Sue Dowe
11 - Robin Fatla
18 - Gary Haas
25 - Dennis Jaeger
Altar bouquets:
March 7 - OPEN/OPEN
14 - Marion Meyer/OPEN
21 - Marian Witte (2)
28 - Jeanine Burhop/OPEN
April 4 (Easter) -OPEN/OPEN
11 - Robin Fatla/OPEN
18 - OPEN/OPEN
25 - Robin Fatla/Jeanine Burhop
Altar bouquets are only $12.50 each and really
enhance the worship space and service. There are
many 2021 dates open for your sponsorship. Please
call the church office to dedicate a bouquet in honor
or memory of a loved one or to thank God for all
your blessings.
The Worship Committee will be
purchasing lily plants to beautify the chancel on
Resurrection Sunday and will make them available for
purchase following the service. Please contact Dennis Jaeger if
you would like to purchase one. The cost will be
less than $15.
GENERAL INTEREST NEWS
Volume 46, Number 2 Pulse Beat March/April 2021
FAMILY PROMISE UPDATE
Volume 46, Number 2 Pulse Beat March/April 2021
3/5 Cindy Porth 3/5 Nick Christensen 3/7 Kristin Schauer 3/8 Audrey Anderson 3/10 Renee Schauer 3/10 Latasha Reindl 3/11 Roger Wendorf 3/13 Tom Rogahn 3/13 Taylor Borgerding 3/16 Anita Lucht 3/21 Liz Allen 3/22 Lindsey Drescher 3/24 Monica Faretra 3/29 Erik Boelkow 3/30 Florence Van Cleave 3/31 Joanne Levenick 4/1 Nerissa Heusdens 4/4 Peter Briehl 4/7 Wendy Tomter 4/11 Anita Misun 4/12 Kassidy Fatla 4/15 Jeanne Immekus 4/19 Owen DeFendi 4/20 Kay Freyer 4/23 Laura Christenson 4/23 Don Burhop 4/25 Sue Haas 4/28 Jane Turowski 4/28 James Kapke 4/28 Dennis Heusdens 4/30 Lucas Fatla 4/30 Robin Fatla
Please notify Church Office if we have missed someone. Thank you!
4/27/2013 Matt & Anette DeFendi 4/30/2011 Adam & Heather Fiedler
Please notify Church Office if we have missed someone. Thank you!
IT IS OUR MISSION as people called by God into the Congregation of St. John Lutheran Church to:
Proclaim the Gospel in worship and daily life.
Study and teach God’s Word.
Fellowship among people of this congrega-tion.
Serve people in our surrounding community. This is the MISSION and MINISTRY that we accept as fellow Christians at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lakefield.
