The VOICE of Grace August 2015, Page 1 THE VOICE VOL. 106, ISSUE 8 August 2015 The 2015 Naonal Youth Gathering of the ELCA led us to Detroit for a week of incredible worship, service, and learning. It was a joy to see our youth get fired up about their faith and this community we call Church. Hear are some of the most meaningful moments from their week: Jacob: Hearing from Pastor Lorne of the Southern Ohio Synod who shared his story of finding faith during his deployment in Iraq. Mahew: Worshipping God with 30,000 other people. Michayla: Working with Blackwood Blight Fighters and the neigh- bors of District 4 in East Detroit to clean up the block. Jordan: Listening to inspiraonal speakers like Marian Wright Edelman, a civil rights leader, who spoke about nurturing all children. Eva: Parcipang in Proclaim Jusce Day by helping people in the neighborhood by cleaning up around aban- doned houses. Megan: Entering into Ford Field and seeing 30,000 other Lutheran youth. Caroline: Hearing folks share about losing their faith and finding it again during Proclaim Story Day with our Southern Ohio Synod. Marissa: Parcipang in "Walk for Water" and learning how challenging it can be for people around the world to struggle to get clean water.
Transcript
The VOICE of Grace August 2015, Page 1
THE VOICE VOL. 106, ISSUE 8 August 2015
The 2015 National Youth
Gathering of the ELCA led
us to Detroit for a week of
incredible worship, service,
and learning. It was a joy to
see our youth get fired up
about their faith and this
community we call Church.
Hear are some of the most meaningful moments from their week:
Jacob: Hearing from Pastor Lorne of the Southern Ohio Synod who shared his story of finding faith during his deployment in Iraq.
Matthew: Worshipping God with 30,000 other people.
Michayla: Working with Blackwood Blight Fighters and the neigh-bors of District 4 in East Detroit to clean up the block.
Jordan: Listening to inspirational speakers like Marian Wright Edelman, a civil rights leader, who spoke about nurturing all children.
Eva: Participating in Proclaim Justice Day by helping people in the neighborhood by cleaning up around aban-doned houses.
Megan: Entering into Ford Field and seeing 30,000 other Lutheran youth.
Caroline: Hearing folks share about losing their faith and finding it again during Proclaim Story Day with our Southern Ohio Synod.
Marissa: Participating in "Walk for Water" and learning how challenging it can be for people around the world to struggle to get clean water.
THE PASTOR’S MESSAGE
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Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
The gospels overflow with examples of how our Lord calls his disciples, prays with them, feasts with them, teaches them, and sends them out. Jesus continues to call disciples. He calls us to gather in his name around Word, Water, Bread, and Wine (Scripture, Baptism, Eucharist). Jesus also continues to send those who follow him – you and me – out to be his servant disciples.
As the summer of 2015 draws to a close, although this summer seems to have never quite arrived, I invite you to renew your response to our Lord’s call to be in community, not just any community, but specifically the community that gathers in the name of Jesus on the first day of the week around Word, Water, Bread and Wine.
To be sure it’s no surprise a pastor would want to see peo-ple in church. I’ve learned there are some who would dismiss the invitation as self-serving. But one cannot claim to follow Jesus and not see how time and time again the footsteps of Jesus lead people to gather in a specific community that does identifiable things for a unique purpose. As personal as faith may be, it is never private. Biblical faith is a communal faith handed down over mille-nia from generation to generation.
I am convinced that in today’s culture, one of the most rad-ical things we disciples of Jesus can do is to gather on the Lord’s Day in prayer, praise and thanksgiving in God’s house.
Sunday is not the last day of the weekend. It is the first day of the week. Worship is the beating heart of the community of Je-sus. It oxygenates, animates and orients our hearts, minds and souls to be disciples of Jesus throughout the week where we live, work, learn and play.
“I was glad when they said to me,
‘Let us go to the house of the LORD!’” (Psalm 122:1)
With you in sacred assembly,
Pastor Will
ADULT LEARNING
Summer Sundays
Adult Discussion
A 10-14 minute DVD featuring Rob Bell’s
NOOMA series introduces a theme related
to our Christian spiritual journey and practi-
cal life, followed by group discussion. Led
by Pr. Will in Fellowship Hall, 9:45-10:45 am
Sunday mornings.
Wednesday Morning Women’s Bible
Study
This series will resume in mid to late August. Watch the Sunday bulletin for more information.
Katharine Circle The Katharine Circle ladies resume their
in the process of enrollment for the 2015-2016 preschool year!
Please share this information with family, friends and neigh-bors looking for a preschool for their three-, four- or five-year-old child.
Encourage them to call to receive information and schedule a visit to tour Little Blessings.
Our teachers provide an awesome experience and preparation for children prior to entering Kinder-garten. Call 614-882-7592 for more information.
(Little Blessings will begin their first day of classes
for the 2015-2015 school year on August 31st,
and they observe the Westerville Schools’
academic calendar for closings and holidays.)
It’s better to have God approve,
than the world applaud.
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FIRST FRUITS 2015 ~ Joy of Giving
“Honor the Lord with your substance and the first fruits of all your produce.” (Proverbs 3:9)
In the "Christ In Our Home" devotion for June 27, 2015 the emphasis was from 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 for which the
question was asked, "Empty or overflowing?" From the first viewpoint it was emphasized that the needs are too great
and resources are too small. The second viewpoint stated that there is more than enough to share in order to change
the world. "From God's overflowing grace come abundant resources of time, talent, and treasures to share with
neighbors in need."
Thus as Paul spoke to the church in Corinth, so is it important for us at Grace Lutheran Church in Westerville, Ohio.
No matter how large or small the donation, together the abundance that we are able to share is significant!
Patti Keene, the director of the Food Pantry at W.A.R.M. has set out a specific request for the August grocery list:
CEREAL - HOT or COLD. A goal of collecting 1,000 boxes for August has been set. Hygiene items will include:
bath soap (bar or liquid), diapers (sizes 4,5,6) and continued donations of hotel/motel toiletries from your travels.
FRESH PRODUCE is happily accepted, preferably, Monday - Wednesday. Please remember to take any such produce
directly to W.A.R.M. and to place only non-perishable items in the grocery carts at church.
Total donated on July 5th: Food/Hygiene = 139.4 pounds Y-T-D = 1095.3 pounds
First Fruits Sundays: August 2, September 6, October 4
Please contact Jill Morrison at 614-882-5445 if you would like to volunteer to help on a First Fruits Sunday at the ser-
vice of your choice or if you have any questions. As the thought from W.A.R.M. for July so aptly stated: “Thank You
for helping to provide freedom from hunger!”
Westerville Area Resource Ministry, 150 Heatherdown Dr., Westerville; Phone 614-899-0196
COMMUNION ASSISTANT INFORMATION GATHERINGS
Eucharistic hospitality invites all to our Lord’s Table sharing in the Meal of Holy Communion.
A ministry team of Communion Assistants serves with the Pastors sharing the blood of Christ
through chalice or tray. Everyone “confirmation-aged” or older is welcome to explore this
ministry team and invited to prayerfully consider how your Spiritual gifts might support and
strengthen our service.
Please join the Communion assistants in the Worship Space for an informational gathering
Sunday, AUGUST 16, between worship services from 9:45—10:30 am to learn more about
involvement in this powerful ministry opportunity. Additional details or questions may also
be addressed to Patti Barb at: [email protected] or 614-507-7881 (text or voice).
There is a place for all at our Lord’s Table… on both sides of the Table!
The VOICE of Grace August 2015, Page 5
Grace Roots 3!
As previously noted, Grace has a relatively short, albeit 100 plus year history. Lutherans in Central Ohio, however, have a more lengthy history. Even before the Joint Synod of Ohio was organized in 1818 there were Lutheran “roots” in the areas near Westerville as settlers from the east slowly inhabited this part of Ohio.
While a bit circuitous it is an interesting story of the efforts of many individuals to bring their religious experience and faith from the “old world” to a new life in central Ohio. The second and third genera-tions of immigrants moved to Ohio from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. Reportedly the first Lutheran service held in Perry County was in 1803 when a pastor from the Pennsylvania Evangeli-cal Lutheran Ministerium, pastor Eierman, conducted a service on a farm in what is now Perry County. In 1805 the first congregation was organized in New Reading and in 1806 Zion was organized, building the first church near Thornville, in 1808.1
A Historical Marker at the site reads:
ZION REFORMED CHURCH
Zion (Ribel’s) Church was built on this site in 1808. the log structure was located in the Zion Ridge Cemetery, adjacent to the first school in Thorn township. The congre-gation of Zion Reformed Church is the oldest in Perry County still in existence. The church was officially organized in 1806 when the German Reformed and Lutheran congregations joined together in building the first church in Perry County. They purchased this land on June 30, 1806, and shared the building, alternating Sundays, until 1911. In 1803, reverend Johannes Christian Koenig (John King) became the first
minister to settle in Perry County and became the founding minister for the German Reformed Congregation. In 1805, Reverend Wilhelm Georg Forster (William Foster) was the first Lutheran minister to settle in Perry County and was the founding minister for the Lutherans. The present Zion Reformed Church was built across the street from the original church in 1910.
St. Paul in Somerset was organized in 1812. The first church building was constructed, of logs, in 1817. From 1812-1817 the Ohio group of Lutheran churches were part of a special conference of the Pennsylvania Ministerium. It became independent as the Joint Synod of Ohio in 1818 at a Somerset meeting. The site, a historical marker and cemetery remain not far from the church which closed in 2005. Records of the Congregation are in the Region 6 Archive, ELCA, at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus.
- John R. Kleberg, Archivist
1 A Sesquicentennial History of Lutheranism in Perry County, 1812-1962. St. Paul Lutheran Church, Somerset, Ohio Lutheran-ism in Perry County, Ohio. Martzolff, C.L., Prof. Ohio University, Historical Society of the Joint Synod of Ohio. 1919, Colum-bus, Ohio.
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Celebration of Sound!
Summer Music Series Sunday, August 9: Mary Beth Ingram - Vocal solo
Sunday, August 16: Scott Warbritton - Vocal solo
Sunday, August 23: David Kile - Tuba solo
Sunday, August 30: Larry Beckwith - Vocal solo
Sunday, September 6: Grace Notes (Mary Beth Ingram, Mary Shaner,
Lora Moore and Audrey Clark)
Join us for great food and fellowship!
AUGUST 20, 6:30 pm at The 94th Aero Squadron,
5030 Sawyer Road, Columbus. Ohio
(Optional: Thursday nights the Rick Brunetto Big Band performs in the Cabaret for dancing, $7 cover charge.) Sign up at the Welcome Center Desk. For questions or to cancel a reservation,
call Rosemarie Litzinger at 614-895-3568, or Bev Grubb at 614-899-6737.
