March 28

Holy Comunion at 8:00 am Sunday School at 8:50 am

Holy Communion at 10:15 am

Maundy Thursday, April 1 Holy Communion at 7:00 pm

Good Friday, April 2 Tenebrae Service at 7:00 pm

Easter Sunday, April 4 Holy Communion

at 8:00 am Sunday School at 9:00 am

Holy Communion at 10:15 am

A bimonthly publication of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Whitehall (Egypt), Pennsylvania March/April, 2021

This issue of the Rod and The Staff is given In memory of my wife Vickie who passed away on March 16, 2016 by Charles Church.

This issue of the Rod and The Staff is given in memory of

Glen Scheirer by Barbara Scheirer

P A S T O R’ S C O R N E R

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

On February 17 we began our Lenten Journey. Lent is a time to reflect upon how we live our lives. Lent is a time to turn away from our foolish ways and ask God for forgiveness. It is a time to look in the mirror and realize that we are dust and to dust we shall return. During the season of Lent we have many Worship services to reestablish our relationship with our Loving and Forgiving Lord. We will have in person services each Sunday morning. Each Wednesday night at 7 PM we will have a vir-tual service on Facebook and our Website. Come and join us as we prepare our hearts and minds for this season of reflection and forgiveness.

In Christ’s love,

Vol. 2021, Issue 2

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Pamela Schussler entered into eternal rest on December 2, 2021. We commend Pamela into the hands of Almighty God. We offer our sincere sympathy to her family.

Dorothy Karpyn entered into eternal rest on January 20, 2021. We commend Dorothy into the hands of Almighty God. We offer our sincere sympathy to her family.

Marie Dean entered into eternal rest on February 6, 2021. We commend Mar ie into the hands of Almighty God,. We offer our sincere sympathy to her family.

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church gratefully acknowledges memorial donations given in memory of Ray Tremba from Mr. and Mrs. William Grammes, Joe and Gloria Fischl, Lucy Messinger and family, Patrick Yadush, Adrian Wosko, Donald and Alice Kohler, Mary Snyder, Mark and Michele Erle, Edward and Mary Ann Tremba and Jay, Tammy, Taylor and Josh Hill

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church gratefully acknowledges memorial donations given in memory of Gladys and Ken Cressman by Judy and Dale Ott,

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church gratefully acknowledges memorial donations given in memory of Barbara Yakubecek by Alexander R. Mackiewicz

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church gratefully acknowledges memorial donations given in memory of Roland W. Yaple and wife Jeanne by John Yaple.

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church gratefully acknowledges memorial donations given in memory of Nellie B. Ruch by Rose Croix Chapter #235 OES

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church gratefully acknowledges memorial donations given in memory of Renee’ Strauss by David Strauss.

THANK YOU - - -

. . . to the Youth Group for leading us in Worship on January 31. What a wonderful job. . . . to Robert G. Klock and James C. Shope for directing Thrivent Choice dollars to SOTHLC in December, to Allen and Phyllis Handwerk for directing Thriven Choice dollars to SOTHLC in January and Norma Hrozencik in February. . . . from the Whitehall Food Pantry . . . from Rev. Allen Moyer for prayers during his bout with COVID. After three weeks he is fully recovered. . . . For prayers for Renee’ Strauss. The postcards she received from the congregation were greatly appreciated. Be

low is one of the many verses Renee’ wrote:

MORNING SIGHTS AND SOUNDS Usually cloudy, always a bit of fog, gives way to rays each day in the same patterns. You can see the seasons changing by watching the sun’s movement through the different windows and if I don’t remember to wave my arm in front of me, I will break the same web with my face every day. Persistent spider. Dew covers everything. Deer snort and run up the hill when they see me. Fish start to thrash in the water because they hear me coming to feed them. Noisy blue jay always calls from top of maple tree. Weeds, that weren’t there yesterday, poke their heads up so I can pull them. Froggy is hiding in the pond but croaking loudly. As I look for him I’m surprised to see him sitting in a plant only one foot away from my feet. Walk out the driveway, usually quiet stream is now babbling loudly. I look around our little valley. Each branch of each tree and even every blade of grass is so familiar to me. I can close my eyes and still see them clearly. As I come to the road and look back at the house-so different from when we first came to it 52 yeas ago and yet so much the same, I think of all the good times we’ve had here, working, playing sheltered in our little valley. I never want to leave . . . I never really will. My soul will stay, always. Renee’

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Please Keep in Your

Thoughts And Prayers:

Healing Prayer

Heavenly Father, we pray that You lay your healing hands upon all those who are sick. We ask You to

have compassion on those who are who are named

above. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Louis Albright, Rosalind Baer, Alice Bauer, Phyllis Beitler, Pat Blum, Rob Bertoni, Gretchen, Jeff, Jake and Josh Braido, Bonnie Brown, Joan Brownell, Janice Buckwalter, Brad Caulder, Verna Chandick, John Clark, Karen Culver, Marie Dean, Jeffrey Deutsch, Sylvia Diaz, Ed Didra, Nancy Dietz, Brian Dilcher, Joan Dorner, Mary Beth Fatzinger, Brenda Fergusson, Joseph and Gloria Fischl, Donald Fister, Kay Fronheiser, Art Fry, Jeff Gilbert, Mike Gillette, Glenn and Eleanor Gold, Evelyn Groller, Suzanne Hanna, Marge Kunkle, Phyllis Handwerk, Ron Handwerk, Suzanne Hanna, Ethel Harakal, May Hart, Brandon Heichl, Linda Henry, Beth Hickman, JoAnne Hill, Keith Hontz, Lamont and Betty Hontz, Ann Hricinak, Norma Hrozencik, Phil Hublitz, Stephen Hunara, John Huyter, Lorraine Jurado, Dorothy Karpyn, Doris Koenig, Marge Kunkle, Allison Lahue, Scott Lazarus, Keith Leinbach, Randall Lewis, Michael Loeffelman, Pamela and Gary McChalicher and daughters, Ethel Mertz, Terry and Debbie Messinger, Carol Mickley, Nancy Michener, Doris Miller, Mark Miller, Sharon Minnich, Christopher Moakley, Rev. Alan Moyer, Taylor Moyer, Russell Myers, Mary Nehme and Baby Elizabeth, Cathy Nelcoski, Jeanette Noakes, Millie Parker, Greg Pypiuk, Gary and Jan Reinik, Doris and Mark Reitz, Dee Renner, Tom Ritter, Steve Roman, Jean Roth, Mary Roy-er, Michael Saraceno, Emma Sarles and Baby Skylar, Brad Scheirer, Fran Schimeneck, Cindy Schlegel, Pastor Schlegel, Pamela Schussler, Luther Schweitzer, Joy Schwentner, Mike Schwentner, June Sell, Sylvia Seregelyes, Wayne Serfass, Sean Skelonis, Diane Spangler, Jeff Steiner, Bruce and Ruth Weaver, Ruth Weidner, Anna Weighknecht, Jennifer Wentling, and the families of Homer Schmoyer, Pamela Schussler, Dorothy Karpyn, JoAnn Hill, Caroline Yastrazb, Marie Dean

Because of the pandemic, there will be no mid-week Lenten services in the Sanctuary. A Lenten Reflection will be on Facebook and on our Website. This year’s theme centers around the “Five Wonders of our Faith.”

I Wonder if God Exists and Why is there so Much Evil in the World? February 24

I Wonder Why Bad Things Happen to Good people? March 3

I Wonder about God’s Will for My Life? March 10

I Wonder about The End of the World? March 17

I Wonder about Life after Death? March 24

REMEMBER— When giving a name for the

PRAYER CHAIN

please also give the address of the person. The church sends cards to inform people they were “remembered in our prayers during our worship services Sunday morning.” The person’s name will be kept on the Sunday prayer concerns for two weeks unless the person who submitted the name requests otherwise.

Call Scarlet Randolph at 610-262-7678 or the church office with any prayer concerns.

The Prayer Shawl Committee is in need of helpers to make prayer shawls. If you can knit or crochet and would like to help, please contact coordinators Joyce Steigerwalt at 484-350-1679 or Brenda Benner at 610-844-5859. If you would like to learn to knit or crochet to help with this ministry, we will teach you. Meetings will be the first and third Mondays each month begin-ning March 1 at 9:00 AM.

Remember Daylight Savings Time begins on March 14.

DIRTY CAR? Take it to Egypt Shine Car Wash and support the youth

group as you clean your car. HOW DOES IT WORK?

BEFORE you choose your wash, enter the code: 43310

The $12 Ultimate wash will be selected automatically. Pay with credit card or cash.

It’s that easy!! In less than 5 minutes, you will have a clean car and will have donated to

the youth group! Code expires on April 30, 2021.

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SERVICE TEAM Support the Food Pantry During Lent We will be collecting canned goods for the local Food Bank during the Lenten season. The Food Bank serves all Whitehall and Coplay area residents who are in need of food for their family tables. We are pres-ently collecting coffee (Decaf and Regular) - no Keurig Cups and cereal for the Whitehall Food Bank. We are also collecting soap and shampoo for the ministries of Pathways and Daybreak. Please reach out in God’s love to those in

need. God’s Work, Our Hands. Please place your donations on the table in the narthex throughout the Lenten season.

THE WORSHIP COMMITTEE Morning Prayer: Each Thursday

morning at 9:30 A.M. we are meeting in the church sanctuary to pray to the Lord. Come and join us as we gather together in the House of our Lord.

Keith Moyer, President Tracy Tacker, Vice President Cheryl Reisinger, Secretary Colleen Ehst, Treasurer Todd Sassaman, Financial Secretary Scarlet Randolph, Witness Karen Haberern, Support Randy Marushak, Service Drew Null, Youth Denise Smith, Worship Lisa Kroboth, Learning Aiden Tacker, Youth Representative

Rev. James W. Schlegel, Pastor

We found volunteers to cover the flower cans. Thanks to those who agreed to help. Now we need to start collecting more cans to be used for flower deliveries to the home bound. We use two cans every week. Large juice cans, large sauce cans, etc. ( 13/4 X 7 1/2 and 13 1/4 X 5 1/4). Please put the cans in the counting room.

We need your help. There is presently a member of the congregation who is receiving

blood transfusions from the Miller Keystone Blood bank be-cause of an illness. If you would like to donate blood to assist this individual, please tell the blood bank it is for Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Whitehall. For more information, please contact the Pastor.

The following was part of the sermon on February 21 and many in-

dividuals requested to have it shared. A few years ago Richard Cardinal Cushing wrote about the church's need for courage. He said: If all the sleeping folks will wake up, and all the lukewarm folks will fire up, and all the disgruntled folks will sweeten up, and all the discouraged folks will cheer up, and all the depressed folks will look up, and all the estranged folks will make up, and all the gossip-ing folks will shut up, and all the dry bones will shake up, and all the true soldiers will stand up, and all the church members will pray up, and if the Savior of all will be lifted up . . . then we can have the greatest renewal this world has ever known.

On February 14, 2021, Barry Wexler and his grandsons Spencer and Oliver and Lisa M. Kemmerer

on February 28, 2021 were welcomed into our family at Shepherd of the Hills. Welcome and may God bless you as we serve the Lord together.

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The March Advertising in the Whitehall/Coplay Press is donated in honor of Linda Henry’s birthday by the Morrow family.

The April Advertising in the Whitehall/Coplay Press is donated in loving memory of my Dad, Carlton Weaver, by Denise

There are still some months available for spon-sorship, August through November.. Check the envelopes in the narthex to sign up. Sponsorship is $25.month.

WINTER WEATHER CANCELLATION POLICY

Our Continuing Resolution of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church states that all cancellations or delays for Worship Services and activities at the church will be posted on TV-WFMZ Channel 69, Radio WAEB 790 AM., also on SOTHLC’s Facebook page and by calling the church.

CARE TABLE

A Care Table is in the Narthex. We are looking for donat ions. If you have something to contr ibute, place i t on the table . If you are in need of any i tems on the table , please take them along with you.

YOUTH GROUP NEWS On January 31, the youth group led both services as we celebrated Youth Sunday. We hope you enjoyed the service.

Thank you to everyone who ordered hoagies. And thank you for being so flexible and pick-ing them up a day early because of the predicted snow. We made a profit of $618.75. Nut rolls go on sale February 21. The sale will run through March 7, with a delivery of

March 21. Cost will be $16 and the flavors are nut, poppy, lekvar, apricot, raspberry, pumpkin, coconut and apple. Call the church office at 610-262-1600 or Lisa at 610-262-4053 to place a nut roll order.

Our car wash fundraiser runs through April. Take your car to Egypt Shine Car Wash at 4755 Main St, Whitehall. Enter the code 43310, the $12 ultimate wash will be automatically selected, pay with credit card or cash and within 5 minutes, you’ll be on your way!!

We have tentatively scheduled a Penny Party on May 16. Doors open at 12 and games begin at 12:30. It only costs $1 to buy an envelope of numbers. Trays will be passed around the tables and you will be able to bid on the item(s) on the tray. Cost for a bid ranges between 1 cent and 1 dollar. This is a fun and relatively inexpensive way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Please join us as we raise money for our youth group and share some time of friendship and fun.

We are currently in contact with our clothing drive partners and we hope to have a new pick-up date in the very near future. Thank you for your patience.

Thank you for your support of the youth group. May God watch over you during this Lenten season and may you have a Happy and Joyous Easter.

SAVE THE DATE FOR VBS: July 12-16, 6-8:30, Rocky Railway. Registration forms will be mailed after Easter and will be in the next newsletter .

SOTHLC Signs of Our Faithfulness “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”

End of Prior Month (as of January 31, 2021)

Monthly Stewardship Income: $20,525 YTD: $ 20,525 Monthly Operating Expenses: $15,658 YTD: $ 15,658 Stewardship Income includes Benevolence Envelopes: January $ 339 YTD: $ 339 (Budget for 2021—$14,232) December Electric $788 YTD: $ 788 Snow Removal $585

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Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church

2021 Easter Tributes Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church is making available sev-eral options for members to either honor or memorialize a loved one at this time of year. Please complete ONE SHEET PER TRIBUTE. Additional forms are available on the table in the foyer. Place your completed form along with your check in the offering plate or return it to the Church Office. CHECK ONE: _____ Easter Lilly - $10.00 per plant

_____ Hunger Fund Donation - $________

_____ Memorial Fund - $________ IN HONOR OF:_________________________________________ (living) _________________________________________ IN MEMORY OF:________________________________________ (deceased) _________________________________________

BY: _______________________________________________ YOUR NAME: __________________________________________ PHONE NUMBER: ________________________ ENVELOPE #: ___________________________ DEADLINE FOR ORDERS - March 14 The above tributes will be listed in the Easter Bulletins.