Ash Wednesday Service at 7:00 pm February 10th, 2016images.acswebnetworks.com/1/2796/2016_02.pdfOur next meeting will be Friday, February 12th, 2016 at 12 noon. Our program will be

FirstEnglishEvangelicalLutheranChurch–February2016

Ash Wednesday Service at 7:00 pm

February 10th, 2016

First English Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1603 Monument Avenue, Richmond, VA 23220-2906 Office (804)355-9185 Fax (804)358-6113

Email: [email protected] Web pages: www.felcrichmond.org Rev. Dr. John T. Schweitzer, Pastor: [email protected]

Mr. Linwood D. Lunde, Director of Music: [email protected] Mr. Brian Wingfield, Parish Administrator: [email protected]


From the Pastor OK, we're back to normal. Worship services took place all over Richmond on January 31. Most of the snow is history: only a few piles on parking lots that were small mountains a week ago remain. It was over 70 degrees here on February 1. And the groundhog in most places didn’t see his shadow. Last week’s (January 31) Gospel lesson - Luke 4:21-30 - is actually a continuation of the one for the Sunday we missed on January 24 because of the storm (Jason?): Luke 4:14-21. It's the second part of the story of Jesus returning to his hometown of Nazareth and taking part in the service by reading and then commenting on Isaiah 61:1-2. So we preachers only had to combine what we planned for January 24 with a sermon on the lesson for January 31 (but keeping within our usual time limit), and there you have it: the whole picture. Two sermons combined: ‘Local Boy Makes Good” and “Local Boy Gets Run out of Town.” Together the two lessons show how fickle a thing fame and approval can be. One moment all present in Jesus' home synagogue “spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.” But by the time the service was over they “drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff.” I’m glad that never happens here! Nevertheless, one of the things they taught us in seminary was that we should not be surprised if everyone in the congregations we will serve thinks we walk on water one week, but is on the phone with the bishop complaining about something we've done or said the next. No one should go into ministry in order to reap compliments. Like Harry Truman is purported to have said after he was President for a short time, “If you want a friend in Washington, buy a dog.” What's wrong with this picture? Should we pastors get upset if people don’t always say, “Good sermon” to us when they greet us at the end of the service at the door? Or if they say, “You made me so mad with your thinly veiled political commentary in that sermon?” Actually, one should not prepare sermons seeking praise or simply to stir

people up. Rather, one should ask, “have I done my best to find out what the text of the sermon is really telling us, or am I using to pulpit as a soapbox from which to broadcast my own opinions?” That's why every sermon should begin with the prayer, silent in my case, or actually spoken as is the custom of many preachers: “May the words of my mouth and the meditations in our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord our strength and our redeemer.” If someone says when they greet you at the end, “good sermon, Pastor,” that’s great. But if they instead remark, “I don't agree with what you said this morning in the sermon” or, “You made me so made mixing politics and religion,” so be it. We’re here to proclaim the Word of God to the best of our ability, not to play to the grandstand. “Be acceptable in your sight” is the operative expression. Can what we proclaim stand up before Christ, who is the Lord of scripture? Or are we simply reading the text through the prism of our own limited view of the world, life, and what the gospel is all about?


I'm not writing these lines because I feel over complimented or unfairly criticized. I simply want to call attention to the fact that there's a real danger that we read the Bible - whether we're clergy or lay people - looking for what we want to find and ignoring what makes us uncomfortable. There's a lot of revolutionary stuff in what Jesus says. “Take up your cross and follow me.” “Love your neighbor as yourself.” “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” “But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement.” Yow! It's not easy to be a Christian! Or is it? The key to all this lies in the Isaiah quote read by Jesus in his home town synagogue which we didn't get to hear on the snow Sunday: The Lord has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed...to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. We could add another quote, from Matthew 11:28-30: Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens and I will

give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Once we are willing to make Christ Lord of our life, we are freed from worrying about what others will think of us. We are set at liberty to serve God and serve humankind, without having to check if what we're saying or doing is “politically correct,” (and that seems to change every week). Like Jesus did at the end of story of his return to his hometown, when criticisms come we are always able to “pass through the midst of them and go on our way." So let's go forward in His service, proclaim the good news of salvation in Christ, and not worry about winning any popularity contests. The greatest contest of all has already been won for us by Jesus through his death and resurrection. ~ Pastor John Schweitzer


SUNDAY FEBRUARY 7

Souper Bowl of Caring is Coming Up! On Sunday, February 7th, First English will again participate in the Souper Bowl of Caring. This event, which coincides with Super Bowl Sunday and started in South Carolina in 1990, collects donations to help fight hunger and assist those in need. The idea of the Souper Bowl of Caring is to not lose sight of all those in need within our community due to the excitement surrounding the Super Bowl. Last year, FELC collected $580 for the Souper Bowl of Caring. Thrivent approved an application for additional funds. The combined funds were divided between Virginia Supportive Housing and Crossover Health Care Ministry. Let’s exceed last year’s total collected! Please remember to donate on February 7th.


Soul Stitchers will meet in the Wagner Room on Sunday, February 7th following the 10:30 service. Newcomers are welcome. Instruction for those who want to learn will be provided. Please come prepared with an easy pattern and the knitting needles or crochet hook needed for the pattern. Yarn is available. This group has annually provided Christmas gifts to the homebound and contributed gifts for social activities held at church including the Halloween Party and Ladies Tea. An ongoing project is making sure that every baby born in the congregation is greeted with a "warm" gift to welcome them into the family. (This last endeavor began in the Fall 2015.) The group is self-supporting and has raised more than $600.00 for social ministry projects in the congregation during 2015. If you would like to participate by making a yarn donation to the group, please speak to a member to see what is needed. Sewers and quilters are also welcome! The group meets for two hours one Sunday a month after the second service. Yarn that is weight #4 or worsted weight on the label is most helpful but all donations are considered. Currently the baskets which were once located in the Wagner Room are in the ladies’ robing room off of the choir room. Though this group is quiet we don't want to be out-of-sight and thus, out-of-mind!

WELCOME MEETING – CHANGE IN MEETING TIME! Our next meeting will be Friday, February 12th, 2016 at 12 noon. Our program will be a DVD entitled “Who Was Jesus? – Part 1 – His Childhood”. Deborah Hubbs will prepare our luncheon at a cost of $5 per person. The afternoon will conclude with a short business meeting. Please pass the word around about our change in meeting time. Perhaps you know someone who would be interested in attending a day meeting rather than one at night. If you do not receive a call and would like top attend please contact Gloria Jones, Libby Riggle, or Peggy Davis for luncheon reservations. See you on February 12th. PS: Please note this change in our meeting time is on a trial basis, February through May; in September we’ll decide if this will be a permanent change.


First English is now part of the Kroger Community Rewards Program You can go on-line and create a digital account that programs your customer card to forward a percentage of your purchase costs to First English. Our NPO number is 89568. A digital account is needed to participate in Kroger Community Rewards. If you already have a digital account, please see the section titled “Selecting an Organization.” How do I register for a digital account? Creating a digital account is as simple as 1, 2, 3! Simply visit Kroger.com or download the Kroger Mobile App from the App Store or Google Play, and follow these directions:

1. Select the “Register” button. 2. Enter your information. 3. Select “Create Account”.

Please make sure that you add your Plus Card number or create a virtual Card number while registering your digital account. This is required for the Community Rewards program so that your transactions apply toward the organization you choose. Selecting an organization? Selecting the organization that you wish to support is as simple as updating the Community Rewards selection on your digital account.

Sign in to your digital account. Select “My Account”. Scroll down to the “Community Rewards” section of your account page. Select “Enroll Now” or “Edit”. Enter the name or NPO number of the organization that you wish to support. Select the appropriate organization from the list and click “Save”.

Your selected organization will now display in the Community Rewards section of your account. Any transactions moving forward using the Shopper’s Card number associated with your digital account will be applied to the program. It takes approximately 10 days for the Community Rewards total to begin displaying on your receipt.


YARD-SALE–BAKE-SALE–CRAFT-SALE–BOOK-SALE

Saturday March 5th 9:00 am until 2:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall

Yard/ Book Sale: Please donate your yard sale items and books before Friday, February 26th. The earlier the better! They can be placed in the room across from the Undercroft, at the bottom of the stairs from the narthex. Bake Sale: We’re looking for cakes, cookies, brownies, etc. Please contact Libby Riggle for more information about donating your baked goods. (779-2036) Craft Sale: All types of hand-made art and craft items are welcome. You can rent a table for $20 to sell your creations. Please contact Joyce Smith by February 14th for details on renting a table. ([email protected] or 232-3566) Volunteers: It takes a lot of folks to pull off this size sale! Can you help with pricing beforehand on Wednesday evenings or before or after church on Sundays? Can you help with set-up of tables and sale items Friday afternoon, March 4th? Can you help at the cash/wrap stations or with general customer assistance on March 5th? Please let Joyce Smith or any other Congregational Life Ministry member know. Thanks!


Volunteers needed for the CARITAS Emergency Shelter program: First English will assist St. John’s United Church of Christ (at St. John’s) with the intake component of the CARITAS emergency shelter program from February 15 - April 12, on Monday and Tuesday evenings. Volunteers are needed from 5:00 until about 6:30 or 6:45 pm. The job is simple, provide warm hospitality and set out and serve drinks (coffee, hot chocolate, lemonade) and snacks (provided) to individuals in need of shelter. CARITAS is a shelter program serving homeless in the Richmond area. Churches and other organizations in the greater Richmond area open their doors to provide shelter to homeless individuals. Since many of the overnight shelters are in the suburban areas, guests gather at downtown churches (intake centers) and are bussed from there to the overnight location. St. John’s United Church of Christ is across the circle from First English and is one of our fellow Stuart Circle Parish congregations. Sign up on the schedule in the Wagner Room. Contact Sheryl Finucane 1-448-3754 (h), 833-5434 (c) or [email protected] for additional information.

WineTasting2016

On January 29th, 36 people enjoyed 6 wines and cheeses at our 2nd annual wine tasting. Over $200 was raised for “Wine to Water” a non-profit organization focused

on providing clean water to people around the world. Thank You


We held our annual congregation meeting on Sunday, January 10, 2016 in the parish hall. After a light lunch we heard reports from the pastor, council president, treasurer, and our committees and ministries. In addition the budget for 2016 in the amount of $359,937.56 was passed. Concern was expressed that a deficit of $36,375.00 was built into this budget, but it was noted that such deficits have been a fact of life at First English for many years. They are covered by withdrawals from our savings, which in turn represent money received mainly from bequests. The congregation was challenged, as always, to increase giving as each person is able. Growth in membership was also put forth as a partial solution to our deficit problem, but of course we don’t want to give the impression that we’re only interested in new members because of how much they might put into the offering plate. Total stewardship of life is an ongoing challenge which we will continue to work towards. The other highlight of the meeting was the election of members of our Congregation Council. The following persons were reelected to three-year terms: Betty Cochran, Carol McCue, and Roger Riggle. The Rev. Richard Ruff was elected to a first three-year term. Outgoing President Betty Cochran thanked the Council and the congregation for their support of First English throughout the past year. At its monthly meeting on Tuesday evening, January 19 the Council elected the following officers for 2016: President, Sheryl Finucane, Vice President, Carol McCue, Secretary, Caroline Heltzel, and Treasurer, Kevin Murphy. Since services on January 24 did not take place due to the snow event of the previous two days, the newly elected and reelected council members and the officers were installed at the 10:30 service on Sunday, January 31, 2016.

Five of our 9-12 graders—Ellie Fenerty, Kirk Fenerty, Nate Fenerty, Cassidy Hoke, and Cooper Hoke—attended Winter Celebration, a yearly event for high school youth held by our Virginia Synod at Eagle Eyrie in Lynchburg from Friday, January 15 to Sunday, January 17. In addition, VCU student and FELC member Laura English attended as a small group leader and chaperone to our youth. (Churches have to send one adult

FirstEnglishEvangelicalLutheranChurch–February2016chaperone for every five youth who attend.) They were blessed with good weather and an energizing event. Thanks also to the Hoke and Fenerty families for their organizing this event and an FELC member who wishes to remain anonymous who always pays half of the total charges for each person attending. Since Winter Celebration is such a popular event, it is held over two weekends. Unfortunately, it had to be cancelled over the weekend of the “big snow”—January 22-24. Some kids from churches in the Fredericksburg area didn’t get to go because they were signed up for the second week. To quote our church Facebook page: “So what happens when VA Synod Youth can't see each other at Winter Celebration? They text and skype, ask for permission and engage chaperones and meet for a mini-event aka lock-in at FELC! (All in the course of one week...)” Our youth and several adults chaperoned this Saturday evening lock-in on January 30-31. They even got to jam with some of the members from Rejoice in Jesus, the group which worships in our sanctuary every Saturday evening. And the 8:15 service on January 31 was noticeably much better attended! Thanks to all who made this possible.

This year Ash Wednesday is on February 10. We will have a full service with Holy Communion and Imposition of Ashes after the Wednesdays Together meal, beginning at 7 pm. Last year we had to cancel our Ash Wednesday service because of the weather. (Is a pattern emerging here? Global warming overall but local cooling at the worst times?) So we hope for a good attendance. On each Wednesday thereafter until Holy Week Pastor Schweitzer will conduct Bible study in the conference room (or elsewhere if the number of participants merits it) on the Old Testament Apocrypha. We will have NRSV Bibles which include the apocryphal books available for use; they can also be purchased for $10 apiece but it’s all right simply to use them as long as they are returned and you don’t take notes in them. These books, which for the most part were written after the time of Ezra and Nehemiah but before the birth of Jesus, are included in the Roman Catholic cannon of scripture. Most other Protestant groups more or less ignore them. Martin Luther said of them, "Das sind die Bücher, so der heiligen Schrift nicht gleich gehalten, und doch nützlich und gut zu lesen sind.“ “These are books, which are not regarded as equal to the Holy Scriptures, and yet are profitable and good to read.” Actually they are a valuable source of information about what was going on in Israel in the period right before the birth of Christ, and in the case of some of them, good devotional material (e.g. Wisdom of Solomon; Sirach or Ecclesiasticus). They have played an important role in the German Lutheran tradition, are included in many German and some English family Bibles, and, surprisingly, are used by the Amish in their worship (e.g. the book of Tobit in their weddings). So come to Wednesday Nights during Lent for dinner and then to learn something about 1 and 2 Maccabees, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Wisdom (Wisdom of Solomon), Baruch, Tobit, Judith, the additions to Daniel and Esther, and 1 & 2 Esdras.


February Worship Assistants

February 7 – Transfiguration of Our

Lord

February 14 – 1st Sunday in Lent

February 21 – 2nd Sunday in Lent

February 28 – 3rd Sunday in

Lent 8:15 Lector Grace Gulick Kevin Murphy Pat McAfee Marlene James 10:30 Lector Joshua Eckhardt Charlie

Schumann Sheryl Finucane Reni Gower

Crucifer Ellie Fenerty Cooper Hoke Stuart Myer Molly McCue Acolyte Nate Fenerty Cassidy Hoke Kirk Fenerty Gracie Hamilton Altar Guild Polly Brickman

Stuart Myer Jim Byerly Linda Wallace

Billy Duke Libby Riggle Peggy Davis

Communion Elements to Altar

Polly Brickman Carol McCue Linda Smith Stuart Myer

Head Counter Linda Smith Linda Smith Linda Smith Linda Smith Counters Stuart Myer

John Ritz Julie Goodman Sheryl Finucane

Grace Gulick Kathy Massie

Joe Smith Stuart Myer

Ushers Kirk Fenerty Caroline Heltzel Roger Riggle Debbie Lane

Sheryl Finucane Jim Byerly Joyce Smith Joedy Smith

Mark Crumpton Roger Riggle Stuart Myer Lynn Heltzel

Reni Gower Jeff Nelson Bob Lane Roger Riggle

Hospitality Libby & Roger Riggle Readings Exo 34:29-35

2 Cor 3:12-4:2 Luke 9:28-36[37-43a]

Deut 26:1-11 Rom 10:8b-13 Luke 4:1-13

Gen 15:1-12,17-18 Phil 3:17-4:1 Luke 13:31-35

Isa 55:1-9 1 Cor 10:1-13 Luke 13:1-9

If you cannot serve on the date that you are scheduled, please find a replacement and notify the church office at 355-9185 as soon as possible. Thank you for your time and service.


Tuesday February 16 5:00 pm: CARITAS 7:00 pm: Congregational Council Meeting

Wed. February 17 – Wednesdays Together 5:00 pm: Handbell Choir Rehearsal 6:00 pm: Dinner 6:45 pm: Bible Study 6:45 pm: Choir Rehearsal

Sunday February 21 – 2nd Sunday in Lent 8:15 am: Service of Holy Communion 9:15 am: Sunday School 9:30 am: Choir Rehearsal

10:30 am: Service of Holy Communion 11:30 am: Hospitality – 12:00 pm: Outreach Committee Meeting

Monday February 22 5:00 pm: CARITAS

Tuesday February 23 5:00 pm: CARITAS

Wed. February 24 – Wednesdays Together 5:00 pm: Handbell Choir Rehearsal 6:00 pm: Dinner 6:45 pm: Bible Study 6:45 pm: Choir Rehearsal

Sunday February 28 – 3rd Sunday of Lent 8:15 am: Service of Holy Communion 9:15 am: Sunday School 9:30 am: Choir Rehearsal

10:30 am: Service of Holy Communion 11:30 am: Hospitality – 12:00 pm: Worship & Music Committee Meeting

Wed. February 3 – Wednesdays Together 5:00 pm: Handbell Choir Rehearsal 6:00 pm: Dinner 6:45 pm: Choir Rehearsal

Sunday Feb. 7 – Transfiguration of Our Lord Souper Bowl of Caring

8:15 am: Service of Holy Communion 9:15 am: Sunday School 9:30 am: Choir Rehearsal

10:30 am: Service of Holy Communion 11:30 am: Hospitality – Libby & Roger Riggle 12:00 pm: Soul Stitchers

Wednesday February 10 – Ash Wednesday 5:00 pm: Handbell Choir Rehearsal 6:00 pm: Dinner 7:00 pm: Service of Holy Communion and Imposition of Ashes 8:00 pm: Choir Rehearsal

Friday February 12 12:00 pm: Women of the ELCA

Sunday Feb. 14 – 1st Sunday in Lent Deadline to rent a craft table

8:15 am: Service of Holy Communion 9:15 am: Sunday School 9:30 am: Choir Rehearsal

10:30 am: Service of Holy Communion 11:30 am: Hospitality – 12:00 pm: Congregational Life Committee Meeting

Monday February 15 5:00 pm: CARITAS


Documents

Ash Wednesday Service at 7:00 pm February 10th, 2016images.acswebnetworks.com/1/2796/2016_02.pdfOur next meeting will be Friday, February 12th, 2016 at 12 noon. Our program will be