Connecting People to Jesus

Good News

This month we continue our look at practices that cultivate and sustain community. Last month I wrote about the im-portance of enacting the prac-tice of gratitude. This month I encourage us to live into our community with the practice of making and keeping promises.

I know I have become more cynical in my expectations for fidelity. My own parents di-vorced when I was seven years old. As a child I did not under-stand all the adult things that they were working out. All I knew was that my parents were no longer together. For a while I thought it normal that promises made would become promises that would become broken. As I grew up, I found that they both worked hard to make and keep promises to my brothers and myself. My parents divorced from each other. They did not divorce themselves from their responsibility to be parents. I am thankful for their fidelity to parenthood.

God is faithful even when we are unfaithful. Promise-making and promise-keeping are central to how God relates to us and how we relate to Him. Promises are the internal framework for the relationship we have with God. When we hit rough patch-es, we turn to God. We turn to God because the commitments He has made to us have been tested and proven. I trust in God. I trust I can put myself fully into His hands and He will do what He has said He will do.

I understand that we make promises in different ways. Some promises are formally made. When I was a kid, I would spit in my hand and shake my friend’s hand to secure our bond. When our oaths involve rituals, we raise our expecta-tions for faithfulness. Now not all promises are formal, we also bind ourselves to one another in unspoken ways. Expectations can be set up by what we have previously said or done. The unspoken expectations in a community can be confusing because they are not shared on both sides. What unspoken expectations do you have of the people at this congregation? What unspoken expectations do you have of me as the pastor of this congregation? If I break the bonds we have together, please let me know. I understand how important faithfulness is to our relationship together.

We are not always faithful. When we break promises, we betray our relationships and weaken our community. When we are down in the pits of be-trayal, the love of Jesus is the scaffolding upon which we will climb up to fresh air. The love of Jesus in the face of our be-trayal and desertion is a part of our redemption. In this congre-gation we make and keep prom-ises. In this congregation we will also experience betrayal and desertion.

Christine Pohl, in her book Living into Community, wrote about how a troubled congrega-tion that was trying to rely on its own strength found rebirth

Promises by Pastor Gaertner

November 2015 Good News

Please pray

For smooth completion of

the new addition

for comfort and strength

for those suffering “quiet”

illnesses.

for those serving our coun-

try.

for the unborn, the elderly

and all those whom our

sinful world considers

“burdens.” Ask God to

protect vulnerable people

and give everyone an ap-

preciation for life at all of

its stages. (the last prayer on

the list comes from Pray for

Us Calendar, LCMS website)

Inside this issue:

Is God Your Boss? 2

Librarian Recom-

mendations

3

Listen as God

Listens

4

In Our Community 4

Advent by Candle-

light

5

Youth News 6

Calendar 7

when they relied on the prom-ise keeping of God. The pastor at this congregation was experi-encing the meltdown of the church after the misconduct of a previous pastor. The congrega-tion was suffering greatly from diminished prayer, attendance, gifts, and service. The mission of the church was largely aban-doned. The remaining members felt burdened and hurt. They were wounded by those who left the congregation during the times of difficulty. In order to move forward, the congregation needed a way to forgive friends who left. They found redemp-tion as a congregation from their time of crisis when they sought to rebuild their congre-gation on the strength of the forgiveness of Jesus.

We will be a stronger congrega-tion when we practice making and keeping promises. Though it seems ordinary, consistency in showing up for worship and supporting the Gospel proclaim-ing ministry at this congregation is a part of the internal frame-work that supports us. During times of crisis and confusion, it can be helpful to be faithful to the tasks we know that need to be done. When the storms subside and the crisis is over, you will find that the damage is limited by your consistency in daily tasks. Keep centered on Jesus, and the swirling confusion around you will not appear as dangerous.

Good News Page 2

“Where should

we place our

faith; in blind

chance, without

purpose, or in a

loving God who

planned and

created the

universe, ”

What is the significance of the

number 186,000miles/second?

Many people would recognize

this as the speed of light in

space, In early 2012 the huge

atomic collider in Europe indi-

cated that energy could travel

faster than this. The whole

world of physics was thrown

into confusion, until, with a sigh

of relief, an instrumentation

error was discovered. Why is

the speed of light a constant

number? In a nuclear reactor,

why is mass converted to ener-

gy at the square of the speed of

light? Is light a stream of parti-

cles, or a wave created by a

stream of particles? What is

the medium in space that can

transmit such a wave? We

calculate the behavior of mag-

netism and gravity over the

vast distances of space, but we

don’t know how their force is

transmitted. The beautiful mi-

croscopic precision of DNA in

every cell of our body, similar

to that of rats and apes; how

was it established? Of all the

creatures that on earth do

dwell, why is humankind the

only one to compose sympho-

nies, or build skyscrapers, or

harness the atom, or discover

DNA? Above all, why is there

something, rather than nothing?

Genesis Chapter 1

Moses, inspired by God, wrote

down the story of creation

from the oral tradition. It was

believed by the people of his

day and for many centuries

thereafter. They had no basis

to comprehend the physics and

biology that is familiar to us

today. The scientists of the

18th and 19th centuries scoffed

at the creation “myth,” but the

“big bang” discoveries of the

20th and 21st centuries have

given new life to the creation

story. Stay tuned!! Our scien-

tist have convinced us that we

live as a small part of a vast

beautiful precise machine that

operates with out any human

hands on the controls. If they

stopped at that point, they

could join with the psalmist

David, who rejoiced at being

part of God’s creating and be-

ing created in his image.

Psalm 8

But prideful people, conversant

with quantum mechanics, tell

us that all of this beautiful,

complex creation is here be-

cause of pure chance, that

probabilities operating over

billions of years have given us

the creation that is our home.

Each discovery is touted as the

final answer, only to open our

minds to new questions. Sci-

ence can tell us a great deal

about how our universe works,

but they cannot tell us why. It

is all a matter of faith.

Where should we place our

faith; in blind chance, without

purpose, or in a loving God

who planned and created the

universe, and created us in His

image to live on this earth? Do

we believe that we are just

intelligent primates, or do we

believe that mankind is excep-

tional, that God has a special

plan for us? If our faith is placed

with the prideful naysayers of

science, life has no purpose or

meaning. But if we look in the

rearview mirror, we can see

God the Creator, over the

centuries, molding our lives and

moving history to a destination.

Galatians 4:1-7

God gave us the laws of phys-

ics. He also gave us rules for

living with one another. We

are stewards of the world He

created, but if we break the

Law, we suffer consequences.

Are we slaves, or are we heirs?

God gave us free will. God has

a plan. Fit in!! All children are

disobedient, punished, forgiven,

and loved. Can a child forfeit

the love of a parent? Yes, when

he withholds his love, his desire

to please, his attitude of obedi-

ence; then his parent cannot

help him. This is the unforgiva-

ble sin against God, when we

cut ourselves of from His love.

In our daily work, we have free

will, but we have a boss. Even

when we respect him, we re-

sent his authority and control.

We may goof off, make jokes

with our colleagues, do our

jobs more or less. But when

we are called into the boss’s

office, we feel fear, respect.

Regret for procrastination and

disobedience. We shape up,

look for signs of approval,

search for the long-range plan,

so that we can fit in.

John 14-5-27

Most of us eventually realize

fitting into God’s plan means

satisfaction and accomplish-

ment; pursuing your own willful

agenda means failure and frus-

tration. In the Concordia Bible

Concordance, there are only

12 entries for success and but

100 for service and 120 for

obedience.

Is God Your Boss? By Tim Hurst

Good News

The Pilgrims First Thanks-

giving by Ann McGovern-Youth

The Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving

lasted three days. Ann McGov-

ern's simple text introduces

children to the struggles of the

Pilgrims during their first year

at Plymouth Colony and the

events leading to the historic

occasion we celebrate today.

The Thanksgiving Story

By Alice Dalgiesh -Youth

In this festive Caldecott Honor

-winning picture book, Alice

Dalgiesh brings to life the origin

of the Thanksgiving holiday for

readers of all ages. Giles, Con-

stance and Damaris Hopkins

are all passengers aboard the

crowded Mayflower, journeying

to the New World to start a

new life. Things get a little

more cramped when their baby

brother Oceanus is born dur-

ing the passage. However,

when they arrive, there are

even worse challenges to face

as the Pilgrims are subjected to

hunger, cold, and sickness that

put their small colony in great

danger. With the help of the

Native Americans though, they

might just be able to survive

their first year in this strange

land--and have a November harvest to celebrate for gener-

ations!

Submerged

by Dani Pettrey-Fiction, #1

Dive Rescue Captain Cole

McKenna has never worked a

case like this, but who he’s

working with may prove more

dangerous than the assignment.

It’s been a lifetime since Bailey

mangled his heart. Now she’s

back in town and he needs her

expertise to track down the

illusive treasure.

Professor of Russian Studies

Bailey Craig vowed never to set

foot in Yancey again, but when

her beloved aunt dies, she has

no choice.

Bailey agrees to help for the

sake of the victims, and travels

with Cole across Alaska’s rugged

terrain and deep beneath its

coastal waters. As the case esca-

lates, so do their feelings for one

another. Just when Bailey thinks

she can’t take it any longer, the

case shifts in a new and ex-

tremely personal direction, fas-

tening her in for its duration.

Racing against the clock and a

rising body count, Cole and

Bailey fight to find the treasure

and uncover the hidden history

at the root of it all. But will they

be too late?

.

Librarian Recommendations By Jean Schneider

Page 3

Select VBS Songs Starting

Bid $10

Facebook Setup Starting

Bid $10

One hour Spanish Lesson

Starting Bid $5

If you have any questions

please contact Anna Anken-

brand at (P) 810.623.1174 (E)

kaankenbrand@yahoo.com or

Lori Schonsheck at (P)

248.763.8503 (E)

ian@schonshec.com.-party-

2015/

are interested in placing a bid,

you may purchase onsite on

11/1 or 11/8. Items still open

for bids:

Hot Tub Party Starting Bid

$50

Solo for wedding, funeral,

other event Starting Bid

$25

Yamaha Electone Organ

Starting Bid $25

VBS Band Entertainment

Starting Bid $20

Thank you to all you bidders

and donors. All winners should

have been notified by phone or

email. All auction items may be

picked up after the 8:30 Am or

11:30 AM Sunday service on

November 1 or November 8.

Payment must be received at

this time. Cash or check is

accepted. Please make all

checks payable to St. Paul Lu-

theran Church.

We still have a few items that

are still open for bids. If you

both traditional and Roth IRA’s.

CEF also accepts transfers or

roll-overs from other plans.

More information and current

interest rates are available by

calling 800-242-3944 and at

www.mi-cef.org.

home parent. While you tran-

sition into this new position,

there will be decisions to

make regarding how best to

preserve your retirement

savings.

Church Extension Fund offers

Congratulations! You’ve

accepted a new job with excit-

ing challenges. You may have

taken a position with a new

company, decided to branch

out on your own, or made the

choice to become a stay-at-

Time Treasure and Talent Auction 2015 by Anna Ankenbrand

What’s Best For You? by Paul Wills, Church Extension Fund

Good News Page 4

In Our Community

Great discounts on holiday

decor

Tickets are $20, with $10 do-

nated directly to LACASA

Center. This event sells out

quickly. Reserve your tickets

early. Tickets available at Bor-

dine’s or online at:

http://www.lacasacenter.org/

bordines-party-2015/

This event is a tradition among

women in Livingston County

who make the festive night an

annual outing for the gals.

Fun activities and great deals

will be in store for guests

this year, including:

Yummy food by area restau-

rants

Fun shopping at booths

Games & raffles

Goody bags

Bordine’s of

Brighton Holiday

Extravaganza

Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015

7 – 9 p.m.

You are invited to ladies night

out at the Bordine’s Holiday

Extravaganza, an evening of

merriment which kicks off the

holiday season.

I wondered, “Do I listen as

God listens?” I thought about

that question for several

weeks.

On the flip side, was I listening

to God as He listens to me?

After my prayers each morning

and evening, I would simply say,

“God, talk to me. I am listen-

ing.” I would sit in meditative

peace exiting out of all the

open tabs in my computer

brain listening to what God had

to pronounce. I cherish my

communion with my Holy Fa-

ther just as Job’s demands for

answers from God were

eclipsed by the awesome privi-

lege of encountering Him. (Job

38-41). Not every request will

be granted, but I hold faith that

God knows what is best for me

and what lessons He is at-

tempting to instruct me. My

prayer life has become more

refreshing and productive.

When I am in one of those

situations with someone who is

hurting, I try to silently remind

myself, “Am I listening as God

listens? Am I listening to God

to help me connect others to

Him?”

Connecting others to Christ is

an act of patience and diligent

Most people have a relative,

friend, or co-worker that can

bend an ear with their tireless

saga of unhappiness. They can

wax on and on rationalizing

their decision in hopes of de-

riving support for their deci-

sion, or simply pout profusely

how life is seemingly unfair in

an effort to elicit some magical

easy solution from those

around them. Yet they contin-

ue to repeat the cycle time and

time again as though they did

not hear a word of common

sense to their woes. In the past

I have often stepped away from

these situations drained and

annoyed that someone didn’t

take my advice or opinion seri-

ously.

Then one day this past summer

I listened to myself go on and

on about a difficult situation in

my life. Day after day I had

been complaining about my

circumstance to my family and

friends to the point I was even

annoying myself. I had become

one of those people. Decidedly,

I quietly became more attuned

to my relationship with others.

When I run to God with my

prayers, I know He doesn’t do

a face-palm as surely as I have

figuratively done when I have

listened to others complain.

listening. It also means under-

standing and sharing my faith in

ways not to compare who has

the larger tumor or divulging

sensitive information, but to

show how my faith in God has

resulted in answered and unan-

swered prayers for the greater

good.

“Therefore I tell you,

whatever you ask in pray-

er, believe that you have

received it, and it will be

yours” (Mark 11:24). Faith is

the first requirement for an-

swered prayer. Sharing how it

has become real in my life has

been the first step in showing

others I am listening to them.

Secondly, sharing how unan-

swered prayers have been a

result of praying with selfish

motives (James 2-3), injured

relationships (Matthew 5:23-24,

1 Peter 3:7), or hindered by

corrupt character (James 4:7) is

connecting them to Christ. “I

am here to say, I am guilty of all

three. I don’t have the answers

for you, but I know the one

who does. I may not be able to

comfort you 24/7, but I know

the one who can. I don’t know

how to tell you how to change,

but I know the one who has

the power.”

Listen as God Listens by Sheri Falzone

The Watering Can is Sheri’s

personal service initiative at St.

Paul and beyond. – “Helping All

God’s Creatures Thrive.” Connect

with me on Facebook on the page,

The Watering Can.

Good News Page 5

Jesus and the real meaning of

Christmas. My goal this year

was to find a speaker who,

through Jesus, might touch the

heart of EVERY women at this

event, in which every walk of

faith they find themselves in…

Be it, the “not yet found” faith

women, the new “on fire for

Jesus” faith women, or the

“been there done that” walk of

faith women. I think I found

that that in Robyn Dykstra.

She’s smart, she’s funny, and

she loves Jesus. She has been

speaking hope into the hearts

and hurts of women for over

25 years. Her life-changing

message will strengthen your

faith to face life’s challenges.

You’ll be encouraged and uplift-

ed to love the life God has

planned for you.

We are working very hard on

making sure the fellowship hall

is ready for this wonderful

For Christians, Advent is a time

for remembering how the

world waited in anticipation for

God’s promised Messiah to

come. But as women, it often

feels like every moment of

Advent is filled with cleaning,

decorating, baking, cooking,

helping with children’s pro-

grams, shopping, and wrapping

gifts in preparation for cele-

brating Christmas. Like Martha

in Luke 10:38–42, we are busy

with many things. Our inten-

tions are good. We are trying

to make Christmas special for

our families, friends, congrega-

tion, co-workers, and acquaint-

ances; but we can become so

busy preparing that we miss

out on experiencing the beauty

and meaning of Advent and

Christmas ourselves.

An event like Advent by Can-

dlelight is an opportunity for

women to gather together and

spend some time focused on

event. I was asked to take over

the coordinating of the event

for Bonnie Stowe long before

the renovations were even

imagined. If I have not been

able to follow the exact pro-

cesses of years past, I ask for

your forgiveness and patience

as I juggle both the renovations

and the ABC event. My goal for

both, is to ensure a comforta-

ble and memorable experience

to share God’s love. So, wom-

en of St. Paul, please join us

with the treasured women in

your life, on Monday Novem-

ber 30 at 6:30pm for dessert,

fellowship, and an engaging

speaker who will renew your

spirit for this wonderful season

coming up. If you are interest-

ed in hosting a table of women

or have any questions or con-

cerns, please email me at

beckygusoff@hotmail.com or

call me at 734-673-0546.

Advent by Candlight by Becky Gusoff

In the Word

… but you received the Spirit of

sonship. And by him we cry,

“Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15b

Of the Word

It starts with the first “ma-ma,

da-da.” It grows into messages

like “Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad!” It is

the relationship of love be-

tween parents and children.

With these simple words chil-

dren show they regard their

parents with respect and love.

A relationship of love between

our Heavenly Father and us

pervades our entire being. God

is the One who chose to make

us His children through His

Spirit. He is the One who sent

His only Son to die and rise

again for us. He is the One

who stands at the gate eager to

welcome us prodigals back

home.

Is it any wonder we delight in

calling Him “Our Father”? In

that loving relationship are

found marvelous blessings and

privileges. First, we have the

privilege of talking with God as

a true friend. Second, we have

peaceful confidence in Him. It is

the serenity which comes from

knowing He makes all things

work for our benefit. Finally,

we are never out of His care

or concern because we have His

abiding presence. What a won-

derful Heavenly Father we have!

Walking with my Lord

Keep me, Father, as Your dear

child now and forever. In the

name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.

Mustard Seed: Living in Faith.

Author: Rev. Darold Reiner.

5/30 ©2007 Lutheran Women’s

Missionary League, P.O. Box

411993, St. Louis, MO 63141-

1993. www.lwml.org

Unless otherwise indicated,

Scripture quotations were taken

from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW

INTERNATIONAL VERSION.

Faith is … Being a Child of God

Good News

LAC

Have you met Amanda and Crit-

ter(Christopher)? They are get-

ting awesome reviews on leading

a Bible study on Sunday morn-

ings from 9:45 – 10:45 am.

Amanda and Critter are students

(juniors) from Concordia Univer-

sity, Ann Arbor – check it out

any Sunday – you will want to be

there every Sunday.

Another message for High

School students!

“Tough Issues” continues to

meet on Sunday evenings 5:00 –

6:30 pm. In November we will

place where Holy Huddle

meets.) The cost is $5 to cover

food. Friends are welcome but

they must complete an Emer-

gency Medical Form and Liabil-

ity Waiver.

Page 6

Youth

News by Mike Hausch

not meet November 1 but will

meet the remainder of Sundays

in November. (8, 15, 22, and

29 )

National Youth Gathering

Participants

Hopefully our group registra-

tion will soon be confirmed. If

you have not turned in your

registration worksheet, please

do so as soon as possible. “In

Christ Alone” hosted in New

Orleans, LA, is going to be

awesome. Please put this on

your calendar – we will meet

High School Youth

IMAC

5th and 6th Graders of St

Paul

Our November Activity is a

“Road Rally” in combina-

tion with a “Rake and

Run.” Students will use clues

to find a location with a

“needy” yard. They will “rake”,

receive new set up clues, and

then run (actually ride in a car)

to the next raking location.

This event will take place right

after church on Sunday, No-

vember 15. We will have lunch

together in the Activity Center

and then hit the road. The cost

is $3 to cover lunch. A sign up

sheet will be posted in your

to plan and prepare right after

church, the first Sunday of the

month. Most of the time

these gatherings will be rela-

tively short but they will play

a key role in helping us to

make the most of this great

opportunity. There is one

exception to the “first” Sun-

day. In November it will be

November 8. If you have not

signed up yet, or have ques-

tions before you make a deci-

sion. Contact Mike for forms

or answers.

Youth group for 7th and 8th

graders – those in Confir-

mation instruction

Our November event is a Lock

-In which will take place on

Friday evening, November 20. A

Lock–In is a whole night full of

great and fun stuff. This one will

be different from anything that

has happened in the past or

anything that may happen in the

future. We need to plan around

the building renovations so our

activities will be in the lower

level of the education wing and

in the Activity Center. Get your

name on the sign up sheet in

the Activity Center (that is the

Good News Page 7

NOVEMBER

Sunday

7:30 a.m. Fresh Brew Bible Study

8:30 a.m. Divine Service

9:45 a.m. Education Hour

11 a.m. Divine Service & Kids’ Connection

5 p.m. Tough Questions

Monday

9 a.m. Quilters

11 a.m. Women’s Bible Study

Weekly Schedule

Tuesday

9 a.m. Old Timers

7 p.m. Boy Scouts

Wednesday

8 a.m. Classical Conversations

Saturday

8:30 a.m. Men’s Bible Study

9 a.m. Altar Preparation

10:30 a.m. AA/Alanon

St. Paul’s Special Events and

Scripture Readings

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

1 Deuteronomy 34:1-

12 Matthew 21:1-22

6:30p Confirma-tion (students and Parents)

2 Jeremiah1:1-19

Matthew 21:23-46

3 Jeremiah 3:6—4:2

Matthew 22:1-22 Voting

4 Jeremiah 5:1-19

Matthew 22:23-46

5 Jeremiah 7:1-29

Matthew 23:1-12

6 Jeremiah 8:18—9:12

Matthew 23:13-39 7 Jeremiah 11:1-23

Matthew 24:1-28

8 Jeremiah 20:1-18,

Matthew 24:29-51

6:30p Confirma-tion (students and Parents)

9 Jeremiah 22:1-23,

Matthew 25:1-13 10 Jeremiah 23:1-20,

Matthew 25:14-30

7p Church Council

11 Jeremiah 23:21-40,

Matthew 25:31-46

12 Jeremiah 25:1-18,

Matthew 26:1-19 13 Jeremiah 26:1-19,

Matthew 26:20-35 14 Jeremiah 29:1-19,

Matthew 25:36-56

15 Jeremiah 30:1-24,

Matthew 26:57-75 12:15 Rake n’ Run 6:30p Confirma-tion (students and Parents)

16 Jeremiah 31:1-17,

23-34, Matthew 27:1-10

12:30p Love Knots

17 Jeremiah 33:1-22,

Matthew 27:11-32

18 Jeremiah 37:1-21,

Matthew 27:33-56

Newsletter Articles Due

19 Jeremiah 38:1-28

Matthew 27:57-66 6

20 Daniel 1:1-21 ,

Matthew 28:1-20

Lock-in

21 Daniel 2:1-23,

Revelation 18:1-24

Daniel 2:24-49,

Revelation 19:1-21

23 Daniel 3:1-30,

Revelation 20:1-15

24 Daniel 4:1-37,

Revelation 21:1-8

25 Daniel 5:1-30,

Revelation 21:9-27 7p Thanksgiving Eve Worship Service

26 Daniel 6:1-28,

Revelation 22:1-21

27 Isaiah 1:1-28,

1 Peter1:1-12

28 Isaiah 2:1-22,

1 Peter 1:13-25

29 Isaiah 5:1-25,

1 Peter 2:1-12

30 Isaiah 6:1—7:9,

1 Peter 2:13-25

6p Advent by Can-dlelight

St. Paul Lutheran Church P.O. Box 490

Hamburg, MI 48139

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Phone: 810-231-1033 Fax: 810-231-1016

stpaul@stpaulhamburg.com www.stpaulhamburg.com

Facebook.com/stpaulhamburg

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE

PAID Hamburg , MI Permit No. 53

Rev. Dr. Evan Gaertner, Pastor

TheRevEv@gmail.com

Michael Hausch, DCE

mike@stpaulhamburg.com

Worship Times

Sunday

8:30 am Traditional Divine

Service

9:45 am Christian Education

Hour for all ages

10:45 am Fellowship Time

11:00 am Blended Divine Service

11:00 am Kids Connection for

preschool—2nd grade after the

Children’s Message

Monday (During the Summer)

7:00 pm Traditional Divine

Service

Livingston County Christian Musicians

5th Annual Love INC Benefit Concert

NOVEMBER 28, 2015. 7PM

HARTLAND PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

9525 E. HIGHLAND RD.

HOWELL, MI 48843

TICKETS: $20, $25

WWW.LCCMUSICIANS.ORG