Why Lent Still Matters – You can't have Easter Sunday

without a season of Lent. by Michael Hidalgo

There is a Sunday every spring different from all others. Everyone dresses a little nicer than usual. Women wear floral dresses and men squeeze into the discomfort of a suit accented nicely by a pastel tie. People flock to

church buildings early to beat the larger-than-normal crowds, and the energy in church buildings is at an all-time high.

The worship services are decidedly upbeat, and everyone is in a good mood. Often someone stands up front and says, “He is risen.” The congregation replies in unison, “He is risen indeed!” As soon as the worship service ends, the church buildings empty quickly as faithful worshippers go to devour a celebration feast.

I am speaking, of course, of Easter Sunday. While this Sunday was the height of excitement for so many, it honestly meant very little to me for

most of my life. I know that may sound like a terrible thing to say, but it is true. Every year the story was the same: some women gathered spices for Jesus’ body, went to a garden, saw the stone was rolled away from the tomb and an angel said Jesus had risen.

As exciting as the pastor tried to make it, I knew the end of the story, and the punchline had less power year after year. Beyond that there was the Monday after Easter. What was celebrated just 24 hours earlier seemed to matter little. Everyone had gone back to work, and life was, well, completely normal. The resurrection all seemed quite shallow.

You may know exactly what I am talking about. The hype, the excitement, the candy, the eggs and even the resurrection can seem to fall flat. Like any other holiday, it is here and gone before we know it. In this we have a choice: we can accept this is just how it is or we can move toward Easter differently.

Which brings us to Lent. The word Lent comes from the Latin root meaning “to lengthen.” It reminds us that during the

season of spring, the sun takes a little longer each evening to settle beyond the horizon. With this, the weather grows warmer, and life emerges once more. Lent is our connecting point to the season of life.

But this is a messy season. As the snows of winter lie on the ground, things get covered, trampled and windblown. Winter brings with it chilling winds that push things over, mess things up and even break things. As the snow melts we are left to discover the trash, the litter, the mud and the branches beneath the snow.

It’s much like our lives. Over time, our hearts and souls, when left unattended, get messy. Lent invites us to deal with the mess. This is not about quickly cleaning things up and pretending they were never there, nor is it about ignoring the mess. Lent invites to roll up our sleeves and sort through the debris of our lives.

We are confronted with our mess, and so on our foreheads we rub a little dirt reminding ourselves that just as Eden has gone to ashes, so, one day, we will too.

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February 2018 425 North DuPont Highway

Dover, DE 19901 Telephone 302-736-1617

www.salcdover.org

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The first time I observed Lent over 10 years ago, I attended an Ash Wednesday service. Ashes were applied to my head and words were spoken over me, “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” I learned in a new way that I am a mere mortal, and at same time created in the image of God. In that moment, something new in my soul began to grow. At the same time, it was, for me, a difficult time of coming to grips with my brokenness, staring at my sin and searching my heart.

This is what Lent does. It allows us to see the parts of ourselves we’d rather leave covered up. It asks us to drag our full self into the light of day no matter how dark it may be. As we near the end of Lent, we encounter Good Friday. For centuries, the people of God mark this day by participating in the Stations of the Cross remembering the trial and crucifixion of Jesus.

One station remembers the words Jesus cried while being crucified, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” That one phrase sums up the darkness of Lent. At the point of Jesus’ death, He experienced the abandonment of God. He was naked, beaten, bleeding, dying, nailed to an instrument of torture and death, crying for a father only to realize His dad was nowhere.

Lent and Good Friday invite us to brush up against the death of Jesus as we sort through the death in our hearts. Good Friday is the moment when Jesus’ death and our sin crash into one another. And in that moment, we ache for Easter.

The difference between Easter feeling shallow and Easter meaning something is simple and painful: death. The reason the resurrection felt so shallow to me for so long was because there was never any death. And you cannot have a resurrection without a death. This is why Lent is so important. It brings us face to face with our mortality and the death of Jesus.

A few years ago, I, along with several pastors from Denver, joined together for a sunrise service. There was the common story once again: some women gathered spices for Jesus’ body, went to a garden, saw the stone was rolled away from the tomb and an angel said Jesus had risen.

But this time when we read the words, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, he is risen!” Almost on cue, the first rays of sunlight broke over the skyline of Denver, and tears of joy welled up in my eyes.

The tomb was empty. And it meant something. Easter reminds us that in the in the Kingdom of God, death doesn’t have the last word; life does.

Ash Wednesday, Lent and Good Friday teach us the resurrection is something we desperately need—for our broken selves and our broken world.

And so, as we enter into this Lenten Season, may we remember we are dust and to dust we shall return. May we examine our frail, flawed soul and, with Jesus, enter the darkness of our sin and death and journey with Him to the Cross. May we be crucified with Christ, and buried in the likeness of His death, so that when we hear the words “He is risen!” perhaps for the first time, we might truly celebrate the resurrection—because we have chosen to die so that we may have life.

A special Thank You from all the staff for the monetary gifts we received during Christmas. Your thoughtfulness is really appreciated.

February 14, 2018 at Noon and 7:00 pm St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church - In the Sanctuary

During these worship services, the ashes which give Ash Wednesday its name are distributed. The ashes are made by burning the palms that were distributed the previous year on Palm Sunday. The distribution of ashes reminds us of our own mortality.

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Evangelism Committee Carol Boettler, Chair The Evangelism Committee met on Jan 3, 2018: New Members—Pastor would like to take in new members on Feb. 11th. Anticipating at least three. Soup to Share—We made a beef and a chicken soup, 30 containers in all. Our supply of ingredients is

nearly depleted. We still have some funds from Thrivent and other donations. Little Graces—Becky and Carol gave Becky’s temple talk last week. It was also on the front page of the

newsletter (which is on the web as well). Next step: Becky will get a post it flip chart and create a way for people to add graces they have done (anonymously or not) or seen.

Tables of Eight—Rosemarie has sent out the “assignments” for January through April. Epiphany Stars—We will distribute them on Sunday, Jan. 14th, as people leave the altar from

communion and also as they leave the sanctuary.

Worship & Music Committee Sam Reinhardt, Chair – No meeting was held in January. Next meeting is scheduled for Feb 5 at 5pm.

Congregation Council Pat Donahue, President

• 2018 Budget - Al Boettler led the discussion on the budget, explaining that St. Andrew’s has a $14K shortfall for 2017, following a $10K shortfall the year before. Al, Pat and the Finance Committee met prior to tonight’s meeting to trim the proposed budget. Al asked Council to review the proposed budget line by line, and look for opportunities to decrease the budget.

• Roof Issue - One roofer has patched the problem area that was leaking. This temporary patch has diminished the urgency of the problem. We need a RFP (Request for Proposal) from at least three roofers. Ken Starke knows who are reputable roofers from his work in the school system, so he will help us identify whom to call. The next property chair will complete this project.

• Council Positions for 2018 - Tom Burns has put together a slate of candidates for the 2018 Council. Carol Babst will continue another year. Robin Burrow, Lou Friday and Jane Rolfes will join Council. A youth member has not been identified.

o We discussed how elections will take place. Pr. Mark will chair the brief Council Meeting after the Congregational Meeting and guide us through the process of role assignment/selection. Outgoing members, Pat Donahue and Jim Willard, were thanked for volunteering their time and talents

Numbers for January were 126. Our next food pantry collection date is February 4. Please mark your calendar and thank you for your donations.

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The Men of St. Andrew’s from Jim Long

1. Happy Valentine’s Day to all! 2. February meeting of MSA -Saturday, Feb 24, 2018, 8 A.M. at Speedway Café 3. The Great Hall has been reserved for a Spaghetti dinner fund raiser for the

youth Texas trip. The date is April 28, 4-7. 4. At a later date we will be looking for willing volunteers 5. Social hour supplies - if something is needed contact Jim. I have supplies stored in various places and from time to time something will be moved to pantry etc. 6. Note about the cups. I buy by the thousand. They can be used for hot and cold. Feel free to use two if one is too hot. Please do not buy plastic glasses unless you're doing your own thing.

February Birthdays & Anniversaries

Anniversaries (Date & Years Married) Marion & Bob Wagner Feb 2 (71) Maryann & Eric Klemmer Feb 28 (37)

Altar Flowers For 2018 The Flower sign up chart for 2018 has been posted on the bulletin board at the entrance to the church. Please remember you are billed directly by Jen Mor Florist for these flowers and do not forget to write down how you would like the flowers listed in the bulletin on the flower chart. If there is more than one sponsor, we will have only two vases and the cost will be split between the sponsors at $15 per sponsor.

Jeremy Coker February 03 Hilda Wass February 18 Brian Smith February 03 Brendan Horne February 21 Joshua McCusker February 04 George Fonder February 22 Melissa Fontello February 05 Nicholas Saborio February 22 Steve Miller February 08 Ryan Woodzell February 23 Doran Zook February 10 Tyler Gross February 24 Andrew Burns February 12 Darryl Gustafson February 26 Barbara Pope February 12 Matthew Hill February 26 Howard Row February 12 Shannon Kerpen February 26 Joshua Friday February 13 Daniel Reitmeyer February 26 William Koch February 14 Robert Wagner February 27 Emily Burns February 16 Rosemarie Milne February 28 Lynn Jameson February 16 Joanne Henning February 29 Jan Pace February 16

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Attention Married Couples: Time is running out to sign up for your spring Lutheran Marriage Encounter Weekend. Please consider taking a weekend to learn how to make your marriage a more intimate, loving, Christian union. Following are the scheduled Northeast US spring Weekends:

* March 16-18, 2018 at Heritage Hotel Lancaster in Lancaster, PA. A newly-renovated hotel, home of the unique treehouse-inspired restaurant, "Loxley's." * April 6-8, 2018 at Toftrees Golf Resort in State College PA. A peaceful resort surrounded by a golf course and nestled in the woods in the center of PA. Registrations are also being accepted for the fall Weekends: September 14-16, 2018 at Spruce Lake Retreat in Canadensis, PA; October 19-21, 2018 at Olmsted Retreat Center in Ludlow, PA; and November 9-11 at Hampton Inn Berkshires in Lenox, Massachusetts. Two nights lodging, 5 meals for each of you, and all supplies are included with your $100 per couple registration fee, plus toward the end of the weekend you will be given an opportunity to make a confidential contribution of whatever amount you wish to help cover expenses and ensure the continuation of the program. To be sure to get the Weekend of your choice, sign up TODAY. Simply go to: www.GodLovesMarriage.org , choose the Weekend desired, and pay the $100 registration fee with your credit card, or mark the option to mail a check. For questions, please contact Northeast US Contacts for Lutheran Marriage Encounter, Fred & Julie Schamber, at 724-325-3166 or fjschamber@comcast.net.

St. Andrew’s

We will be meeting in February, to work on our quilts for Lutheran World Relief (LWR). The dates in February for quilting are February 8 and 15. Come and join us!

During December we collected the following on our “Mitten Tree;” 34 hats 35 Mittens 3 Scarfs 12 Hat sets For a total of 84 items All items were taken to the Towne Point Elementary school for distribution to needy children. IF anyone has more to bring please bring them to church and we’ll see that they get to the school. A wonderful Thank You to all for your care and donations.

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Wednesday Night Soup Suppers & Worship During Lent

In the Christian Education Center at 6PM followed by worship

Feb 21, Feb 28, Mar 7, Mar 14 & Mar 21

We are still looking for folks to provide the soup for these suppers. The sign-up list is on the

bulletin board as you enter the building.

In the last 2 weeks we have lost 2 long time, dear members, of St. Andrew’s. Millie Phillips passed away on January 11 and Kay

Castell passed away on January 17. Their loss to our family will be felt by all.

Millie’s funeral service was held Wednesday, Jan 17 at Torbert’s Funeral Home on Route 10 and Kay’s funeral was held at the

church on Monday, January 22. We offer prayers of condolences to both families.

Great Hall Use by Member of St. Andrew’s

From Lynda Foskett - Great Hall Liaison There has been some confusion on when the

Carneys are available to us, members of St. Andrew’s in the use of the Great Hall and hopefully the following will clear things up a bit.

If a non-member/renter is using the Great Hall, they are renting it with full support of the Carneys, whether it is catered or not. If a member of the congregation is using (not renting) the Great Hall, the Carneys are not involved at all, unless they are catering. There is no charge for a member of the congregation who wants to use the Great Hall. The procedure is:

1. The member must fill out the Request to Reserve Great Hall for St. Andrew’s Members form, (located in box #26 under the window to the church office), and give it to either Lynda or Dick Foskett.

2. Lynda Foskett will then coordinate with the Cheryl Carney to see if the date is available that you requested. 3. When the agreed upon date is reached, Lynda Foskett will approve the form and return a copy of the

completed form to the member. 4. The member is allowed to bring in their own food, as long as the Carneys are not involved in any way. 5. The member is responsible for setting up, tearing down and cleaning up the Great Hall. This must be done

before they leave for the day/evening. 6. The criteria for a member using the Great Hall is it must be for something the member or immediate family

member is participating in. A friend’s wedding reception, etc. does not qualify.

If you have any questions on the use of the Great Hall please talk with Lynda Foskett.

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Letters of Thanks!

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So, it will be the Eagles versus the Patriots! Start collecting your change for the Souper Bowl of Caring sponsored by The Chosen Generation. Soup pots for the NFL and AFC teams playing in the Super Bowl will be on display on Feb 4 so you can deposit your votes for who you think will win the Super Bowl. Monies donated will be given to First Baptist Church on Walker Road Food Bank.

Sunday Feb 11

After the 9am Service

In the Christian Education Center Tickets can be purchased the day of the breakfast

Sponsored by the youth with proceeds being used for the

Gathering in Houston, Texas - June 2018.

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(Items needed for the Breakfast will be posted in the Narthex starting January 28) St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church Directory Church Office – 302.736.1617 extension 1 STAFF: (Telephone numbers listed are home phone) Pastor: Pastor F. Mark Walters (410.739.5365) Email – lvtheos@yahoo.com Administrative Assistant: Hazel Partridge (734-3123) Bell Choir Director: Heather Swartzentruber (535.9188) Organist/Chancel Choir Director: Misty Fiske (535.6398) Custodian: DSS Services, Inc Nursery Attendant: Esther Raymond (698.0778) CHURCH COUNCIL OFFICERS, MEMBERS, & COMMITTEE CHAIRS/LIAISONS: President: Pat Donahue (973.462.7941) Vice President: Tom Burns (302.653.5515) Secretary: Carol Babst (302.538.5635) Treasurer: Roberta McCormick (302.653.9102) Christian Education: Jennifer Miller (302.387.1437) Church Property: Jim Willard (302.697.3713) Communications Committee: Pat Donahue (see above) Community Outreach & Evangelism: Carol Boettler (302.223.6798) Congregational Life: Rosemarie Milne - Liaison Finance Committee: Al Boettler (302.223.6798) - Liaison Stewardship: Gus Raitz (302.653.8567) Financial Secretary: Arlene Willard (302.697.3713) Pastoral Care Committee: Kathy Josephson (302.335.4673) Personnel Committee: Tom Burns (See above) Worship & Music: Sam Reinhardt - Liaison (302-659.0415) Youth Representative : Kristin King (302-222.4886) OTHER KEY PERSONNEL Youth Ministry: Jessica Nolan (210.216.5588) Men of St. Andrew’s – Jim Long (302.538.6971) Women of the ELCA (WELCA) – Kathy Josephson (302.335.4673) Librarian: Karen Jerolamon (302.734.1386) Church Facility Usage Committee Lynda Foskett (302.697.8225) - Great Hall Liaison

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Worship Helpers for February 11 – March 11, 2018

Feb 11 9:00AM 11:00am Ushers S. Brown/C. Haines The Ballis’ Assisting Min P. Donahue J. Willard Reader L. Price C. Babst Comm. Asst. S. Hoecker C. Babst Comm. Asst L. Hill B. Donahue Comm. Asst TBD TBD Greeter The Bices The Abrutyns Acolyte H. O’Grady E. VanOrden Altar Guild Zook/Schmehl Bread Maker Terri Brown Projectionist Jim Schilling V. Shockley Coffee Narthex Feb 14 7PM Ash Wednesday Ushers The Willards Assisting Min Sam Reinhardt Reader H. Partridge Comm. Asst. H. Partridge Comm. Asst D. Kiefer Acolyte TBD Altar Guild Zook/Schmehl Projectionist P. Donahue Feb 18 9:00AM 11:00am Ushers S. Willard/J. Willard Ellisen/McCormick Assisting Min B. Gustafson S. Hoecker Reader G. Lewis P. Donahue Comm. Asst. G. Lewis P. Donahue Comm. Asst D. Kiefer J. Long Comm. Asst M. McFarlin S. Brown Greeter L. Zimmerman C. Babst Acolyte TBD S. Stewart Altar Guild The Shockleys Bread Maker Jody Starke Projectionist Bob Federwitz Jim Willard Coffee Council

Feb 25 9:00AM 11:00am Ushers The Hornes The Fridays Assisting Min E. Klemmer J. Willard Reader R. Burrow J. Ballis Comm. Asst. B. Gustafson J. Ballis Comm. Asst B. Federwitz B. Ballis Comm. Asst TBD TBD Greeter The Joesphsons Lorrie Gloede Acolyte H. O’Grady E. Smith Altar Guild The Shockleys Bread Maker Ruth Lyon Projectionist Pat Donahue V. Shockley Coffee WELCA Mar 4 9:00AM 11:00am Ushers The Starkes J. Long/C. Babst Assisting Min T. Brown L. Hill Reader J. Alzin J. Schenck Comm. Asst. J. Alzin C. Babst Comm. Asst J. Willard R. McCormick Comm. Asst B. Donahue S. Hoecker Greeter Pam. Schmehl Art Ellisen Acolyte M. O’Grady C. Dowd Altar Guild Bice/Henning Bread Maker Carol Boettler Projectionist TBD TBD Coffee Men’s Group Mar 11 9:00AM 11:00am Ushers The Willards The Ballis Assisting Min Ruth Lyon Jim Willard Reader Rick Burrow B. Donahue Comm. Asst. L. Hill B. Donahue Comm. Asst S. Brown T. Brown Comm. Asst P. Donahue S. Willard Greeter The Townes R. McCormick Acolyte TBD PJ Stewart Altar Guild Bice/Henning Bread Maker Sarah King Projectionist TBD TBD Coffee Narthex

If you find these dates don’t work in your calendar please attempt to switch with someone else and call the church office at 736-1617. If you can’t find someone to switch with please call the church

office as soon as possible so we can find a replacement for you in the schedule.

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Thank you for helping with our worship Services.

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