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WORDS of GRACE Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
1809 S. Main St. Fairgrove, MI 48733
church office: (989) 693-6322
church website: www.gracefairgrove.org
Rev. Joshua T. Haller
cell phone: (248) 794-3703
MARCH 2019
A Letter from the Pastor “ASHES TO ASHES, DUST TO DUST”
The season of Lent is a forty day journey to Holy Week. Just as
our Lord fasted for forty days and forty
nights in the wilderness, so also Christians are invited to fast
and contemplate more heavily upon their sin
and mortality. Such practices will help a Christian repent of
his sin and rely solely upon the grace of God.
This season begins with Ash Wednesday, where filthy, grimy ashes
are placed upon foreheads with these
words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall
return.” The use of ashes on this day goes back to
the medieval practice of coming to church in sackcloth and bare
feet, and after finishing one’s prayers, he
would shower himself with ashes from the branches of last year’s
Palm Sunday celebration.
We also use last year’s branches not to shower ourselves with
its ashes but to receive the mark of the holy
cross upon our foreheads. Such a mark does remind us that we are
dust, and dust always returns to the
ground. That’s what God promised Adam in the Garden of Eden
after he fell into sin: “By the sweat of your
face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out
of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to
dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). Because of the sin we
inherited from Adam and the sins we’ve
committed since, we will die, decay, and turn into dust. We are
as a weak as the flower and grass that
withers away. We’d like to act all big and tough, but we are no
doubt small and pathetic.
You are dust, and to dust you shall return.
Similar words are spoken at a Christian burial, when the pastor
might pour some dirt upon the coffin and
say, “We now commit the body of our brother to the ground; earth
to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust...”
The wages of sin is death, and death leads us back to the earth,
back to ashes and dust, from which Adam
was first created.
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But the pastor will continue, “...in the sure and certain hope
of the resurrection to eternal life through our
Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly bodies so that they
will be like His glorious body, by the power
that enables Him to subdue all things to Himself.” Our lives do
not end in dust and ashes, for from that dust
and ash, Jesus will raise us up. Just as he breathed life into
dirt and made Adam, so he will call us up from the
ground to give us new life in our bodies that will be
incorruptible and unstoppable. Why? Because Jesus lives!
Lent leads us to the cross of Christ, and from that cross to his
grave, which is now empty. Our repentance
leads us to our salvation. The Law brings us to our knees that
we might be lifted up by the Gospel.
On Ash Wednesday, you’ll be marked with ashes in the shape of a
cross to remember that you are dust and to
dust you shall return, but also to remember that Jesus too was
born into the dust of your flesh. He was killed
into the dirt of your sin and buried in the ground of your tomb.
And now, that Jesus is risen again.
In Christ,
Pastor Haller
PRIVATE CONFESSION
Private Confession and Absolution is available by appointment.
You can call
Pastor Haller at the church office or on his cell phone: (248)
794-3703.
TALK RADIO FOR THE THINKING CHRISTIAN Issues, Etc. is a radio
talk show and podcast hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken and
produced by Lutheran Public Radio in Collinsville, IL. You can
listen live or from past shows at www.issuesetc.org.
www.lutheranpublicradio.org
SHUT-IN ADDRESSES
Continue to pray for those who can’t be with
us on Sunday mornings.
Jean Adams
8678 W. Deckerville Rd.
Reese, MI 48757
Helen Osborn
50 Dockham Rd.
Columbiaville, MI 48421
Marie Scott
4471 Sheffield Pl.
Bay City, MI 48706
MARCH 6, 2019, 7 PM
DIVINE SERVICE
WITH IMPOSITION OF ASHES
NEXT VOTERS MEETING:
SUNDAY APRIL 14, 2019
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—donations—
THUMB AREA CRISIS CENTER donations can be placed in box
under fellowship hall window
MARCH dryer sheets
HIGHER THINGS BOTTLE RETURN To help with travel expenses to the
Higher Things Youth conference this
summer, the youth are collecting bottles and cans to
recycle..
Bottles and cans can be put in the bin at the north
entrance.
**COMMUNITY EVENTS**
FISH FRY
Trinity Lutheran Church & School
9858 North St, Reese, MI
Friday, March 8, 2019
11:30 am to 1 pm & 4 pm to 7 pm
3 & under free, 4 to 7 $5, 8 & up $10
CHRIST THE KING BENEFIT DINNER & AUCTION
American Legion Hall
2960 Cass St, Unionville, MI
Friday, April 5, 2019 at 5 pm
Tickets $30 (on sale February 1st)
If willing to donate items, email [email protected]
For more info: www.knightsforabrightertomorrow.org
KNOWN MARCH BIRTHDAYS
2 Carolyn Carpenter
Melinda Reinbold
3 Wayne Dinsmoore
8 Matthew Seeley
Megan Seeley
12 Wayne Seeley, Jr.
13 Tara Hofmeister
16 Karen Mendyk
19 Andrew Mendyk
20 William Keyes
23 Beth Hoppe
25 Thomas Couture
27 Audry McGilton
29 Allison Pierce
31 Jason Hall
Marie Scott
March Divine Services (services with Holy Communion)
Sunday, March 3, 2018 Quinquagesima
Divine Service Setting 3 Luke 18:31-43
Wednesday, March 6, 2018 Ash Wednesday
Divine Service Setting 3 Matthew 6:16-21
Sunday, March 10, 2018 The First Sunday in Lent Divine Service
Setting 1
Matthew 4:1-11
Sunday, March 17, 2018 The Second Sunday in Lent
Divine Service Setting 3 Matthew 15:21-28
Sunday, March 24, 2018 The Third Sunday in Lent Divine Service
Setting 3
Matthew 11:14-28
Sunday, March 31, 2018 The Third Sunday in Lent Divine Service
Setting 1
John 6:1-15
“A LENT TO REMEMBER”
During the Lenten midweek services, pastors from the Thumb area
will join us at Grace to preach the Gospel.
March 13, 2019: “Remember Sins No More”
Rev. Steve Bagnall, Good Shepherd—Cass City
March 20, 2019: “Remember Wondrous Works”
Rev. Christopher Suggitt, St. Paul—Linkville
Good Shepherd—Caseville
March 27, 2019: “Remember Jesus’ Words”
Rev. Joshua Haller, Grace—Fairgrove
April 3, 2019: “Remember the Covenant”
Rev. Steven Stolarczyk, St. Paul—Unionville
April 10, 2019: “Remember Steadfast Love”
Rev. Joshua Haller, Grace—Fairgrove
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Orphan Grain Train is an expression of the love of Christ.
Orphan Grain Train has been responding to
human need for 27 years. Sharing the love of Jesus is the
mission of Orphan Grain Train which has been shipping
humanitarian aid into 67 countries on 5 continents and
responding with domestic disaster relief. In loving
response to Christ, the Orphan Grain Train movement enables
God’s people to share personal and material
resources in bringing Christ’s name and character to needy
people far and near. Sometimes that character
expresses itself as a word well spoken, sometimes as a bandage
well applied, and sometimes as a child well fed.
The Christian care movement of Orphan Grain Train now has its
very first foothold in Michigan. Orphan
Grain Train—Michigan has its first home in Sebewaing. Orphan
Grain Train has 26 branch centers across the
United States. This is the very first in Michigan. The new
center for Orphan Grain Train—Michigan is located on
Main Street in downtown Sebewaing where 8,000 square feet of
work and warehouse space has been acquired.
The Orphan Grain Train Michigan Branch has compiled a leadership
team. Pastor David Reed serves as Branch
Manager. Pastors from conferences in Saginaw, Midland, Bay City,
Frankenmuth, and the Thumb have
unanimously welcomed the initiative.
Projects undertaken locally will supply clothing, medical
supplies, food, Christian literature, and other
humanitarian assistance for shipment internationally to
orphanages, mission outposts, hospitals, or crisis spots
where there is opportunity. This February, Orphan Grain
Train—Michigan made its very first distribution of relief
supplies to H.A.R.P. (Helping Appalachian Rural Peoples) in
southeast Ohio in response to flooding.
We do request your prayers. Start-up financial gifts are
welcomed. Volunteers, advocates, and in-kind
donors will have the chance to participate in multiple ways.
Meanwhile, you may learn more about Orphan Grain
Train by visiting its website or speaking to Pastor Reed
(989-600-2264) about your interest or questions.
www.ogt.org
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Serving our Lord in the Month of March
Elders for March David Weber & Joseph Bublitz Ladies Aid for
March Joanne Hills & Irene Stange Sunday, March 3, 2019
Greeters: Harold & Cindy Burnison Ushers: Ed McAlpine, Earl
Voss, Hunter Reid, Joseph Bublitz Refreshments: Ann Emery, Sarah
Hall, Joanne Hills, Beth Hoppe Wednesday, March 6, 2019 Ushers:
David Hills, Joseph Bublitz, Jim Burnison, Joseph Bublitz Sunday,
March 10, 2019 Greeters: Sandy D’Addezio Ushers: Larry Spencer,
Brian Steinley, Daniel Bublitz, Joseph Bublitz Refreshments: Mary
Masker, Lil McAlpine, Karen Mendyk, Sarah Pierce Wednesday, March
13, 2019 Dinner: The Board of Evangelism Ushers: Harold Burnison,
Vic Trisch, Jim Burnison, Joseph Bublitz Sunday, March 17, 2019
Greeters: David & Joanne Hills Ushers: Lee Voss, Jason Hall,
David Weber, Harold Burnison, Joseph Bublitz Refreshments: Susan
Pfund, Sarah Reid, Heather Reinbold, Tracey Reinbold Wednesday,
March 20, 2019 Dinner: The Youth Group Ushers: Ed McAlpine, Earl
Voss, Hunter Reid, Josepb Bublitz Sunday, March 24, 2019 Greeters:
Mary Masker Ushers: David Hills, Joseph Bublitz, Jim Burnison,
Joseph Bublitz Refreshments: Joanne Reinbold, Leslie Reinbold,
Diane Spencer, Irene Stange Wednesday, March 27, 2019 Dinner: The
Ladies Aid Ushers: Larry Spencer, Brian Steinley, Daniel Bublitz,
Joseph Bublitz Sunday, March 31, 2019 Greeters: Ed & Lil
McAlpine Ushers: Harold Burnison, Vic Trisch, Jim Burnison, Joseph
Bublitz Refreshments: Bev Voss, Helene Weber, Kristi Weber, Joanne
Bigham **If you are unable to provide refreshments when scheduled,
please switch with someone on the list.
**If your name is not on the Greeter and/or Refreshment list and
you would like to serve, please contact the church office.
**the Secondary Elder assigned for that month will also serve as
the fourth usher.
**If you’re not able to serve on a particular Sunday, please
call another usher to replace you.
