 |
|
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
 |
|||
|
From Our Newsletter |
|||
|
|
|
June 2010 I am looking out at sunshine and blue sky enjoying the spring and the sound of a lawnmower is a delight. The sound of the lawn mower means the grass is growing. The sound of the lawn mower means sunshine. The sound of the lawn mower means summer is near. I give thanks to God for the blessings and sounds of this time. I walked through the building listening to the sounds. There were voices in the hall talking about building needs and plans. The sound of the telephone ringing was answered by a welcome voice. Doors opened and closed as people arrived for Bible study. Others gathered for tutoring and teacher’s questions with student replies were heard. Footsteps hurried and deliberate traveled the halls. Strangers came in seeking directions. Music was hummed as worship was planned. Fingers on keyboards and paper in the copier were rhythms of work well done. Every day the sound of ministry is a delight. The sound means God’s mission is growing. The sound of ministry is varied. I give thanks to God for the blessings and the sounds of this congregation. The sounds of ministry are present and abundant at Holy Trinity. Ministry may sound a bit different in the summer, but it is never silent. As you enjoy the sounds of summer, whether at home or away, remember the sounds of Holy Trinity. The sounds of summer are a joy and delight. However, in the church, the sounds of summer can bring a challenge as our financial offerings become silent. As you take time to re-create and re-fresh in this season of sunshine and warmth, please remember the sounds of ministry continue and Holy Trinity Lutheran needs your regular financial support. The sound of ministry means life. I give thanks for the blessings you will share. The mower has stopped. The sound of God’s work goes on. Listen. Shalom, Pastor Deanna
May 2010 As we are experiencing some challenges in our financial stewardship, I wanted to share some reflections from a great resource. All highlighting/underlining is mine. Shalom, Pastor Deanna (If you would like to read more, I can loan you this book.) The Key Question You are called to be a disciple. A disciple's primary relationship is not with the congregation but with Jesus. The congregation is the means through which we grow in faith and proclaim the good news. Giving is an important part of being in a relationship with Jesus. How we steward the finances that God has entrusted to us will have a huge impact on our discipleship. Financial stewardship has the potential to be either a roadblock to discipleship or a catalyst to a growing discipleship. The questions you ask shape the way you think about money and possessions. Let's imagine two people sitting in church on Sunday morning. A commitment card regarding their financial support of the congregation is in each of their hands. Sue is sitting there thinking, "How much of my money does the church need this year? How do I feel about how things are going at church these days? Times are tight, so can I really spare any more?" Next to Sue, Joe is thinking, "God has blessed me in so many ways. How do I feel God is calling me to respond to those blessings?" Sue's focus is on the need of the church to receive. Joe's focus is on the need of the giver to give. Sue is giving as a member, thinking first about the need of the institution. Joe is giving as a disciple, thinking first about God's presence in his life and God's call to him to respond to that presence. What questions are you asking as you think about what you will give? Our goal is to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus through the use of the time, talent and money God has entrusted to you. The question we invite you to consider is, "How is God calling you to respond to God's presence in your life?" From Ask, Thank, Tell by Charles Lane, Augsburg, 2006
April 2010 Alleluia, Christ is risen! The grass is growing, flowers are blooming, trees are budding and the smell of fresh earth fills the air. In this time, the promise of new life is easy to believe. The color of hope arrives in leaves and blossoms to a landscape dulled by the winter. All around us, nature prepares to explode and expand into a new season of growth. Alleluia, Christ is risen! As people come into the church hearing laughter and conversation, seeing people young and old in song and prayer, the promise of new life is easy to believe. New faces and old friends sharing hopes and dreams bring something different to a landscape that is well-known. All around us, the power of God and the work of the Holy Spirit lead us to new growth. Alleluia, Christ is risen! It is God who brings forth the growth in nature and in our congregations. However, we have been made 'fellow workers in the kingdom of God' in our baptism. Just as the yard and our own gardens require our work at the necessary times, so too this community of faith requires the work of the people. I encourage you to consider your part in the work of growth at Holy Trinity Lutheran. Are you called to break new ground? Do you have skill in planning? Have you got the tools necessary for maintenance? Perhaps you enjoy teaching or singing. The extraordinary work of God, coupled with the exciting work of God's people, is the best way to experience exceptional life in any community of faith. By God's grace we have been gifted with new life. Now, by God's grace let's use it! Alleluia, Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed, Alleluia! Shalom, Pastor Deanna March 2010 I am writing this on a day of warmth and sunshine. I am always amazed at the brightness of the sky, the brilliance of light on the water, the crisp silhouette of the mountains and the smell of spring! The windows have been opened, letting in the freshness. I believe there is a scent to life, to grass growing, crocus blooming, forsythia blossoming, daffodils budding. I breathe deep when walking the dog and listen to the sounds of birds and children playing in the park. Of course, rain and gray days will return, but the hope of spring is present. Now, as daylight lengthens and gradual warming continues, the church journeys to the celebration of Easter where we will celebrate the light of the world and the warmth of God’s love coming anew to us in the resurrection of Jesus. As we move through this time of Lent, take time to notice the signs of new life that are beginning to appear at Holy Trinity Lutheran. Listen to the sounds of children laughing in church and excited voices lifted in song and story. Look around you in worship and offer prayers of thanks for those who gather with you to hear God’s Word and share in the Lord’s Supper. Pay attention to opportunities for fellowship and study, join a friend or perhaps invite someone new. Open the door a bit and let the fresh air of God’s Spirit blow through you. Breathe deep, God is here! Shalom, Pastor Deanna
February 2010 MAINTENANCE OR MISSION? In a recent newsletter from Gethsemane Lutheran in Seattle I read the following. It comes from the resource “Good News People” by Rev. Canon Harold Percy, Rector of Trinity Anglican Church. Highlighting the contrast between “maintenance” and “mission”, it contains challenging and thought-provoking words for Holy Trinity, for my ministry, and for you… the people of God who call this congregation ‘home’. Take a look, reflect on Holy Trinity and your place here; what do these words mean for you? For this congregation? 1. In measuring the effectiveness, the maintenance congregation asks, "How many pastoral visits are being made? The mission congregation asks, "How many disciples are being made?" 2. When contemplating some form of change, the maintenance congregation says, "If this proves upsetting to any of our members, we won't do it." The mission congregation says, "If this will help us reach someone on the outside, we will take the risk and do it." 3. When thinking about change, the majority of members in a maintenance congregation ask, "How will this affect me?" The majority of members in the mission congregation ask, "Will this increase our ability to reach those outside?" 4. When thinking of its vision for ministry, the maintenance congregation says, "We have to be faithful to our past." The mission congregation says, "We have to be faithful to our future." 5. The pastor in the maintenance congregation says to the newcomer, "I'd like to introduce you to some of our members." In the mission congregation the members say, "We'd like to introduce you to our pastor." 6. When confronted with a legitimate pastoral concern, the pastor in the maintenance congregation asks, "How can I meet this need?" The pastor in the mission congregation asks, "How can this need be met?" 7. The maintenance congregation seeks to avoid conflict at any cost (but rarely succeeds). The mission congregation understands that conflict is the price of progress, and is willing to pay the price. It understands that it cannot take everyone with it. This causes some grief, but it does not keep it from doing what needs to be done. 8. The leadership style in the maintenance congregation is primarily managerial, where leaders try to keep everything in order and running smoothly. The leadership style in a mission congregation is primarily transformational, casting a vision of what can be, and marching off the map in order to bring the vision into reality. 9. The maintenance congregation is concerned with their congregation, its organizations and structure, its constitutions and committees. The mission congregation is concerned with the culture, with understanding how secular people think and what makes them tick. It tries to determine their needs and their points of accessibility to the Gospel. 10. When thinking about growth, the maintenance congregations asks, "How many Lutherans live within a twenty-minute drive of this church?" The mission congregation asks, "How many unchurched people live within a twenty-minute drive of this church?" 11. The maintenance congregation looks at the community and asks, "How can we get these people to support our congregation?" The mission congregation asks, "How can the Church support these people?" 12. The maintenance congregation thinks about how to save their congregation. The mission congregation thinks about how to reach the world. How would Holy Trinity be shaped if we leaned into mission rather than making decisions based on maintenance? While I believe we do well in some of this, I know we can improve. We have wonderful work to do and I am excited to see how God will lead us. Shalom, Pastor Deanna
December 2009/January 2010 The Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW) has been the church’s primary worship resource since its publication in 1978. In 2000, the ELCA began the development of new worship resources resulting in the publication of a new worship book in 2006, Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW). This is a marvelous resource incorporating fine design and outstanding content that is already in use throughout the ELCA. You may not know it, but at Holy Trinity, we have been using some ELW liturgies and songs for the past couple of years. And now, we would like to move forward with acquiring the new ‘cranberry’ hymnal as our primary worship resource. While there is much that is new in this hymnal, it also contains much that is familiar. Almost 700 hymns and worship songs are included from a variety of publications, 53% are from LBW; 20% are from With One Voice; 21% are from New Hymns and Songs (Renewing Worship); 6% from Libro de Liturgia y Cántico, This Far by Faith, Worship & Praise, and other sources. The Evangelical Lutheran Worship also contains 10 settings for Holy Communion, including Settings One and Two from the LBW and a chant setting based on LBW Setting Three and SBH Setting Two (I remember this well!). Worshippers at Holy Trinity have become familiar with Setting Seven, a new Hispanic liturgy. Other settings include a hymn-based setting (following Martin Luther’s pattern), several new compositions and a setting from the ELCA’s African-American hymnal, This Far By Faith. All 150 Psalms, Luther's Small Catechism and a Daily Lectionary are also included in the hymnal. This makes Evangelical Lutheran Worship a wonderful resource for individual and family devotions, in addition to its use in worship. I like this hymnal and believe it has much to offer our congregation in its worship life. In the next months, I invite you to take opportunity to learn more as we offer some ‘hymn sings’, question and answer opportunities and educational gatherings. You are also encouraged to take a look at the book. We have several copies of the ELW in the library available for your perusal. And please, ask questions. I just might share my favorite ‘new’ hymns with you! Shalom, Pastor Deanna November 2009 November is the month when we pause and take intentional time to offer thanks to God for the many blessings we have received. November is also when we will take time to thank God for the many blessings Holy Trinity Lutheran has received from God. In addition, we will consider how our gifts might be used to further bless God’s work and the ministry of Holy Trinity. It is a time when we turn our attention to stewardship. I say the word "stewardship" and people turn away. You read the word "stewardship" and check your wallet. Stewardship and the financial concerns of the church are often uneasy partners. However, the truth of stewardship is far broader than simple dollars and cents. Christian stewardship is about living and knowing whose we are. Christian stewardship is the way we respond to being God's people. We are richly blessed by God. Our life is a gift, a blessing. As members of a community of faith, we share our life in many and various ways. We share God's blessing in our actions. We give time to the ministry of Holy Trinity. We share our talents and skills and participate in God's work. We offer our money to further God's mission through this congregation. We are richly blessed by God and thanks is shown in our sharing. Many people have discovered an amazing truth: As we give thanks through our sharing we experience greater blessing. This is a truth of Christian faith and living. This is stewardship. Stewardship is about blessing and giving and life. In November we will be Embracing our Journey Through Stewardship. We will honor the saints who have been a part of Holy Trinity in the past, those who gave and supported this congregation so that today’s saints (you and me) might continue God’s work with our own giving. We will embrace the ways we share our time and talents. As a community we will hear from those who have served in El Milagro and New Orleans. And we will celebrate. Created in God’s image, we will celebrate the gift of generosity. As we have been blessed in our journey, so we will embrace our journey of stewardship as we offer our financial support to the work of God and the ministry of Holy Trinity. So, in November, I pray you will join me and others at Holy Trinity as we wrap our arms around the blessings of our life together and discover how God is at work. It is good to be here. I hope to see you on this journey. Shalom, Pastor Deanna Wildermuth
September 2009 Greetings, It is a good thing to remember that my ministry with you at Holy Trinity has really just begun. I must allow myself opportunity for growth and learning, as well as setbacks and frustrations. And I must allow you the same opportunities. It is easy to forget that being here is still a relatively new thing, for me and for you. As pastor, I have many responsibilities. I visit people in the hospital or care centers or in their homes. There is a special obligation and expectation that God's word of comfort and presence will be spoken and heard. I attend many meetings and as pastor there is a special obligation and expectation to participate as a servant of the community of faith. I participate in worship services and teach classes and as pastor there is a special obligation and expectation that these be led with integrity, insight, and skill. But is any of this so different from your life as a person of faith? Actually, each of us has special obligations and expectations because we are followers of Jesus Christ. We are called to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves. While many days find these tasks familiar, at other times we forget God and care little for our neighbor. Then it is good to hear Martin Luther say that each day we return to our baptism. We cling to the promise of God as if it were new every morning. Every day we begin again, forgiven, loved and free to live as God's chosen people. Every once in a while we need to be reminded that we are people who begin anew each day. Our baptism is not simply a point of time in our past. Rather, living in our baptism is a continuing journey of faith. Baptism is God's promise of a lifetime of new beginnings. This is grace at work. Thanks be to God! Shalom, Pastor Deanna
July 2009 I love to read. I love to read brand-new books with the smell of the ink and the crispness of the pages pulling me into the story. I love to read old books, the scent of the paper and the softness of the binding quietly draws me into the pleasure of the story. Simply put, I love to read. Beginning ministry at Holy Trinity is like opening a new book. I am drawn by the unknown excitement, the anticipation of how things will develop. I am eager to spend time with the characters in this story of ministry. I want to get to know the place and the people and the plot of their lives. In other ways, beginning ministry here reminds me of the pleasure of reading an old book. The people here hold wisdom in the pages of their experience. I want to savor the stories of this community. Like a favorite book, there is something familiar about this place, too. Pleasant conversation and caring words are shared whenever two or more are gathered. Kind actions are quietly undertaken demonstrating love and care for the neighbor. Holy Trinity Lutheran is a place where the soft binding that holds everything together is the lasting strength of the Gospel. God's love and forgiveness made manifest in Jesus Christ permeates the pages of this community of faith. The story of ministry in Holy Trinity on Mercer Island is an ongoing tale. Now I have been called to enter this story and join you in its writing. And I will need your help. Sometimes the language of this community will be foreign to me. Please, explain so that I might understand. There are so many things I will not know. I will need to ask questions. Sometimes they might seem foolish. Please, forgive my ignorance. And while many of the struggles and successes of this community of faith will be familiar to me, there are others that I will need help to understand. I am excited about God’s work at Holy Trinity. I cannot wait to get started on this book. So, I will immerse myself in the pages of your lives. I will spend time scanning the chapters of this community. I will savor your stories of faith. I will enjoy discovering how the Word of God is written in this time and place. Shalom,
February 2009 After being asked to write an article relating to the property committee for the Island Lutheran, I turned to the January newsletter to find some inspiration. It occurred to me that without a church building most of what we do could not be done. We need a place to worship, to pray, and to learn, to celebrate baptisms, confirmation, weddings and funerals, a place for meetings, offices for pastors and staff, a place to collect food and clothing for those in need, a place for Advent and Lent meals and services, a place for social events, a place for non-church groups to gather, and a place of peace and reflection. And more could be added. Those who have come before left a great physical plant. In 1948 the original Chapel was finished, followed by the Sanctuary in 1959, the Education Wing in 1964, and the Atrium in 1998. Each change has aided us to better complete our mission. “HTLC is a respectful, loving, and compassionate congregation living as disciples of Jesus Christ and growing in faith and knowledge of him. We gather to proclaim Christ’s good news through fulfilling worship and do Christ’s work by reaching out to the local community and the world.” (from the church’s constitution). As a congregation our goal should not be to have the most elaborate church building, but to have and to maintain our property in a condition that allows us to continue the work of the church. In the last few years, financial restraints have impacted our ability to carry out needed repairs and renovations. The more expensive projects such as replacing the roof and renovation of the fellowship hall have been postponed, as well as numerous smaller and less expensive tasks. Yet we continue to go forward, thanks to many members donating their time and/or money for various projects, such as the renovation of the pastor’s office. Adding to the work of the property committee are many ‘honorary’ committee members who have painted classrooms, reorganized library and storage places, and cleaned the nursery. It is a blessing that by working together on various projects we get to know one another better. So we hope that you will share your time and money as the need for new improvements arises. I believe this year will be a great one for Holy Trinity. I share this optimism with Lindsay Anderson (“Just think what we can do working together”) and Chuck Pietka (“I feel so much positive energy in our congregation”) who wrote articles in the January newsletter. Although the size of our congregation is smaller than before, I believe that it is a much stronger church which will grow in the years ahead. For the time being we need every member to do something in the church and get involved. Gary Schill
August 2008 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. Genesis 2:3 Isn’t summer great? I hope every one of you are fulfilling the idea that rest is as important as activity. My feeling is that ‘rest’ is a dying art. I know, personally, that a chunk of time that I could use to read a book, take a nap, take a walk, go see friends, I often use to clean carpets, move furniture, catch up on all the things I’ve pushed aside until I ‘have time’. In the very first book of the Bible, and in most books that follow, God rested. God instructed us to rest. It is clear that work is important, but so is rest. In Leviticus, it is law. To not rest on the Sabbath will result in damnation. On our recent mission trip to New Orleans, our group of 18 spent a long day traveling, then a long day of sightseeing and fun. On Sunday, we went to worship and then rested (or ‘chilled’). Everyone was so tired. We chatted, napped, read books, talked. I was surprised that I got no objections from anyone. The group was ready to relax and refresh. We knew we had a busy, physical week ahead of us. It was wonderful wandering around the house, seeing relationships develop and quiet time being relished. Now here we are in August. I know many of you at Holy Trinity have your vacations planned, or you’re at the house on an island, or off to see grandma. Whether you are home or away, please rest. Sleep a little longer. Walk through a farmer’s market and cook something fun with the purchases. Read a goofy book. Read a serious book. Show your kids/grandkids your favorite movie from when you were their age. Have your friends over for lemonade. Take a nap. Rest now. Rest because you’ve had a busy year. Rest because your body and brain needs a break. Just rest. September is just around the corner, and you will get busy again. Holy Trinity ‘rests’ in July and August. We clean up, re-evaluate the past year and begin to plan the next. It is the rest that gives us the energy for fall. We are energizing Christian Education with new curriculum and adult education opportunities. Confirmation curriculum is changing, too. It is small-group, family focused…that will take some energy and volunteers. Committees are meeting and planning events and activities to bring us all together from September through December and beyond. Your energy will be needed to make the planning a reality. The Call committee is in the process of finding our new senior pastor. We have new families attending church that need nurturing. We are resting now, gathering the energy we will all need for the upcoming Just like all parents know that ‘nap time’ revives a weary child, follow God’s command, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matt: 11:28 Kathy Fisher Page updated on Thursday, June 03, 2010
|
|
|
| [Home] [Worship Times] [Staff Contacts] [Music] [Sunday School] [Confirmation] [Youth] [Outreach Programs] [Social Programs] [Our History] [Newsletter] [Resources] [For Our Members] [Photo Album]
|