February 2015 Trinitarian

The Trinitarian
Vol. LVIII No. 2
February 2015
Lutheran Social Ministry / NCA is celebrating 100 years of ministry in and
around Washington DC. It is Trinity’s (and the other 75 congregations of the
Metropolitan Washington DC Synod) organized and effective outreach ministry
to the poor, the stranger, and the needy of our area.
Christians worshiping, learning, nurturing
and serving together for 58 years.
Lent
Pray, Fasting, Special Offerings
Dear Friends,
We prepare to celebrate the Resurrection of
Christ – we do so with a concentrated effort on
what we do all year long:
Prayer – Sunday, weekday, & daily opportunites for worship, prayer and devotions.
Trinity Lutheran Church
11200 Old Georgetown Road
North Bethesda, MD 20852
Phone
301.881.7275
E-Mail
[email protected]
Web
www.TrinityELCA.org
Facebook Fan Page
http://tinyurl.com/kdjdech
Our Mission Statement
Trinity welcomes all to a
community in Christ;
serving others, growing in
faith, living in hope, and
reaching out in love.
A Reconciling in Christ
and a Stephen Ministry
congregation of the
Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America.
Fasting – giving up gluttony (aka - eating
healthy); giving up sloth (aka - exercising); etc.
Special O fferings – Each year the
Congregation Council designates a special
benevolence for everyone in the congregation.
This year the our special designated offering is
for Lutheran Social Services of the National
Capitol Area.
How will you prepare for Easter this year with
Prayer, Fasting, and Special Financial help for
the needy? Will this be a private journey to
Easter? Will you prepare with your spouse or
family? How will you prepare for Easter with
your Trinity family?
An expanded note on Trinity’s challenge to
assist Lutheran Social Services is continued on
page 2.
Ash Wednesday Holy Communion
at 12:10 pm and 7:30 pm
18. February
Wednesdays in Lent
6:30 pm Soup & Bread Supper
7:15 pm Hymn Sing
7:30 pm Evening Prayer
LSS had never conducted a
capital fund campaign in a
century – but to celebrate
their 100 th Anniversary, LSS
has invited Trinity and the
other congregations of our
synod to support them to
reach out in new and exciting
ways to those in need.
LSS is seeking to raise 2.5
million dollars over the next
five years for new programs
and scholarships, expanded
staffing, and for institutional
stability that will be provided
by having emergency and
operating
reserves
(something LSS has never
had).
2
THE WORK OF CHRISTMAS
By Howard Thurman
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To
To
To
To
To
To
To
LSS has challenged Trinity to pledge $5,000 (for five years) for this new century
of our ministry through Lutheran Social Services . The Congregation Council
and
the
Congregation
has accepted
this challenge
in the budget
fo r $ 2 ,5 0 0
(so a part of
e v e r y
offering you
make through
the year will
s u p p o r t
Trinity’s
pledge
for
the
LSS
Capital Fund
– and other half of our pledge will be supported by your Special Lenten
Benevolence giving. So thank you for your regular giving through the year that
supports ministries here at Trinity, throughout our area (like LSS), and around
the world (such as our missionaries).
find the lost,
heal the broken,
feed the hungry,
release the prisoner,
rebuild the nations,
bring peace among brothers,
make music in the heart.
Council Highlights
13. January 2015
Z
Council approved a motion to designate Lutheran Social Services
as the beneficiary of our Lenten Benevolence offerings as part of
Trinity's pledge to the LSS capital campaign, "Stronger Together."
Z
Tom Mreported that the hearing on Trinity's real property tax assessment
appeal is scheduled for February 4, 10:00 a.m., at the County Office
Building, 51 Monroe Street, Rockville, Maryland. Anyone may attend this
hearing.
Z
Council approved a motion to form a Musician Search Committee to be
chaired by Sarah G and approved a motion to accept Andrew W resignation.
Lynn B
Secretary
Annual Report Deadline
WAS 15. January
And thank you in advance for your special lenten preparation for Easter,
especially your offerings to ensure LSS is on a firm financial foundation as it
continues and expands our ministry and witness to Christ for the next 100 years.
If you have not turned in your report. . . it is past due.
report now. Thank you.
Roger B
Pastor
3
4
Please submit your
Trinity’s Financial facts
Trinity Men’s Group Meeting
General Funds receipts as of 31. December
2013
2014
Income
$472,306.51
$457,206.28
Expenses
$369,861.72
$440,370.20
Surplus/Deficit
$102,444.79
$ 16,836.06
General Fund Pledges as of 31. December
For 2013
For 2014
For 2015
52 pledges, $237,185 64 Pledges, $263,030 56 pledges, $250,366
4. February 1:00 pm
The Trinity Men's Group will hold its February meeting
on 5 February, at 1:00pm at the home of Larry J’s in
Leisure World.
Leisure World is a gated community. The guard needs
advance notice of how many are coming, so please let
Larry know by 12:00 noon Tuesday 3. February.
Renewing for Generations as of 31. December 2013
Total Pledge
$429,996.00
Receipts as of 31. December
$358,912.00
We need YOUR pledge – everyone is important!
Contact Dick J or the Church Office if you need another form.
Trinity’s Women’s Circle, WELCA
will meet on Saturday 14. February at 10:30 am in
Room 10, weather permitting. Bring your Bible; we
will have copies of the lesson. Coffee, tea, and danish
will get us started. All are welcome. Please contact
Shirl O to RSVP or if you have any questions.
You Said Lutherans
Believe What?
An Adult Inquiry Class
Six Sundays at 9:30 am
22. February - 29. March
If you are interested in becoming a member of Trinity, please join us for this
class. If you have been a member of Trinity and are interested in learning
more, this class is for you as well.
Please talk with Pastor B
([email protected]) about
your interest or the church office
([email protected] or 301-881-7275).
Lent 2015
18. February
12:10 pm & 7:30 pm
Holy Communion
and distribution of ashes
If you have an hour on Thursday afternoons or any
time on Fridays, please consider volunteering to
assemble our worship bulletin for Sundays. The
bulletins are duplicated and folded by the secretary,
they need only to be collated and stapled.
Wednesdays in Lent
25. February - 25. March
Also, if you have time once a month to help with the
assembly of the Trinitarian, please let us know so we
can get you on the schedule.
6:30 pm
7:15 pm
7:30 pm
All help is greatly appreciated by everyone!
5
6
Soup & Bread Supper
Hymn Sing
Evening Prayer
FEBRUARY MISSION PROJECTS
FOCUS ON HUNGER
Dinner
February is Hunger Month at Trinity, and we will have opportunities to
support local organizations that provide food assistance to those in need. We
often think of Montgomery County as an affluent area, yet one in three students
in county schools qualify for a free or reduced price lunch, and each month,
thousands in the county rely on emergency food programs to put food on their
tables. Those seeking help include families, senior citizens on a fixed income,
people with mental or physical disabilities, those going through a temporary
crisis, and the working poor. Many make difficult choices each month – buy
groceries or pay rent (or utilities or other critical needs.) Feeding their families
is a difficult challenge many face every day.
Contribute to a meal for Rainbow Place on February 22
Here are some ways you can help in February and year round.:
On Sunday, February 22, Trinity will be providing dinner for the women.
If you would like to contribute to this meal, please see the sign-up sheet in
the social hall or contact Lynn B or Kathy T.
Food Collection every Sunday in February
Throughout the year, Trinity collects non-perishable food items
on the first Sunday of each month. We do not serve food
during coffee hours on these first Sundays in recognition of
those who deal with hunger and food insecurity every day.
Rainbow Place, a mission of Rockville Presbyterian
Church, is an emergency shelter for homeless women
open from November through the end of March. They
serve over 90 women each season by providing a warm,
safe place to sleep, a hot dinner, breakfast, a bag lunch,
shower, laundry facilities, access to case management,
and referrals to local social service and treatment
programs.
Please contact Kathy T with any questions about Hunger Month activities.
During February, Trinity will collect non-perishable food every
week. These items will be donated to Bethesda Help, an all-volunteer, nonprofit
501(c)3 organization, that offers immediate short-term assistance to residents of
southern Montgomery County who are in financial crisis.
Items needed include:
Beans (both dried and canned)
Pasta Sauce (in plastic containers)
Breakfast cereals
Macaroni & cheese
Canned meat and fish
Peanut butter (in plastic containers)
Canned fruits and vegetables
Rice
Jelly (in plastic containers)
Canned Soups
IMPORTANT: Bethesda Help cannot accept glass containers, oversized items
or food that has passed its expiration date.
presentation on February 15
During the Adult Forum on February 15, Karen
Auerbach from Bethesda Help will talk about the organization and how it
assists people in our local area with food and emergency financial assistance.
Bethesda Help has been serving the community since 1968. Please come to
hear about the important work they are doing.
7
SOUPER BOWL SUNDAY!
Yes, you read that right! To kick off Hunger
Month (which is Super Bowl Sunday), we will
be participating in the Souper Bowl!
(1.
February) What is Souper Bowl of Caring?
Souper Bowl of Caring is a national movement of people working to fight
hunger and poverty in their own communities around the time of the Super Bowl
football game. On Super Bowl Sunday, people take up a collection (many use a
soup pot), asking for a monetary donation for people in need. We give 100% of
their donation directly to the local hunger-relief charity of their choice. Trinity
will be donating the money to Manna Food Center in Montgomery County. But
wait, there’s more: Throughout the morning, we will have two stock pots, one for
the Seattle Seahawks and one for the New England Patriots. When you make
your donation, please place your donation in the pot of the team that you are
cheering for. We will use this as a prognostication tool. We will announce the
results on 8. February.
For more information on the Souper Bowl: www.souperbowl.org
For more information on Manna: www.mannafood.org
8
Shekinah
Metro DC Synod Middle School Retreat
20 - 22. March
Northern Virginia 4-H Center near Front Royal, VA.
Our theme this year will challenge us to look at identity – how do we see
ourselves, how do others see us, and how does God see us – and to explore what
it means to be a beloved and baptized child of God. Paraphrased from Mark 1:11:
“You are my beloved child…with you I am well pleased.”
The Youth Committee is trying something NEW! On Friday, 27. February, we
are working with LSS to host a service project during the MCPS Early Release
day. This is open to everyone in the community. We will assemble Toiletry Kits
for refugees who are moving into their first apartment.
We are in need of the following full size items:
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Deodorant
Shampoo
Soap/Body Wash
Hand soap
The items must be new and individually sealed (especially the
toothbrushes/toothpaste). Please place your donations in the collection box in
the Social Hall. Thank you for your help in this new endeavor!
Shekinah is a Hebrew word that means that time and place when God comes to
God’s people in the place where they are and feels their suffering and sorrows.
One goal of the weekend is for youth to realize Shekinah in their lives.
Shekinah strives to fortify the faith of youth as we gather for a weekend of
learning, fellowship, worship and service. It is a place to meet new people, build
new relationships, process the material presented in the Large Group and E-group
sessions, and explore the theme in a more intimate setting, facilitated by a Youth
Ministry adult The Large Group sessions bring everyone together to build a
Christian community, make music together, worship, and have some fun. Our
Middle School youth are signing up now. You can find more information and the
registration forms at: http://www.metrodcelcayouth.org/shekinah-details/
Did you think about inviting a friend to go to Shekinah with you?
LSS will be signing off for com m unity service hours.
The Ten Commandments
All youth are welcome to this event. We’ll gather in the Social Hall at 12:30 pm
with snacks, and to hear what LSS does for refugees. We’ll then assemble the
kits and be done at 2:30 pm. Permission forms and medical release forms are
required for this event. Contact Anita ([email protected]) or the church
office to get the forms, and invite your friends and neighbors to this event!
The Fifth Commandment
You Shall not kill.
What does this mean for us?
We are to fear and
love God so that we do not hurt our neighbor in
any way, but help him in all his physical needs.
Up coming Youth Group Events
6. February -
Kids Night Out - We will gather at 6:30 pm for games, dinner,
and working on Youth Sunday! Please let Anita know if you
can attend....and bring a friend!
8. February -
YOUTH SUNDAY! Come and worship with us as the youth of
the congregation leads worship as a part of Hunger Month. We
will be leading worship around the theme of “the least of these,
you do unto me.”
8. February -
The Prayer
God, who creates and gives energy to all that exists: inspire us to conserve,
not destroy; to protect, not exploit; and to encourage, not harm our
neighbors nor life around us. Help us so to champion the creation, that all
who breathe might praise your holy name. Amen.
The Lesson
Devotion
Dearest Lord, help me so to treasure life that I resist doing harm to others.
Take from me all fear, anger, and prejudice, that I may support with love
even those who hate me. Receive my prayer for the sake of Jesus who
forgave his enemies from the cross. Amen.
Youth Group - All 6th - 12th graders will gather at 6 pm for
dinner and a service project for the residents at Bethesda Health
and Rehab. Please let Anita know if you will be there!
9
Psalm 148
10
Renewing for Generations
Building Fund and Stewardship Campaign Update
Mar-Lu-Ridge Summer Camp
Renewing for Generations (RFG) is Trinity's
stewardship and debt reduction program for
the refurbished education wing and the
building for nursery, fellowship, education,
offices, and parking.
The Renewing for Generations (RFG) Followup Committee has been tasked
with keeping the Trinity membership updated with the progress of the 3-year
RFG building fund and stewardship campaign, which began on 1. July 2012.
At the semiannual meeting on 7. December, I gave an update of the
committee's activities during 2014:
Z
Z
Z
Attendance at New Member classes to introduce the RFG program and
differentiate it from the General Fund.
Weekly bulletin/Tidings updates showing pledged amounts and donations
received to date and requests to members who have not contributed to
consider doing so.
Semi-monthly articles in the Trinitarian describing the spaces covered by
the renovation and new build, and how RFG has made Trinity a more
energy efficient and appealing building for members and outside groups
alike.
We now have received the end-year RFG results. As of 31. December (the
5/6ths mark of the current campaign), we have received pledges of $429,996.
In the same period we have collected a total $359,802. This means we are on
schedule to meet or exceed the pledged amount by the end of June 2015. It
also signifies that our $1.1 million mortgage will have been paid down to
approximately $747,367.97 by then.
This now brings us to planning for the next three years. Trinity must continue
to conduct fundraising campaigns, according to the contract terms of our
mortgage with the ELCA Mission Investment Fund. In the two RFG
campaigns to date, we have hired an outside consultant each time to run the
campaign. Although consultants can maintain objectivity and bring new ways
of thinking to such campaigns, they do come at a price. We would now like to
entertain ideas from the congregation of ways to run the next RFG campaign
beginning 1. July 2015. Please speak to Miriam M, Bethel S, or myself from
the RFG Followup Committee, to Ross A, chair of the Finance Committee, or
Pr. B, with your thoughts.
Come and join us this upcoming summer for a
wonderful week of camp! The summer camp brochure
with the full schedule and camp descriptions is
available online at Mar-Lu-Ridge.org, as well as at
church.
Mar-Lu-Ridge offers:
) a fun, small group and Christ-centered week in the
woods
) affordable pricing starting at $399 per week for
overnight and $150 for day camp
) friendships and memories that stay with your child
) camperships to ensure that all children can attend
camp
) a wide variety of unique specialty programs for all ages!
) ACA certification means MLR meets the highest safety standards
Interested families may consider joining us at one of our open houses from 2:00 4:30 pm on Sundays, 15. March, 26. April and 30. May.
If you have any questions, please contact MLR by email at [email protected] or by phone at 301-874-5544.
Registration opened 1. January 2015!
Transportation for Trinity Members
Have you missed Trinity events because you lacked
transportation? Trinity has missed you too and the
following members of the congregation would like to
provide you with a ride to Trinity events:
20886
20850
20850
20854
20854
20853
20866
Carol B
Marilyn C
Margaret F
Peggy & Dick J
Miriam M
Nancy N
Len S
Zip codes have been provided to aide in finding a driver close to you. Please do
not hesitate to call. If you would like to add your name to the list of volunteer
drivers, call Dick J.
Carol B
11
12
In the
Mailbag
Annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
17. February 2015
6:00 pm at Trinity’s Social Hall
11/18/14
Dear Trinity Evangelical Lutheran
Church Council Members:
Bring your extended family and friends to
Trinity’s annual “Fat Tuesday” dinner of
pancakes, sausage, and fried apples. It is our last
meal of abundance before the fasting and
deprivation of Lent which begins on Ash
Wednesday 18. February. Leave full and ready
to take up your cross as the Lenten journey
begins.
From the beginning you were so
graceful to allow me to do my
internship for nine month with your
Congregation. The love you showed
me and your co-operation with me
during my internship is unforgettable.
Home cooks are needed to prepare apples and sausages in their homes. All
ingredients and recipes will be provided and will be available to be picked up
after worship services on Sunday 15. February. Home cooks should fully prepare
their items at home and bring them to the church by 5:30 pm on Tuesday 17.
February.
Clean-Up Crew Needed - If you can help clear tables or cleanup during and
after the Pancake Supper, please sign up or call Steve Shriver.
Reservations are not required, but we need a general idea of how many to
expect. Just sign up by using the form below and placing it in the offering plate
or on the sheets posted in the Social Hall.
C
Shrove Tuesday Sign-up Sheet – Yes, I want to help . . .
Furthermore, you are so generous to
me in covering my expense to undergo
my extended Chaplaincy program at
Georgetown University Hospital, in
Washington, District of Colombia. I
am happy to say thank you and
appreciate your kindness.
It is now almost three Month since I
began my Chaplaincy at GUH and it is
a nice place. The Pastoral Care unit
and my peer groups are dedicated and
lovely ministers. I am so blessed
being placed there. I will continue my
Chaplaincy at GUH until April 2015.
My family is doing well; my children
are all in school. We all are fine. And
the Oromo Congregation where I am
serving voluntarily is in good shape,
on the way to progress.
________cook sausage (provided ahead of time)
________cook apples (provided ahead of time)
________set tables (beginning at 4:00 pm)
I am asking you to continue, as you do
usually, to pray for me, my family and
my future career. Thank you all for
your generous gift.
________ clean up (finished by 8:00 pm)
________How many will be eating?
Cordially,
Rev. Kenassa S
Name:____________________________________________________
Intern Chaplain
Dear Friends,
With you help in 2014, we provided
support groups and workshops to over
250 grieving people in our community.
Your partnership is very important to
us and to those we serve. Through
your gift of space we are able to offer
support in different parts of our county
making it easier for people to attend.
On behalf of our families and the
entire staff of Montgomery Hospice,
please accept our thanks and
appreciation.
The Montgomery Hospice Bereavement
Team
Dear Trinity,
House Families, Transforming Lives
isn’t just our tagline at THC, it’s what
we do every day with the help of our
dedicated staff, board, volunteers and
generous supporters like you. With
your help, we empower homeless and
at risk families to transform their lives
through stable housing and support
services like job readiness training,
mental health counseling and much
more! Your donation of $125 received
in December makes this transformation
possible. With your continues support,
there are endless possibilities for what
we can achieve in 2015, our 25 th
Anniversary year. Thank you for
investing in a better life for more than
500 families THC serves. We couldn’t
do it without you!
Polly Donaldson
Executive Director
Phone No.________________________________________________
A Free-will offering to cover costs will be collected at the supper.
13
14
Dear Trinity,
T h an k yo u for yo u r in -k in d
contribution we received in December.
Your donation is essential for Lutheran
Social Services of the National Capital
Area (LSS/NCA) in serving the most
vulnerable m em b ers of ou r
community. Every mattress, child’s
toy, blanket, and gift card is an
investment in the families, children,
and individuals. It is only with your
shared commitment and support that
LSS/NCA continues to strengthen our
communities. Thank you for helping
keep our neighbors warm.
Dear Trinity,
Thank you so much for your donation
in October 2014. Please know that we
are truly grateful for your kindness and
your belief in what we are doing. It is
through the investments of our many
community partners that we are able to
provide a temporary, safe home, and
the many supports that our families
need to move forward from the crisis
of homelessness to stability. You, and
the many others who contribute to our
programs, are a crucial part of the
equation, and for that we are deeply
grateful.
Autumn Orme, LSS/NCA
Devan Wilber
Associate Director of
Development and Communications
Stepping Stones Shelter
Dear Trinity Congregation,
It has been almost 27 years since we
left M arylan d an d m oved to
Massachusetts. Time marches on. We
so enjoy receiving the Trinitarian each
month and learning about what is now
happening at the church and it’s
members. Blessed Christmas to all.
In Christ,
Dear Trinity,
On behalf of Rebuilding Together
Montgomery County, thank you for
your generous donation of $500 and
your continued trust and support.
Christina B Johnson
Executive Director
Aaron M. Gonzales
Lori & George Fryklund
Director of Development
Dear Parishioners:
Everyone at Bethesda Help sends
thanks for your cash contribution of
$500 received in December 2014.
Generous donations such as yours
allow us to continue to feed our
hungry neighbors.
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your gift of $100
received in December 2014. Your
generosity and your involvement as a
member of Bread for the World are
very encouraging.
Best wishes from everyone at
James R. Lund
Bethesda Help
Birthdays
2 Donald T
Addison H
3 Rebecca T
5 Carolyn L
9 David C, Ruth G
10 Terry D
11 Nathan L, Joe M
Dexter M
12 Ross A
Bill B
13 Nancy J
Sarah M
14 Anja S
17 Jessica L
Jackson R
18 Margaret J
Richard R
20 Cathy C
21 Rebecca L
22 Greg F
Mina
25 Susan S
26 Joan E
Anniversaries
22 Sarah G & Nathan L
24 Nancy & Michael J
Births
Elizabeth D G
12. January 2015
daughter of
Sophia H-H & Anders G
Bread for the World
15
16
Deaths
Anthony H
+ 24. November 2014
grandson of June & Glenn M
Frank P
+ 24. December 2014
cousin of Len S
Pr. Greg S
+4. January 2015
Terri C-P
+ 26. January 2015
cousin of Mary M
Directory
Updates
Please call the
church office
for details
Ruth G
Address
Kathy B
Phone #
Ash Wednesday
I Got Nothing
18. February 2015
Turn to the Son
The prophet Joel's message to his people is a word
of warning that still sounds urgent in our ears.
Back then, Israel experienced a catastrophic locust plague and a season of
drought, which left the people without sufficient crops to survive (Joel 1:4-20).
Joel interpreted this catastrophe to be the result of the people's unfaithfulness to
God. He passes on to them God's invitation to reverse their course of
self-destruction: "return to me with all your heart" (Joel 2:12).
In our own day, many still suffer because of negative human choices. A quick
look at any newspaper confirms this—wars, oppression, and terror are well and
alive across the world. In the United States, the richest nation in the world, the
gap between rich and poor is steadily growing, so that many children go to bed
hungry. And, many scientists have concluded that overconsumption of natural
resources is causing a global climate crisis that threatens to affect all of us with
extreme weather, drought, and disaster. Faced with all of this "darkness and
gloom" (Joel 2:2), it is tempting to lose heart and give up trying to work for
change altogether.
But we do not face these challenges alone. Like Joel, we have a God who says to
us, "Yet even now . . . return to me." Every moment of our lives is pregnant with
hope, bursting with possibility. In the season of Lent, which begins today, we are
invited to remember that we have everything we need to turn upside down the
world within and around us. Through baptism, the very power that created the
universe—God's Holy Spirit—is coursing through our veins, empowering us to
act together according to God's justice and love. Like a flower turns its face
toward the sun, we can daily "re-turn" and readjust our attention toward the Son
of God, who meets us in every suffering person, every broken nation.
Reprinted from Words for Worship, copyright 2014 Augsburg Fortress.
Used by permission of Augsburg Fortress.
The Trinitarian deadline is always the 15th of the month.
The deadline for every Sunday bulletin is
9:00 a.m. on the preceding Tuesday.
This month in Malawi was hard for me, but also it was probably my favorite
month of the Race so far. The Holy Spirit to move in big ways in us, through us,
and around us. We spend most of our time going to different villages/areas,
gathering a crowd, and then preaching the word of God. Pastor looks to us and
says, "Who is prepared to preach?" The answer to that question is no one, but we
translate it to mean "Who is going to preach right now?" Then one of us steps up
and preaches to the gathered crowd about the Gospel and about maybe a story
from the Bible or an encouraging passage. There is no preparation, no notes, no
knowledge of when I'll be up to preach or who my audience will be. It's all on
the fly. Sometimes we also visit individual houses and have a personal
conversation with the family about Jesus and what they're struggling through and
come up with relevant scripture to share with them.
And then people often come forward wanting us to pray for them...Women whose
husbands have left them. Parents who can't financially provide for their children.
Mothers holding sick babies. People who are in excruciating pain, who have
hearing problems, who have trouble walking. People asking us to come inside
their home and pray for their mother or their baby, who is lying on the ground
suffering from Malaria and not likely to live much longer. And those who want
prayer to grow in their relationship with God.
This month has been uncomfortable, stretching, and exhausting. First of all, I'm
a planner. Never in my life would I choose to preach for 10 minutes without
preparing. Speaking on the spot is just not what I would call a strength of mine
and standing in front of a crowd is something I like to avoid. But I'm doing just
that. And I naturally want to do it all out of my own strength. I want to know
that I'm good at something, that I accomplished something, that the message I
came up with impacted people. And if I don't feel like I'm going to do a good
job, why would I do such a thing? If everything this month came from only my
skills and my knowledge, I definitely would not volunteer to preach.
After month 4, we had team changes. Our new team name is: IGNite. "Ignite"
can refer to our desire to ignite souls for Christ, set fires in people's hearts and in
each other's, bring energy and enthusiasm wherever we go, and be a team that
takes initiative to make things happen. But more significantly, the IGN stands
for "I got nothing." It's a reminder that Jesus is the only one who can change
hearts, who can heal the sick, who gives us thoughts and words to say. We are
just vessels that Jesus uses to do his work. While we each have unique gifts and
strengths that we bring to the table, it isn't about what we have to offer because
really we don't have anything to offer without God. We want to make everything
all about ourselves, when really everything comes from Him and goes back to
glorify Him. I need to focus on Him and not on myself, focus on His strength and
not on mine, focus on the change He can make in lives, not the change I think I
can make.
It's all from Jesus. I Got Nothing.
17
18
Katie J
A New York Romance
Opportunities to Serve
in February 2015
Music by Composers Associated with New York City
Saturday 7. March at 7:00 PM
Serving As
1
4 th Sunday
after
Epiphany
8
5 th Sunday
after
Epiphany
15
Transfigurati
on of Our
Lord
22
1 st Sunday in
Lent
8:15
Acolyte
10:45
Joshua B
Ragheb
Joshua B
Ragheb
Piper M
Andrei Sch
Nicholas C
Anjali A
8:15
Assisting Min
10:45
Nancy N
Jerry B
Ralph L
John B
Sarah G
Miriam M
Robert C
Robert M
8:15
Children’s Ch.
10:45
Donna S
Youth Sunday
Jeanine B
Margaret F
Jessie M
Youth Sunday
Anita S
David C
8:15
Greeters
10:45
Donna &
Steve S
Mary Nora R
Diana B
Joan E
Nancy J
Margo W
8:15
Lector
10:45
Carol B
Matthew C
Nancy J
Kathy L
Carol B
Christine B
Jerry B
Jim K
8:15
Ushers
Donna &
Steve S
Ross A &
Joan E
Donna &
Steve S
Ross A &
Mike J
10:45
Patricia S &
Julie N
Margaret &
Greg F
David C &
Robert P
Angela B &
Patricia S
8:15
Coffee Hour
10:45
Donna &
Steve S
Bauch/Allison
Regi G
Trinity Lutheran Church
11200 Old Georgetown Road
North Bethesda
Maryland
Concert Information (301) 881-7275
Wagner College Choir will present A New York Romance (and Other Passions)
on Saturday evening 7. March at 7 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in North
Bethesda. The 50-voice choir, conducted by Dr. Roger Wesby, hails from Staten
Island, New York and will be on a brief tour through Virginia and Maryland.
"We have dedicated a good part of the year to the music of composers associated
with our great city.” says conductor Wesby. "Our concert is a series of brief,
snapshots, that take the listener on a journey through 175 years of music by
composers who lived in, immigrated to, visited for a good while or just kept
returning to New York. The program celebrates the founders of the American
Sound, immigrants and visitors who enriched and inspired us, iconoclasts and
pioneers who challenged us and pushed the boundaries, and composers from
minority groups who helped us find our nation's collective musical soul."
The program opens with sacred works by Copland, Thomson, Gretchaninoff,
Rachmaninov, Ives and Still and moves on to Duke Ellington's Come Sunday and
spirituals by H. T. Burleigh and Hall Johnson. The second half opens with Stretto
vocal jazz ensemble and then moves into pastoral sketches by Dvorak and
MacDowell, and works by Stephen Foster and George and Ira Gershwin. Work
by William Schuman (on Whitman), Max Lifchitz and Meredith Monk represent
the latter half of the twentieth century. The concert includes an exploration of two
sides of Kurt Weill, the 1920's German cabaret style and the 1940's American
Broadway style. From the city's rich tradition in musical theater, the choir turns
to Bernstein and Sondheim re-telling of Romeo and Juliet on the streets of NYC.
The concert moves quickly and presents a rich vision of the city's musical
traditions. Says Wesby, "A New York Rom ance isn't just nostalgia. It's a living
legacy, a timeless pulsing testament to a unique artistic community and human
experiment, and a love letter to the city where creativity never sleeps."
Wagner College was founded in Rochester, NY in 1883 as a pre-seminary
institution to minister to German immigrants. It moved to Staten Island in 1918
and gradually developed into a co-educational, liberal arts college that maintains
ties with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The college is known for
its innovative academic program, its award-winning Theatre Department and its
strong choral tradition. Wagner students enjoy the cultural riches of New York
City, work at internships in the music and entertainment industry and live on an
idyllic wooded campus overlooking the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.
The concert is open to the public. A freewill offering will be taken.
19
Altar
Custodian
Bulletin
Assembly
Prior Thurs
Tellers
20
Peggy J
Miriam M
Carol B & Jill L
Feb 5
Feb 12
Nancy M
Dick J
Shirl & Wes
O
Nancy M Dick J
Julie N &
Thor N
Margaret &
Greg F
Annie A &
Mina
Peggy & Dick J
Jan 29
Feb 19
Feb 26
Remember in Your Prayers
Lent 2015
. . . the church
our synod & bishops
Bishops Elizabeth Eaton & Richard
Graham
our m issionaries
Stephen Deal & Marta Giron, Central Am.
our congregation
Trinity Church
The Word of the Lord
4 th Sunday after Epiphany
1. February 2015
Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Psalm 111
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Mark 1:21-28
th
5 Sunday after Epiphany
8. February 2015
Isaiah 40:21-31
Psalm 147:1-11, 20c
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
Mark 1:29-39
Transfiguration of Our Lord
15. February 2015
2 Kings 2:1-12
Psalm 50:1-6
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
Mark 9:2-9
1 st Sunday in Lent
22. February 2015
Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
Psalm 22:23-31
Romans 4:13-25
Mark 8:31-38
. . . the nations
Afghanistan, Ctr African Rep., Congo,
Egypt, Haiti, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Israel,
Liberia, Libya, Myanmar, Namibia,
Palestine, the Philippines, Somalia,
Sudan(Darfur), Syria, Ukraine, the United
States, and Zimbabwe
18. February
12:10 pm & 7:30 pm
Holy Communion
. . . the sick and suffering
nursing/rehabilitation center
Audrey B, Manor Care of Potomac
Margaret B, Aarondale Assisted Living
Dottie B, Villas at Suffield, VA
Katherine D, National Luth Home
Elaine D, Potomac Valley N. & W.
Helen H, Manor Care Potomac
John M, National Luth Home
Shirley N, National Luth Home
home
Jean B
Natasha B
Mary Ellen D
June L
and distribution of ashes
Wednesdays
in Lent
The Tree of Life
Kathy B
Jeff D
Fred K
Vimala P
family and friends
Holly B, friend of Marilyn C
Georgette B, friend of Marilyn C
Dorothy C, sister of Shirl O
Lori & Joel C, friends Ralph &Kathy L
Carmen H, cousin of Ani S G
Vicki F, friend of Kathy B
Karen L, friend of Trinity
Lynn M, friend of the handbell choir
Rice family, cousins Sarah M & Tom K
Antonio R, cousin of Ani S G
Many world religions use the image of the tree of life when depicting their
central beliefs and values. For Christians, that tree of life is the cross.
This mid-week Lenten devotion focuses on the biblical use of the tree of
life. Each week a biblical passage and a hymn cast some light on the cross
of Christ as our tree of life.
25. February – 25. March
6:30 pm Soup & Bread Supper
7:15 pm Hymn Sing
7:30 pm Evening Prayer
. . . serving in the Middle East
Ismael R, friend of Trinity
21
22