April 2015

Holy Week and Easter

We come again to the holiest time of year.  All members of St. Paul’s are encouraged to make the most of this week by attending Mass as often as you can. It is offered every day from Palm Sunday through Easter, as the nearby schedule shows. Every night from Monday through Saturday there is an opportunity to meditate on the sacred mystery of our Lord’s passion and death, and then to receive the benefits of His passion and death, namely His Body and Blood, in the Sacrament. There is no greater time or opportunity to renew your Holy Faith than now.  The Passion Gospels from St. Matthew (on Palm Sunday), St. Luke (on Holy Wednesday), and St. John (on Good Friday) will be read. Holy Monday and Tuesday will focus on portions of St. John chapter 12, which also concerns events that took place during Holy Week.

Even more important than these important days is Holy Saturday, the Great Vigil of Easter. The service starts at 7 pm outside the school cafeteria where we gather around a fire to light the paschal candle. This holy service has four parts, the first three of which are in preparation for Easter: the service of light, the service of readings, and the service of Baptism. During the service of light the Exsultet is chanted, which is a beautiful, evocative melody that welcomes at long last the night of the resurrection of our Lord. The service of readings contains several Old Testament texts that particularly herald the renewal that is fulfilled at Easter. The service of Baptism reminds us that our Baptism is tied to Jesus’ resurrection, which is why it saves us. Then, at the fourth part of the service, we mark the ending of Lent and enter Easter: the bells are rung, the organ plays, and alleluias are sung. A holy joy descends upon the faithful who attend to these things in faith.

We return at 7 in the morning on Easter to commemorate the discovery of the Risen One by the women and the disciples.

Dear family of St. Paul’s learn to embrace these holy things, and take advantage of your opportunities this week.

+ Pastor Eckardt

Altar Guild Notes

·        Parament color is VIOLET until Maundy Thursday.

·        Parament color is WHITE for Maundy Thursday.

·        Stripping of the altar during Maundy Thursday mass. This includes the stripping of the frontal.

·        Fair linen placed on bare altar for Good Friday; black veil is used.

·        Paraments WHITE for the Easter Vigil and all the rest of April.

·        Parament color does not turn to RED until May 23^rd, the Vigil of Pentecost.

·        Parament color is RED for Pentecost, May 24^th, and midweek of Whitsun Week, May 27^th.

·        Parament color is WHITE for Trinity, the weekend of May 30-31 and through the Octave, that is, through June 7^th.

·        Parament color turns to GREEN after mass on June 7^th.

April Ushers

Steve Peart, Grant Andresen, Larry Campbell

April Anniversaries

4/13/2002      Steve and Sheri Kraklow

April Birthdays

4/3      Adam Shreck

4/11    Reggie Eckardt (church mascot J)    

4/19    Luke Wells

4/22    Grant Andreson

No First Tuesday events during April

Since our March meetings were delayed, the April meetings (altar guild and elders) and Vespers are cancelled. Next meetings scheduled for the first Tuesday in May.

Here’s what volunteers have been doing:

Vacuuming the church

Dusting the church

Sweeping the halls

Emptying the trash

Fixing the candles

Preparing the altar

Arranging for altar flowers

Polishing altar-ware and offering plates

Preparing bulletins

Managing and juggling the finances

Counting and recording offerings

Preparing finance sheets for the council

Seeing to the maintenance of the building

Cleaning the gutters and window-wells

Preparing Sunday breakfasts

Preparing Lenten suppers

Planning an volunteering for Easter breakfast

Planning and volunteering for Oktoberfest

Preparing Gottesdienst

Assisting on Sunday mornings (subdeacon, servers, ushers)

Liaison with Head Start

Participating in big projects

(e.g. venting the stained-glass windows; painting church doors)

Gardening

Mowing

Pulling weeds

Trimming the hedges

There’s probably more, but you get the idea: a lot of volunteer work goes into maintaining this church. A hearty thanks to all who participate! And a note to everyone: it is our sincere hope and prayer that so many tasks will not continually fall to so few people, though they generally never complain. Please, if you can, help us out! Not only is every volunteer needed; volunteering together is enjoyable: often Saturday mornings are a good time for this.

Recruiting for Catechesis

Saturday morning catechesis concluded on March 28^th; we now look forward to an intensive plan to recruit new members and enroll them in adult Christian information and instruction beginning in the middle of August, on a weekday night, probably either Monday or Thursday. Do you know someone who might be interested? A family member or co-worker, perhaps? This course generally runs about 14 weeks, at the end of which a person who has attended has the option of becoming a member of St. Paul’s. It’s an opportunity for questions, discussion, and delving into the mysteries of the Christian faith. People who are already members are also welcome, and encouraged, to come; especially if you invite a friend to come, plan if you can to come along.

The best way to pick up new members is by personal invitation coming from a member of the church! That is, our members are our best resources when it comes to bringing new members in.

If you’d like some special encouragement in how to do this, stop by the church and pick up one of the folders the district has given us, which are full of ideas and ways of personally inviting people to church, where they can learn of Christ and His abundant mercy, be welcomed into His church, and finally, obtain everlasting life.

Here is a list of some of the ideas of people who could be invited:

·        Unchurched spouses

·        Visitors to worship services

·        Unchurched friends from social contacts, co-workers, relatives, neighbors, schoolmates.  

·        Those removed from church

·        New residents to the community

·        Unchurched visitors to weddings, funerals, baptisms, confirmations

·        Unchurched people who share hospital rooms with your members.  

·        Newly married from newspaper or listing of marriage licenses. Send letter of congratulations and follow up with a telephone call

·        New births from the newspaper. Send letter of congratulations and follow up with a telephone call

·        College students—publicize your hours of worship and Bible study by posting a notice on campus

·        State or County Fair booths where tracts and flyers are distributed

·        Unchurched in nursing homes

·        Newly retired who do not have a church home

Easter Preparations

1) Volunteers sought to help prepare for the Easter breakfast and clean the church on Saturday, April 4^th, beginning at 9 am. Carol Eckardt is in charge of the breakfast.  A sign-up sheet is posted in the kitchen.  This is a potluck of sorts.  Everybody brings something. But sign up for something in particular, so we don’t have everyone bringing the same thing. Donations accepted too! Saturday is the big day of preparations!

2) If you have not yet signed up for Easter lilies, there’s a sign up sheet at church.  $15.00 is the cost.

3) Easter bonnets!  Ladies, do you have your bonnet ready? Let’s have some fun!

Financial Planner and Missionary Coming

Last month in these pages you were introduced to Bob Carillo, whose manages a group is called Financial Independents of Minnesota. He has a proven record of saving people money by such things as shopping for better annuities, life insurance vehicles, etc., or moving their money into a trust that, while remaining in their own control, is legally safe from taxation. He has been in business for 36 years, and has been of particular help to Lutheran congregations, as a confessional Lutheran himself.

At our March Council meeting, the Council approved an offer to have him come to St. Paul’s to explain himself, in a Sunday afternoon seminar. He would then offer to anyone interested to have a private look at your financial situation with you in strictest confidence (as required by law). And if everything looks good, he’ll suggest you leave it as it is; but, he says, “What if we can improve it? Make it better for you and your family, your church, Confessional Lutheran Evangelical Foundation, whomever?”

Mr. Carillo typically works together with Rev. John Fehrmann, pastor of Glory of Christ Lutheran Church in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, and chairman of the Confessional Lutheran Education Foundation, a worldwide mission organization. We plan to invite Rev. Fehrmann to join him and be our guest preacher that Sunday. We are presently looking for an opportune Sunday to have  come them visit us; probably in June or July.

Our Shut ins

Mary Hamilton at home; Anna Baker at home; Emmy Wear at Williamsfield Home; Carol Kegebein at Kewanee Care.

Call Day

Seminarian Peter Eckardt is scheduled to receive his call to his first parish on Call Day, Tuesday, April 28^th, at the Fort Wayne seminary. Pastor and Carol plan to attend.

Wedding Plans

In case you haven’t heard, Seminarian Peter Eckardt is engaged to be married to Miss Allison Everett of Marion, Indiana. The wedding is scheduled for Saturday, June 20^th, at the Fort Wayne Seminary chapel.

A Gospel Book

As explained and approved in our March elders’ meeting, we plan on using a new item at Mass this month, called a Book of the Gospels. Its use dates to the early church, when the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) were in circulation separate from the rest of the New Testament, and read as separate documents. Their importance ranks higher than the rest of the New Testament books because they contain the words of Jesus and the history of His ministry. This is why we always stand for the reading of the Gospel. The use of a Gospel Book further emphasizes this. It sits on the altar, and is retrieved for the reading of the Gospel from the horn (corner) of the altar, or occasionally from the center aisle. It is often encased in a gilded or bronze cover.

In Our Prayers

In addition to our shut-ins, our current list of prayer intentions at mass includes the names on the lists here following.  To update the list please inform the pastor.

in our parish:

Sarah Corzine, Emilie Ricknell, Linda Rowe, John Sovanski, Ann Baker, Dale Baker, Sharon Hartz, Carol Kegebein

And also:

Anna Rutowicz [granddaghter of  Harrises]

Julie Ross [Svetlana Meaker’s daughter, cancer]

Jill Matchett [re Shrecks]

Lorene Foglesong [re Kraklows]

Corbin Gonzales [re Russells]

David Wexell [re Verplaetses]

Cathy Van Wassenhove [re Verplaetses]

Shelly DeBord [re Watsons]

Liam Hampton [re Murphys]

Anthony Strand [re Murphys]

Maria Thorndike [re Murphys]

Cindy Davenport [re Kemerlings]

Ben Brown, who received a new liver [re Eckardts]

Kenneth Yarger [re Erickson]

Annie Eastman [re Meaker]

Keith Ruggles [Barb Kraklow’s brother, cancer]

David Fowler [heart condition, re Murphys]

Ezekiel Fisa [Kemerlings’ infant great grandson]

Robin Hampton [re Watsons: cancer]

Melissa Hayword [friend of the Kemerlings]

Will Johnson [relative of the Kemerlings]

Emily Corzine [Sarah’s sister]

Barb Corzine [Sarah’s sister]

Dennis Hoag [re Shrecks]

Paula Hoag [re Shrecks]

Pastors Don Chambers, Glenn Niemann

 

in the military:

John Eckardt

Donny Appleman [re Ricknells]

Thomas Kim [re Shrecks]

Michael and Katherine Creech [re Murphys]

Richard Heiden [re Eckardts]

Carter Wills [re Armstrongs and Thompsons]

Luke Van Landigan [grandson of Dick Melchin]

Jaclyn Alvarez [daughter of Kris Harden]

in trouble:

any unborn children in danger of abortion, and those suffering from unrest, persecution, and imprisonment in Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Uganda, North Korea, and elsewhere.

State Abortion Legislation

URGE YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE TO VOTE “NO” ON  HB 4013. THE BILL REMOVES ALL PROHIBITIONS ON USING TAXPAYER FUNDING FOR BASICALLY ALL ABORTIONS THROUGHOUT THE FULL NINE MONTHS OF PREGNANCY UNDER MEDICAID, AND MORE

For decades, Illinois has had a public policy of not paying for abortions under the Public Aid Medicaid program except for life of the mother.  Court decisions have added “health” and rape and incest.   The Illinois law went to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1979 and was upheld in its entirety in 1980. Survey after survey has shown that a clear majority of Illinoisans, even those who say they are pro-choice, do not want their tax dollars paying for abortions.

HB 4013 would remove this ban and require taxpayer funding of abortions for basically any reason throughout the full nine months of pregnancy.  PLEASE CONTACT YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE ON AN ABORTION FUNDING BILL AT STATE CAPITOL

For Henry County, the representative is Donald Moffitt at (217) 782-8032.  For Stark County, contact David Leitch at (217) 782-8108, and urge a “no” vote on HB 4013. Give your representative your address so the he knows you live and vote in his district.