Thursday, March 22, 2018

April 2018



St. Paul’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church
109 S. Elm, Kewanee, Illinois 61443
Newsletter
Volume 30                                   April 2018                                         No. 4
               
The Resurrection of Him Who Was Not Bound to Die



The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is the new life of believers in Jesus; and this is the mystery of His Passion and Resurrection, which you ought well to know and to carry out in act. For not without a cause did Life come to death. Not without a cause did the Fountain of life, whence we drink in order that we may live, drink His cup which He was not bound to drink. For death was not Christ’s due portion. As to the question whence death has come, let us look to our origin. Sin is death’s parent. Had there been no sin, no one would have died. The first man received God’s law, that is, God’s commandment, on condition, that if he kept it he should live, if he violated it he should die. By not believing that he would die, he did what caused him to die; and found that to have been true which the Giver of the law had affirmed. Thence came death, thence man became mortal, thence came labour, thence misery, thence the second death after the first, that is, after temporal death, death everlasting. This tradition of death, this law of destruction, binds every man who is born, except that one Man who became Man that man should not perish. For He came bound by no law of death; therefore He is called in the Psalm, “Free among the dead;” whom in all purity a Virgin conceived; whom she as a Virgin bore, and remained a Virgin; who lived without sin, who did not die because of sin; sharing in our penalty, not in our offence. Death is the penalty of offence; our Lord Jesus Christ came to die, did not come to sin; by sharing in our penalty without our offence, He annulled both our offence and penalty. What penalty? That which was due to us after this life. So He was crucified, that on the Cross He might show the dying-out of our old man; and He rose, that in His own life He might show our new life.
–St. Augustine of Hippo (a.d. 354-430), Sermon ccxxxi.
Holy Week and Easter Masses

Holy Monday through Good Friday, at 7 p.m.

Great Vigil: Saturday, March 31st, at 7 p.m.

Easter Sunrise Mass: April 1st, at 7 a.m. (Easter breakfast following)

Easter Midweek Mass: Wednesday, April 4th, at 7 p.m.

Time Capsule Opening Scheduled for Palm Sunday

According to the schedule, we are opening the time capsule on Palm Sunday, March 25th.

As reported in the March newsletter, in March of 1998, St. Paul’s Lutheran School children sealed a number of items in a time capsule, meant to be opened twenty years later. It was the sixth grade class that did this (one of whose students was a certain Peter Eckardt), whose teacher at the time was Larry Marshall.

We tried to contact Mr. Marshall the other day to let him know about this. He and his wife Elizabeth currently live in Edgar, Wisconsin. He has been disabled since 2001, and he is on dialysis, waiting for a kidney transplant.

The twenty-year mark was reached in March, so the time capsule is to be opened after our Palm Sunday mass on March 25th, at breakfast.

Who knows what we’ll find? Letters from students to their future selves or relatives? Or children? What sort of creativity will we see? The idea was creative in the first place, so we can expect some interesting revelations.

This would be a great opportunity to invite friends people who were associated with our school that closed in 2000.

April Ushers

Steve Peart, Grant Andresen, Larry Campbell (or Steve Harris if Larry Campbell is subdeacon)

Welcome, Derrick Baker

Most everyone already knows Derrick Baker, who has been attending regularly for nearly a year. Derrick moved from Chicago, where he has been a longtime member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Chicago. He is of course missed there, which is the kind of heartache we have experienced here whenever faithful members have had to move away from Kewanee. But we have been glad to have Derrick as a faithful and regular attendee here.

We have just been informed that a letter of transfer is en route, enabling him to become an official member on the rolls here. We anticipate receiving him by transfer at the Easter Vigil on March 31st. Welcome, Derrick!

Congratulations, Eric Meaker

Our Easter Vigil will be even more special this year due to the fact that Eric Meaker is due to be confirmed.

Eric had his public examination on Palm Sunday. This honorable young man has been an acolyte and server here at St. Paul’s for many years. Congratulations, Eric!

New Web Site

We have a newly designed web site that we hope will increase awareness of our parish in the community. The address is the same: www.stpaulskewanee.org. It is easy to link to recordings of our radio show, and sermons. Spread the word!

April Anniversaries
4/13/2002      Steve and Sheri Kraklow

April Birthdays
4/3      Adam Shreck
4.14     Emmy Wear
4/19    Luke Wells
4/22    Grant Andreson
4/25    Mason Dooley

Steve Kraklow Wins Robin Contest

It seems the robins came in a flock this year, all at once, judging from the reported sightings that came in from a number of people during the fourth week of February, just like last year. The results are in, and the winner of this year’s contest, by a hair, is Steve Kraklow, who reports having seen several of them on February 27th at 1:30 p.m. Diana Shreck reported a sighting a few hours later.

Here’s the trophy list:
    2018 – Steve Kraklow, February 27th
2017 – Barb Kraklow, February 21st
2016 – Judy Thompson, January 23rd
2015 – Carol Eckardt
    2014 – Michele Keehner

Shut ins

Mary Hamilton at her son’s home in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Joyce Long at home
Emilie Ricknell at  home
Dick Melchin at Hammond-Henry extended care in Geneseo.
Emmy Wear at Williamsfield retirement home

Altar Guild Notes

·         Paraments WHITE for the Easter Vigil and all the rest of April Sundays and Wednesdays except:
·         Parament color is RED for April 25th, St. Mark’s Day

At our March meeting, we noted the importance of always checking supplies. When wine supply gets low (when the second to the last bottle is opened), please inform Pastor, who picks up six bottles at a time in Moline or Peoria. When the supply of hosts gets low (when the last sleeve is opened), please inform Judy, who orders them from Religious Supply in Davenport.

Our April meeting is scheduled for April 3rd.  

Recruiting for Catechesis

Catechesis concluded on March 17th; we now look forward toward the recruitment of new members. Do you know someone? A family member or co-worker, perhaps? The schedule is flexible for any adult who has interest. The best way to pick up new members is by personal invitation coming from you! That is, our members are our best resources when it comes to bringing new members in. Be sure to pick up a tract or two from the rack in the hallway to have available.

Church Remodeling Phase III Still in Planning

Two things are currently in the works the our third part of our remodeling project, which is the chancel area.

First is the planning for the look of the chancel. Recently a mock-up was passed around at Bible class, a photoshopped picture of our chancel with a traditional Lutheran altar and reredos in place. The cost of such a choice would still be a matter of negotiation and consideration. The mock-up has been put up on the bulletin board in the hallway, in case you haven’t seen it. 

Meanwhile we are still waiting on Andrew Hatterman, of Murals by Jericho in Peoria, who has been considering some ideas for us and has promised to get back to us soon.

Any direction we choose to go would of course be subject to voters’ approval.

The second matter, on which we hope to have action very soon, is the placing of new light bulbs in the chancel ceiling. For years, many of these lights have been burned out. There are eight floodlights in two series of four, all eight of which are burned out; and there are two single floodlights nearer the altar which are still working. There are also the lights in the canopy directly over the altar. We would like to replace these lights with LED lights which expend far less energy and heat, and are longer lasting. We’ve been working with a company in Galesburg that has been trying to refit the fixtures.

The Lighter Side

Typo in a church bulletin: “Christ is Resin! Older, conservative, Lutheran congregation.”

In Our Prayers

Our list of prayer intentions at mass includes the names on the lists below.  To update the lists please inform pastor.

    in our parish:
Emilie Ricknell, John Ricknell, Linda Rowe, Mary Hamilton, Emmy Wear, Sue Murphy, Don Murphy, Joyce Long, Steve Peart, Bea Harris, Derrick Baker, Dick Melchin, DeAnne Anderson
    and also:
Anna Rutowicz [granddaughter of Harrises]
Jodi Rutowicz [daughter of Harrises]
Julie Ross [Svetlana Meaker’s daughter]
Jill Matchett [at request of Diana Shreck]
Annie Eastman [at request of Svetlana Meaker]
Steve Draminski [friend of Jim Watson]
Kathy Nussear [Joyce Long’s daughter, cancer]
Bud Harfst [Sue Murphy’s brother]
Harold Woods [Sue Murphy’s brother-in-law]
Pam Helmkamp
Dick Heiden [Carol Eckardt’s father]
Pastor Kenneth Wegener
Elizabeth Godke [Sharon Field’s mother]
Kathy Hopkins
Jesse Armstrong
Michael Nelson
Brandt & Oneda Hendrickson [Ricknell relatives]
Bob Laskey [friend of Monroe Kemerling]
Daniel Wallgren [our roofer]
    in the military, especially:
John Eckardt
Donny Appleman [at request of the Ricknells]
Thomas Kim [at request of the Shrecks]
Michael Creech [at request of the Murphys]
Katherine Creech [at request of the Murphys]
Richard Heiden [at request of the Eckardts]
Carter Wills [grandson of the Thompsons]
Luke Van Landigan [grandson of Dick Melchin]
Jaclyn Alvarez [daughter of Kris Harden]
Traven Wetzel [at request of Kris Harden]
Shawn Wetzel
Eric Verplaetse [Sandra’s grandson]
Jake Mahaffey
    in trouble: especially
St. Paul Lutheran Church in Chicago
any unborn children in danger of abortion
those suffering from unrest, persecution, and imprisonment in Pakistan, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, North Korea, and elsewhere

Some persecution details (from www.vomcanada.com)

PAKISTAN: Family Attacked for Building Church Wall
15 March 2018

Five members of a Christian family in northeast Pakistan were attacked and injured as they helped to build a wall around their church on Sunday, March 4th. As church members were inside praying, George Masih, 70, was overseeing the construction of the building project which took place in the village of Yousufwala.

Twenty men, armed with clubs and axes, approached and began beating George and others at the site. His two sons, Babar and William, daughter Nasreen, and daughter-in-law Jamila were also injured. The attackers demanded that the construction stop, claiming the land belongs to them. It is believed the perpetrators were linked to a local landlord.
EGYPT: Renewed Hope After Beheadings
15 March 2018

February 15th marked the third anniversary of the public beheading of 21 Christians on the coast of Libya. In the weeks leading up to that fateful day, ISIS captors had reportedly tortured the men who had travelled hundreds of miles to find work in order to support their families. When the men refused to deny Jesus Christ, the militants beheaded them and posted a video of the execution.

In honour of the 20 Egyptians and one Ghanaian who were killed, a new Coptic church was dedicated last month in Upper Egypt --The Church of the Libyan Martyrs. Built in an area that is 70 percent Muslim, opposition to the construction was harsh. Yet the building was completed with the support of the Egyptian government.

Special Feast Days in April

In addition to Easter and the Sundays of Eastertide, there are two special Feasts in April.

First is the Annunciation, transferred to Wednesday in the week after the Easter Octave because its usual date is March 25th which is Palm Sunday this year.

Second is St. Mark, April 24th, which we will observe the following day, Wednesday the 25th.




St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church
   109 S. Elm Street
   Kewanee, IL 61443


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