The Dove |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
A
P R I L ---
2003 + + +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ + FROM THE
PASTOR:
April brings us to the high point of the Christian life.
We celebrate Easter. This
is the
day of the resurrection of our Lord.
There is an awesome truth about having the benefits
of new life in the power of our Lord’s resurrection from
the dead. You can’t have Easter
without Good Friday. There
are lots of people who try to have Easter without Good Friday. It’s
easy to see this in the church and outside of the church.
Inside of the church it’s easy to see by the small number
who attend Maundy Thursday and Good Friday and the large number
who attend services on Easter Sunday.
Many do get something in this way just as many got some
healing by Jesus. But they never did catch on to who he is or a
new life in Him. Only those who in some way stand at the cross can see and hear the risen Christ and know his real life and peace. When Jesus appeared to his followers on Easter Day, there was something in his body and voice to open their eyes to new life. It is interesting that in the Gospel accounts of Easter the nail marks are still on Jesus’ body. His voice tells his followers that it was necessary that he suffer, die and be raised for their eyes and hearts to be open to God’s plan and work in Scripture and their life. He told them to look at the wound marks from the cross when he appeared in his risen glory. There was and is no Easter Jesus without his cross marks of victory. We
can’t have Easter without the cross nor the risen Christ without
the wound marks. Of
course, we always try to have the Easter joy apart from the Good
Friday conflict in Christ’s body and also our bodies, which are
now “in Christ” or in his body.
It’s a chronic temptation among church people and some
artists in the church. At
Salem we have a beautiful stained glass window in the chancel
showing the risen Christ as the Lord of nations.
This is a scene from the end of St. Matthew.
There is something missing that is pointed to in Luke and
said even more plainly in John:
the nail marks. It’s only when we see both that we have a full vision of
our Lord and our life and our daily need for his mercy and grace. When
we attempt to edit out the nail marks we can end up trying to live
a life that is simply nice and sweet and peaceful but with less
and less power and joy in it.
Life can end up flat and dead.
We think then that peace is simply feeling calm with no
conflict and Jesus is a nice person to soothe our every worry.
We think that if we pray
“thy will be done” then all will be peaceful and calm.
There are peace movements in the world that believe that we
can have world peace when people with power just lay down their
arms and smile nicely. Tyrants
and bullies use these kind of people as public relations pawns.
(continued on next page) + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Salem Lutheran Church10 McClellan Circle - Buffalo, New York 14220Rev. David F. C. Wurster, Ph. D. - PastorRev. Richard E. Blemaster, Pastor Emeritus
e-mail:
salemoncircle@yahoo.com website:
www.salembuffalo.com (FROM
THE PASTOR –
continued) On
a more personal level I have seen many people who were nice
Christian people who ended up hurt, bullied and abused in life and
saying they were just being peaceful Christians as they were
victimized. They were
peaceful victims, but above all they were innocent victims.
As long as they were victims they were innocent and, of
course, didn’t need the power of those nail marks.
I remember a murder-suicide combination; they loved the
version of peace with a nice Jesus and no nail marks. This
is not at all what we see in John’s Gospel and John’s vision of
our Lord and peace. There
is much more realism, power, grace and life in this risen king.
“Jesus came and stood among them.
He said to them. ‘Peace be with you,’ and after saying
this he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord and he
said to them again, ‘Peace be with you – as the Father sent me I
send you.’” Later
he chided and forgave
Thomas. He challenged and disciplined and forgave Peter.
When they looked at the risen king they saw clearly the
victory marks and knew how important they were for their own daily
lives as people and leaders. Peace
would not mean absence of conflict for them at all.
Peace would mean being in tune with this king and thus doing
his will in the world. Jesus
is our peace (Ephesians 2:14) then and now.
He does the will of God perfectly which is the same as saying
he lives the Ten Commandments perfectly or loves to perfection in
the world. We sometimes
get the crazy idea that if we could wake up tomorrow and keep the
Ten Commandments perfectly, we would have perfect peace and no
conflict or tension. We
need only to read a few chapters of a Gospel to know that is a
foolish idea. Loving
perfectly with the love of Christ upsets the world’s peace big
time. After all Jesus said God’s peace and the world’s peace
are in big time conflict. “Peace
I give to you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives peace
do I give it to you.” (John
14:27) This
Easter Jesus gives us pause to think of our mission statement in
this congregation. Our
mission: SALEM – Peace. Because
Christ is our peace that means we are to become “Salemites” or
“little Christs” in our world.
The mind of Christ is to grow in us (Phil. 2) as we become
“Salemites.” God’s
peace in our world then has certain basics to it.
It is always in conflict with the devil, the world and our
flesh just as Jesus was and is.
It is always a gift of grace because we cannot make it or
achieve it for ourselves. God’s
peace is always relational or shared because forgiveness is always
“forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others.” Our
mission as “Salemites”
in God’s world means that we pray to become Easter – people.
When Jesus makes Easter people he says
Peace be with you and shows us his hands and his side. There is no Easter without Good Friday. And then he says “As
the Father sent me, I send you.”
If we are sent in this way, we’ll learn the words of the
preacher more and more (Ecclesiastes 3):
“There is a time to be born and a time to die, a time to
kill and a time to heal, a time to laugh and a time to cry, a time
for love and a time for hate, a time for war and a time for
peace.” The Easter
Lord and his Easter people celebrate life in all its’ color.
Peace,
Pastor Wurster ************************************************************************************************** E
A S T E R B
R E A K F A S T SUNDAY,
A P R I L 20, 2003 8:00
a.m. to 9:00 a.m. in
the social room Cost:
$4.00 for adults $2.00
for children ages 5 to 12 years Proceeds to benefit the landscaping project around the elevator vestibuleMenu:
sausage, eggs, sweet rolls, orange juice, tea, coffee, and
milk. Tickets available from Fred Bartz Jr. and Mark Thomas W O R S H I P The Worship Committee has developed a page for
the DOVE that will communicate to the congregation the themes,
liturgies, sermon texts and titles and other points of worship.
(LW = Lutheran Worship
TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal) Hymns and liturgy are being chosen by Pastor, the Music Director, and the Worship Committee. Comments invited for future growth. SUNDAY
LITURGY
lst Hymn
Sermon
Communion
Last
Text & Title
Hymn
Hymns
Hymn
P A I N T I N G
R E P O R T The painting
of the upper parish hall and ladies room began on March 1, 2003, and
was completed on March 22, 2003.
Also, the front and rear stairwells on the parish side of the
building will be painted in the near future.
A total of 26 gallons of paint were purchased at a cost of
$500.05, including supplies. Thrivent
will be reimbursing us for $500.00 for materials as this year’s
“Work Project” since nine member households took part. Many thanks
go to the painting crew who utilized their artistic talent to save
our church thousands of dollars in labor.
The project took a grand total of 72.5 hours to complete.
Those who helped were: Fred
Bartz, Jr., Matthew Bartz, Melvin Beyers, Jim Carr, Steve Jarmusz,
Sr., Thomas Jindra, Violet Kelm, Dan Krzywick, Rose Ann Merkt,
George Merkt, Mark Thomas, William Wilke, Raymond Yox, Lynda and
Chuck Yung. ^
^ ^
^ ^ ^
^ ^
^ ^ ^
^ ^
^ ^
^ ^ ^
^ ^
^ ^ ^
^ ^
^ ^
^ ^ ^
^ ^
^ ^ ^
^ ^
^ ^ B A N N S Published “David
Gifford and Sue Wiedemann wish
to enter the holy estate of matrimony according to God’s ordinance
and desire the prayers of the Christian congregation on their behalf
so that they may begin it in God’s name and have it turn out well.
Now should anyone have anything to say against this, let him
or her speak at this time or hereafter remain silent.
God grant them His blessing.
Amen.” (From Martin Luther’s Wedding Booklet) *
* *
* * *
* *
* * *
* *
* * *
* *
* * *
* *
* * *
* *
* * *
* *
* * *
* SYNOPSES OF COMING LUTHERAN HOUR BROADCASTS(Heard
Sundays on WNSA-FM 107.3 at 7:30 a.m.
and WNSA-FM
107.7 at 7:30 a.m.) April
6: -
- - -
- -
“Save Me” -
Jesus had no confusion about His life and purpose.
He lived to die for us.
Hear about it in relation to John 12:27. April
13: -
- - -
- - (Palm
Sunday) -
“A Shout for the Savior”
- Luke 19:39-40
shows that when it comes to
proclaiming the Savior, we should shout loudly.
“Hosanna,” which is Hebrew for
“save,” is a good word still shouted by people today. April
20: -
- - -
- -
(Easter) -
“Where Do You Put a Risen Lord?”
- Christ has risen! He
has risen, indeed.
The Rev. Ken Klaus says there is no question Jesus physically
rose from the dead on
Easter Sunday. But
how do YOU live with this news? + + +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ + +
+ A NOTE FROM BUFFALO CITY MISSION(regarding
Salem’s recent donation of items) “Dear
Friends: We at the City
Mission sincerely appreciate the thoughtfulness and generosity that
your organization provided to our residents, guests and staff. Many
of the clients at City Mission due to personal tragedy, and life
circumstances find themselves lonely, confused, and angry, as well
as homeless. Your
group clearly demonstrated genuine caring and concern for those less
fortunate; you lifted the spirits of everyone you came in contact
with. Your
kindness is appreciated by all of us at City Mission.
May the Lord richly bless each and every one of you.
Sincerely, Ruth Ann Bruno – Volunteer Coordinator” This most sacred of all weeks in the year will be observed with the following services of worship. Let's all join in sharing the abundant forgiveness which Jesus' sacrifice ensured for us Christians by participating in as many of these services as possible. PALM
SUNDAY -
APRIL 13 -
10:30 a.m. All worshipers will receive palm
crosses, made by African natives to supplement their meager incomes.
(See information below.) Our Sunday School children will sing
and will sit with their teachers. The palm
crosses to be distributed on Palm Sunday are made by natives in the Masasi area of Tanzania
(Africa). About thirty
years ago an English missionary working there noted
the poverty of these natives (family income of $55.00 a year) and
the abundance of palms, so he came up with the idea of having the people
make crosses as a way to earn more money. They
were sold first in the London area to the missionary’s friends and acquaintances, and
gradually the project spread throughout much of the world. More than four million
are sold each year at a cost of twelve cents each.
MAUNDY THURSDAY -
APRIL 17 -
10:30 a.m. & 7:00 p.m.
One of the ancient names for the Sacrament of the Altar is
The Holy
Eucharist, and the Greek word
“eucharist” literally means thanksgiving.
The name comes directly from the Biblical record of this
event: “He gave
thanks.” Jesus
had a lot to give that night. He
gave Himself. He gave His body and blood.
Soon, He would be giving His very life.
And in the midst of all of that, perhaps in order to
underscore it, Jesus gave thanks.
Come join us celebrate Holy Communion, and give thanks for
the pledge our Lord Jesus Christ makes to us individually and
collectively. The
evening service will conclude with the solemn stripping of the altar
in preparation for Good Friday. GOOD
FRIDAY -
APRIL 18 12:00 to
3:00 p.m. -
Community Good Friday Ecumenical Service
sponsored by South Buffalo area churches.
This will be a walk
with a cross through different locations in South Buffalo.
It will
begin at noon and go until 3:00 p.m. and based on the Seven
Last Words of Jesus. For
more information watch your news-
paper or call the church office. 12:00
noon
- At Salem 7:00
p.m.
- Tenebrae
Service at Salem HOLY
SATURDAY -
APRIL 19
- 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- You may come
and go anytime.
All
are welcome. We will use the Penitential Psalms: Psalm 6; 32; 38; 51;
102; 130; 143. =================================================================================
E
A S T E R -
April 20 - After
observing the solemnity of Jesus' suffering and dying, we will join
in joyful celebration of His glorious resurrection
and our new life in His as follows:
7:00 a.m. -
Sunrise Service of Worship
8:00 a.m. -
Easter Breakfast in the Social Room
9:00 a.m. -
Sunday School & Bible Classes
10:30
a.m. - Festival
Service of Worship
(Bring lenten coin folders in special envelopes, and deposit
them in the purple container in the narthex,
NOT in the offering plates, because of the bulk.)
SALEM’S P I E C E M A K E R S Need Your Help! Salem
Piecemakers, our church’s quilting group, needs your help in order
to continue making quilts for area community organizations. On Monday, March 17th, we delivered our
first eighteen quilts and small calico bags containing soaps,
shampoos and lotions to the Cornerstone Manor.
The members of the quilting group toured the Cornerstone
Manor, which is part of City Mission, and is a shelter in downtown
Buffalo for homeless women and children.
Cornerstone presently has room for sixty women and children,
but has plans to expand to a new facility because of the great need
within our community. In order to continue our work for Cornerstone Manor
and various other organizations, we are in need of cotton or calico
fabric or donations which would enable us to purchase needed
supplies, including fabric, backing, and batting. And – the Piecemakers welcome anyone interested in
joining our group of quilters.
We meet on Mondays, twice monthly, at 12:00 noon for lunch. (We each bring our own lunch, and our machines.)
Check each Sunday bulletin or DOVE for quilting dates, or
contact any of our members for additional information.
April meeting dates: Monday,
April 14 and Monday, April 28.
Deann Sheppard -
674-0681 =
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = OF
INTEREST .
. . “New System Allows Personalization of LCMS e-News
Subscriptions”
People interested in the various ministries of The Lutheran
Church – Missouri
Synod now have an easier method to receive news about those
ministries via
e-mail. The LCMS e-News Distribution System allows
individuals to customize their receipt of e-mail newsletters sent
out by the various ministries of the Synod.
With the new system, which is web based, people may select
newsletters based on topical category, in a format that is also
customizable and attractive. Developed by the Electronic Media division of the LCMS Information Services Department, the new system allows users to choose among various topical categories, including:
- Child Ministry
- Youth
- Devotional
- Worship
- Education
- Stewardship
Ministry
- Ethnic
Ministry
- Special
Ministries
- Family
Ministry
- President’s
Office
- News
- Outreach
Ministry To access the LCMS e-News Subscription Center, go to “lcms.org/enews” VESPERS SERVICE
- 5:00 p.m. –
Sundays of Lent – Psalms and Hymns are sung.
Intercessions
are Community Prayers. Scripture
and reflection by Rev. Ralph Strohm –
April 6, 2003; Rev.
Robert Mock – April 13, 2003; at St. Martin of Tours
Church, 1140 Abbott Road, Buffalo, N. Y.
Phone: M
E M O R I A L S
A N D
G I F T S HANDICAP
ACCESS FUND -
- -
- In memory of
Victoria Merkt by Ashley Merkt; George & Rose Ann Merkt.
In memory of John Newell by Dorothy
Roger.
In memory of Eleonora Knoll by Robert
Schmidt Sr.; Joyce Vassallo.
Gifts: Doris
Baker; Richard & Shirley Landseadel; Rev. & Mrs. David F. C.
Wurster;
Mr. & Mrs. James Carr; Dorothy Putzman; Mary Bartz; Mr.
& Mrs. Swierczynski;
Gretchen Putzman (birthday); Mary Eitler (birthday); Arlene
Ball;
Mr. & Mrs. Chester Ciambor; Fred Bartz Jr.; Norbert T.
Bialo; Lois Doll;
Olga Kingsland; Mr. & Mrs. George Poniwas; Mr. & Mrs.
Mark Thomas;
Nancy Thomas; Mr. & Mrs. Chuck Yung; William Colvin;
Marilyn Krentz;
Dorothy Weise; Sallie Langner; Paul Sawlidi; Russell Jr.
& Kim Alessi;
Florence Daberkow; Donna
Brady; Lorraine McGill; Paul Thomas Jr.; MEMORIAL
FUND -
- - -
- -
- -
In memory of Eleonora Knoll by Warren
& Judith Pietz.
In memory of Lorraine Carr by Thomas J.
Peterkin. CURRENT
FUND -
- - -
- -
- - -
-
Gifts: Julie
Schmidt (birthday); James Mathews (birthday). FRIENDS
of MUSIC & CULTURE
- - Gifts: Ruth
Wurster (birthday); Elza Hyrich; Mr. & Mrs. Charles Harvey. AT
SALEM + + +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ +
+ + +
+ M I L I T A
R Y
P E R S O N N E L
We remember in our prayers those friends and relatives of Salem Lutheran Church who are in the military –
MARK BANAS (grandson of
Shirley Banas and brother of Melissa Banas)
DANIEL BERNER (grandson
of Delores Landwehr)
WILLIAM COLVIN III
(grandson of William & Leoloa Colvin)
RICHARD LAFFERTY
(grandson of Delores Landwehr)
JUSTIN LEBLANC (son of
Norman & Gloria LeBlanc)
GARY ROSS (son of
Lorraine Ross and brother of Judy Hoffmann
and Laura Karter) +
+ + + +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ OF INTEREST - - Y.W.C.A.
of Western New York has free exercise classes for the following:
aerobics, yoga,
water aerobics, strength training, body toning; nutrition workshops; healthy
cooking
workshops; pre,
mid, and post health assessments.
Call Patrick McDonald at 852-6120,
Extension 244, for more information. HARVEST
HOUSE
- Free
Concert – Friday, April 11, 2003 at 7:30 p.m., 1782 Seneca Street,
South Buffalo, N. Y.
Light refreshments are served after the concert.
The
Lords Talents will
be the featured performers.
The group is composed of fifty
people, ages 8 to adult and visit hospitals, nursing homes,
and anywhere they
can spread the Word of God.
They do religious music with lots of hymns and some
sing-along songs, and finish each concert with popular music.
The evening will include audience participation.
For more information, call 825-0929. EASTER TV
PROGRAMS
- From
Lutheran Hour Ministries, shown on Easter Sunday, April 20, on
WGRZ, Channel 2 - “The Puzzle Club Easter Adventure” mystery will air at
12 noon; followed by “Easter Is” at 12:30 p.m.
Also, you can log onto www.puzzleclub.org
to enjoy the drama in Real Audio, read the written story adaptation,
order a colorful picture book, and find a host of practical
parenting ideas.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||