The Dove |
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THE PASTOR:
Jesus came to shake up people’s beliefs.
Every time he healed a sick person he shook up
people’s beliefs – they had a hard time believing he
was really opening blind eyes.
Religious leaders
said he was from the devil.
Every time he taught people he shook up their beliefs; he
said he was Lord over the Sabbath and he was the Way, the Truth,
and the Life. He
shook up the disciple’s beliefs when he told them he would go
to the cross to show them God’s glory in forgiveness.
He shook up their beliefs again on Easter morning when he
rose up alive. They
still believed death had the last word; and he still shakes up
our belief today right here at Salem.
We are all tempted to think that the resurrection of
Christ has to do with going to heaven some day in the future.
Martha, Lazarus’ brother, talked that way (John 11)
when Jesus came to their house when Lazarus died. Jesus
shakes up our belief because he is alive and comes to meet us
and call us into his service by shaking up all our old beliefs
and centering our belief and trust in him.
We don’t center our belief in principles of religion,
good as they may be. We
don’t center our belief in laws, even the Ten Commandments,
true and good as they may be.
Law and principles we can put in a book and learn and
grasp in our hands or in our brain.
Jesus risen and alive grasps us and the whole world in
his hands, and he calls us to center our belief in him – he
calls us to trust him. That’s
what shook up the disciples on Easter.
All they believed about just following the
teachings of the late Jesus and about the power of death was
shaken up. He was
alive and they were not called to follow the teachings of the
late Jesus, but to follow and listen to the living Lord.
Their life was not in their hands any more, but in his
hands. It was not
life and business as usual, but it was eternal life the moment
he appeared and said, “Peace be with you.” John
tells us that on that first Easter Day Jesus came and stood
among the disciples who were hiding behind closed doors.
He said to them, “Peace be with you,” and showed them
his hands and his side. The
disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord.
He said to them again, “Peace be with you – as the
Father sent me so I send you.” That is the mission statement of the congregation – Salem:
Peace be with you; as the Father sent me, I send you. As
a congregation we do well to learn about the Bible, Catechism,
worship, and leadership. But
those are all secondary things.
The center of our mission is not something we can learn
about or get fixed in our brain.
The center of our mission is SOMEONE who is very
alive, who comes to us to speak to us, to share his body and
blood with us and who sends us out into eternal life every day
of our lives and beyond. Jesus
is our peace, says St. Paul (Ephesians 2:14).
He is the “Salemite”
of all time, and he sends us out to be salemnites/peacemakers in
his world. He sends us as the father sends him. This raises a question about peace and conflict.
Is there any way for the peace of God – Jesus Christ
alive – to come into our world and hearts without conflict?
– without war? When
we look at his hands and side we have to say NO – there is
not. This
shakes up some people’s basic beliefs in our day, especially
when a war has been going on.
War always shakes up our beliefs and causes us to examine
our view of the world. Many
people think and believe that if we can only be nice like Jesus
and refuse to fight, we can talk everything out in the world so
we can have peace with no conflict.
A clergy person recently was asked by the Buffalo News
how she felt about the war in Iraq.
She said, “We are for peace,” meaning she was against
the present war in Iraq. It
appeared she was against all war because we are basically good
creatures who can work it all out if we try.
Abraham Lincoln was for peace.
He also said, “With malice toward none; with charity
for all . . . let us strive on to finish the work we are in.”
He then ordered generals into the field for victory of
arms. (continued
on next page) +
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LUTHERAN CHURCH
– 10
McClellan Circle – Buffalo, New York 14220
- Phone:
824-2787 Rev.
David F. C. Wurster, Ph.D.
- Pastor e-mail:
salemoncircle@yahoo.com
Rev. Richard E. Blemaster, Pastor Emeritus (Continued
“From the Pastor”) – Jesus was for peace and he declared war on sin, death, and the devil. None of these unholy three will give up if we just talk it out with them and try to finesse them with our human goodness and being reasonable and nice. Sin is a power that is like a cancer that only Christ can heal and forgive. Death is a power that no logic or reason can conquer. The devil is a force beyond all of our goodness; in fact, the devil delights in making us believe in our own goodness to blind us to the powers of evil beyond us. Jesus declared war on all of these powers and fought them to death to give us his peace. He shows us his hands and side so we can see the battle scars of God’s peace. The
war our Lord rises up to continue to the end goes right into our
own hearts. Peace does not come from just feeling good about ourselves
– thieves and robbers and addicts can manage that peace.
Peace comes from hearing his voice of forgiveness and
mission. It comes
from being sent into battle with our own hearts trusting him to be
there leading us as individuals and as a congregation in this time
and place. It means
we come together from many different places in life, many
opinions, and callings. It
means there is conflict. Peace
does not come by make-believe, but by a cross and living Lord. Such
is the case with the present war we are in as a nation.
There are different opinions about this war among us.
That’s as it should be in a democracy.
I have opinions about it too.
I was an officer in the USNR at one point in life.
But my personal opinion is not the real issue as a pastor.
A chief belief issue that is raised up: can there be peace
in the world without conflict?
Some say yes. There
can if we only try hard enough and believe in ourselves and find
nice leaders. The
church has always faced the fact that in the real world there is
no peace without conflict, and the willingness to go into battle
in our hearts and in the world.
The marks on Jesus’ hands and side say this loud and
clear. Another
belief that any war and also the Easter story upsets is the belief
that all beliefs are the same as long as we are sincere.
There are many people today who are trying desperately to
believe that all religions are really the same and we are all
going in the same direction.
There is no real big truth, but only lots of different and
equal truths. Many
believe that if we say there is truth and falsehood and right and
wrong, then we get into conflict; so to avoid it we can keep
saying all beliefs are equal and just being sincere is the
solution to all conflict. We
can then have peace. Truth
and belief make a difference.
All we have to do is to remember the pictures of two towers
and two jet planes flying into them.
The belief that drives a murderer to fly a plane into a
building, and the belief that drives a man to work for love in a
community are not the same. The
truths they accept are not the same.
Jesus makes it quite clear that all beliefs are not the
same. He said –
“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
(John 14) The
moment these words are spoken for real there is conflict and war.
The Truth shows us our own hearts and the heart of
God himself. The
hands and side show us what our own hearts do to truth – we
murder it. His voice
saying “Peace to you” shows us the heart of the father who
raises the dead and gives us eternal life.
Jesus Christ is both our Peace and our Truth.
Salem and Truth go together. Think of it this way.
When the risen Lord says, “I am the Truth;” truth is
not something – it is Someone; it is Jesus our living
Lord. The first
commandment is not just in a book anymore.
It is SOMEONE. It
is the living Christ. Recently
Lois Jones came up with a good idea for us all to think about.
She wondered whether we could come up with a theme
song/hymn for Salem. It
would be good to be able to sing our mission statement.
I said it would have to be music that had great power and
might as well as mercy and grace.
It would have to grasp Christ’s love and Christ’s war
with sin to express in his peace.
It would have to be for a young mother nursing her baby and
also for a marine going into battle.
It would have to guide the nursing mother into the peace of
loving her baby enough to fight for her and with her in
discipline. I would
have to encourage the marine to love his country enough to fight
for her and with her as a citizen in a democracy. Such
a piece of music would really be an Easter hymn.
If you think of one, jot it down so we can think about it.
Remember the Voice of the Lord who says now and forever:
“Peace be with you – as the Father sent me so I send
you all.”
Pastor Wurster + +
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Board of
Christian Education
Meeting Held On March 20,
2003, the SBCE held its bi-monthly meeting.
We have some exciting plans in the works. Pastor Wurster commented on a number of topics. Sunday Morning Bible Study is continuing to study Psalms 113 – 118; connecting the Old Testament with the New Testament. Pastor also spoke of the field trip to the City Mission as being a good trip. Our mission should be to “go out into the community” not just “take in.” The City Missionary Office headed by Rev. Travis Pittock will soon be located here at Salem. We are looking forward to forming a partnership with him. A
proposal for the upcoming confirmation year was presented to the
Board. Watch for some
exciting changes in that area in the months to come. As
for the Youth Group, we hear that the lock-in went well.
Also, the Youth Group has put together a newsletter. Sunday
School Superintendent, B. David Sylvia, reported on a number of
activities that the Sunday School students have been involved in. The faschnacts sale was a success and raised $256.00 for the
Special Projects Fund. Thanks
to all that helped make that a success.
“Undies Sundays” was also a success.
The people at the City Mission were very happy to receive
your generous donations of new underwear.
An Easter Pageant is planned for Sunday, April 27.
Bottles for Babies have been distributed.
The Junior Choir will be singing on Mother’s Day,
Father’s Day and in the Closing Pageant scheduled for June. A
Mentoring Program is being planned to be part of the confirmation
process. Mentors will
be matched for each student to provide support, encouragement and
assistance with confirmation requirements.
More information to follow.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor for one of our
confirmands, contact Deann Sheppard (674—0681). Vacation
Bible School is coming back to Salem for 2003!
Norrine Nagel has looked into available programs and has
chosen a program that promises to be high interest and
interactive. We are
considering evening classes for the week of July 13.
More information on Vacation Bible School is available on
another page of this May DOVE.
Sue Landwehr
Secretary
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S
U N D A Y
S C H O O L Thank you to Shirley Banas and Beth Radtke for shopping for and
preparing our Ham Dinner on Sunday, March 30, 2003.
Thank you also
to the Sunday School Staff for selling tickets and
assisting in the kitchen
and with clean-up. Our
appreciation is also extended to the Salem Youth
members who assisted with set-up and clean-up.
We sold a total of 90
tickets and the net profit for this event yielded $199.40
for the Sunday
School Special Projects Fund.
Thank you all for assisting with this
fundraiser.
- B. David
Sylvia, Superintendent Reminder to
Sunday School Teachers: Next Meeting is
Thursday, May 8, 2003 at 7:00 p.m. A CELEBRATION OF FOLK HYMNS
An exciting afternoon program is planned for Sunday, May 18, 2003, at
Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, McKinley Parkway at 10 McClellan Circle,
corner of Whitfield, Buffalo.
The well-known Buffalo
folk
duo, KINDRED – Felicia
and Dave Meyer – and Rochester musicians, Mitzie Collins and
Roxanne Ziegler,
will present “A
Celebration of Folk Hymns.”
The rich sounds of hammered dulcimer, Celtic harp, cello
and guitar, and the unforgettable voice of Felicia Meyer will give
new meaning to familiar American spirituals,
jewels of Celtic melodies, and lively Shaker tunes.
Audience participation will be an important part
of this program, and the adult choir of Salem Lutheran Church will
add their harmony to the presentation. The
duo Kindred has been
gaining a loyal and enthusiastic following in the 15 years they
have been performing
across Western New York. Their
original arrangements, underscoring Dave’s virtuosity as a
cellist and
Felicia’s warm and supple voice, enhance their wide repertory of
Celtic tunes and folk songs.
Kindred’s first
album, Celtic Flair, was
released early this year. Dave
has a master’s degree in cello from the Eastman School
of Music, and teaches privately in addition to playing with
several classical ensembles in the Buffalo area.
Felicia has a degree in drama from Niagara University.
Performances of Kindred
with Roxanne Ziegler and
Mitzie Collins throughout the Rochester and Buffalo area are
always greeted with rave reviews. Mitzie
Collins and Roxanne Ziegler have combined the many strings of
Mitzie’s hammered dulcimer and
Roxanne’s Celtic harp in their best selling Christmas and Celtic
recordings, and have established themselves
as two of the region’s premier performers.
Mitzie Collins is a leader in the revival of the hammered dulcimer
and has been featured at folk festivals across the country.
She is the president of
Sampler Records,
Ltd.,
a small recording company specializing in traditional, acoustic
music. Mitzie graduated from the Eastman School
of Music with a major in piano, and is now a faculty member of the
Community Education Division of Eastman.
Roxanne Ziegler is a graduate of Nazareth College and plays
a wide selection of music on both pedal and
folk harps. She is
active in the music program of Spiritus Christi Church, and plays
in hospitals, using the harp
as a healing instrument. The
concert, appropriate for families, begins at 4:00 p.m. and will be
followed by a reception. Tickets are
$5.00. The church is
handicapped accessible.
Contact Ray Yox (674-2540) or Maureen Wilke (826-2081) or the church
office (824-2787) for tickets.
ADVANCE
PURCHASE IS
RECOMMENDED. Ms.
Collins has a large following in the Western New York area and we
expect a large turnout.
U P C O M I N G E V E N T S
. . . AUCTION
-- At Trinity
Lutheran Church and School, 146 Reserve Rd., West Seneca, NY –
Saturday,
May 3, 2003, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. $.50 admission;
refreshments; for
further information, call 674-9188 or Nancy Stevens –
662-4076. THE LUTHERAN AND
ORCHARD PARK CHORALES – Present: G. Rossini”s “Stabat
Mater”, with
soloists and full orchestra, also selected shorter works;
Tim Kennedy,
Director – Sunday, May 4, 2003 – 7:00 p.m. at Orchard
Park
Presbyterian Church, 4369 South Buffalo St., Orchard Park,
N. Y.
Tickets: $13.00;
Seniors and Students: $10.00 WOMEN’S AUXILIARY
OF L.S.S. - Regular meeting – Tuesday, May 6, 2003 at 12:00 noon at
Greenfields Health & Rehab. Center, 5949 Broadway,
Lancaster, N. Y.
For directions call: 684-3000. ORGAN RECITAL SERIES
- At St. John
Lutheran Church of Amherst, 6540 Main St., Williamsville, NY.
Sunday, May 11, 2003 at 5:00 p.m. with Aaron Bahr,
organist. Works
by Bach, Mendelssohn, Dupre, Bender and others.
A free-will offering
will be taken and coffee hour reception will follow. “REUNION IN THE
COURTYARD” -
Of Southside School, Saturday, May 17, 2003 from 7:00 p.m.
to
10:00 p.m. This
event is open to the public honoring students who
attended Southside when it was a Junior/Senior high school
from 1970 to
1979. Tickets
are $15.00 and include beverages and appetizers.
Reservations can be made by sending your ticket payment
with a self-
addressed, stamped envelope to: Southside Reunion
Committee, P. O.
Box 1114, Buffalo, N. Y. 14220.
For more information, contact Mrs.
Teresa Schuta, Principal – 828-4818 or e-mail at – *
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* POSITION
OF VOCAL/BELL
CHOIR DIRECTOR AVAILABLE . . .
St. Luke
Lutheran Church is presently seeking applications
to fill the above position.
The positions salary is $7,500.00 per year.
Applicants must have keyboard experience.
The director’s job is a September to June position with
summers off. They are seeking to fill this position by June 2003.
For more information, contact
Ron Connor, VP Personal; c/o
St. Luke Lutheran Church, 900 Maryvale Drive, Cheektowaga,
N. Y. 14225 or call
St. Luke Lutheran Church at 633-6752. *
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* 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
M
A Y A
D U L T B I B L E
C L A S S SUNDAY
MORNING -
9:00 a.m. May 4 - Mark 16 May 25 - Matthew 28 May 11 - Pastor Pittock – Buffalo Mission June 1 - John 20 and 21 May 18 - Luke 24 We
will read and study the stories of Jesus’ resurrection in the
different Gospels.
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