Pastor Mark Neuhaus passed
away on November 25, 2003
Note: The news of Pastor Mark’s passing arrived
just as the newsletter was to be sent to the printer. All article’s were
written prior to this heartbreaking event.
From the President:
It is the season of Advent. We are waiting.
But we are waiting for two different reasons. One of the events we anticipate is heart-breaking. The other is heart-mending. As I write this, we have been told our
beloved Pastor will be called home to his Lord soon. He has completed his walk of faith and has heard the
words “Well done, good and
faithful servant.” We are
bewildered. We are sorrowful. We are aching. We are encouraged to groan and cry out.
The Holy Spirit groans with us.
Out Father in heaven hears us.
Our Savior intercedes for us.
The Psalms are full of a faithful servant’s agonies:
Psalm 6: 1- 6
1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, nor
chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
2 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord,
heal me, for my bones are
troubled.
3 My soul also is greatly troubled; but You, O Lord
– how long?
4 Return, O Lord, deliver me! Oh save me for Your mercies’ sake!
5 For in death there is no remembrance of You; in
the grave who will give You thanks?
6 I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my
bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears.
We are called to comfort each other. God gave us Pastor Mark for a
while. He has given us each other
to continue the work Pastor did.
We are the people of God.
We are to love one another and help one another and shelter one another. Let us be about our work.
And we are waiting for another, heart-mending
event. We are to spend the season
of Advent in anticipation of the birth of our Savior. We read about John the Baptist as he preached:
Luke 3:4-6
As it is written in the book
of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying,
“The voice of one crying in
the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the
Lord; make His paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made
straight and the rough ways smooth;
And all flesh shall see the
salvation of God.’”
Our hearts are somber but
they contain a golden seed of hope.
We know that our Redeemer lives.
We look to the birth of our salvation. There is an indestructible core of faith and love in
us. It was placed there by
our Father in heaven and secured by our Lord, Jesus Christ.
We wait.
Sue
Lisowsky
President,
CHLC Council
Why Do I Need, or Want to Be a Stephen Minister?
Since
writing last month’s article on Stephen Ministry I have given considerable
thought to the question I raised, “Why do we do it?” I have found answers to
that question in some surprising ways. Answers that satisfied me, and I hope,
will satisfy you.
1.
Yes, being a Stephen Minister is work. And it’s fun, educational, spiritual,
spirit lifting, soul gratifying, and did I mention rewarding? Friendships have
been forged in steel, tested and passed. Friendships that will endure. We all
have that need.
2.
All that work and no paycheck? Well, there is that. Remember what I said about
it being a gift, freely given? Guess that means no taxes to pay, or deductions
either. Not too shabby. A gift, freely given. We all want gifts.
3.
So we pay our own way. Shouldn’t everyone? Don’t we all pay at one time or
another? Jesus paid for each of us on that cross. Ouch! What we pay doesn’t
cost or hurt anywhere what He paid. We all benefit, no exceptions.
4.
Confidentiality! Which one of us doesn’t need to unload and know it isn’t being
banted about? Who doesn’t have the need to talk, cry, ramble, or complain at
sometime, and know you are not being judged? Just being accepted and loved. We
all need acceptance and love. Confidentiality is good!
5.
Cookies. Yep, we provide refreshments the first Sunday of the month. No pats on
the back there. Nancy and Janice, among others, see to it that there are things
to eat and drink every Sunday of every month all year long. Guess a long
overdue thank you should be given to them by everyone. We all need to help out
there.
6.
Stephen Minister of the day. Hmmmmm. Had to think on that one for a minute,
then I did some remembering. We’ve shaken hands and become acquainted with
people we didn’t know before. We’ve been asked to pray with someone, to listen
to a problem, to direct someone to another entity of the church. We all need to
be a minister on Sunday.
7. We train. If we don’t learn, we stagnate. Not just in Stephen
Ministry, but in everyday life. God gave us brains for a reason; He wants us to
use them. Study, grow, change, and learn. We are going to age every day whether
we do those things or not. We all have the need and desire to learn.
8.
Ok, we are understaffed, and under-used. I don’t know why. That is for you to
figure out. I do know we are here when you are in need of us, or if you want to
join us. We need you!
9.
So we commit for two years. Big deal. Council members commit for two years.
Most are re-elected. Our Stephen Ministers range from four years to fourteen
years in service. We may take a breather once in a while, and then we come right
back for more. Care Receiver’s may need a Stephen Minister just one time, or
for several years. We’re here, and we want to help.
10.
Why do we do it? Because we care. Pure and simple. We aren’t heroes, we aren’t
special, and we aren’t magicians. We are just everyday people who love and
care, who are trained to listen, and want to be there when there is a need. We
need you. We pray you will call on us when you have a need, or would like to
become a Stephen Minister.
Tuesday
Morning Fellowship
December's
Tuesday morning fellowship has been X'd off the calendar of events for the
month of December. "Why?", you may ask? Well, folks,
Christmas is but a month away! A month! There is positively,
absolutely too many other important things THAT MUST BE DONE each and every day
until then. No time for sitting around with your friends of a morning,
drinking coffeee, eating a bagel, laughing, talking, just having a good ol'
time. Nope. Christmas is coming. So, let's make the most of
each day. Celebrate. Sing carols. Turn on the lights.
Rejoice. Worship Him. Christmas comes just once each year. Enjoy
it. January will come, and we will gather together again. Have a
most Blessed Christmas, remember how loved we all are, and share that joy!
Hello,
God……
Hello
God, I called tonight
To talk a little while
I need a friend who'll listen
To my anxiety and trial.
You see, I can't quite make it
Through a day just on my own...
I need your love to guide me,
So I'll never feel alone.
I want to ask you please to keep,
My family safe and sound.
Come and fill their lives with confidence
For whatever fate they're bound.
Give me faith, dear God, to face
Each hour throughout the day,
And not to worry over things
I can't change in any way.
I thank you God, for being home
And listening to my call,
For giving me such good advice
When I stumble and fall.
Your number, God, is the only one
That answers every time.
I never get a busy signal,
Never had to pay a dime.
So thank you, God, for listening
To my troubles and my sorrow.
Good night, God, I love You, too,
And I'll call again tomorrow!
Spotlight on Hymns
“Joy to the World”
LBW #39
Isaac
Watts, 1674-1748
Music adapted from George F. Handel,
1685-1759
By Lowell Mason, 1792-1872
But the angel said to
them,
“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news
of great joy that will be for all the people.” (Luke 2:10)
Although we feel especially joyless
now and are experiencing a great loss at this particular moment in the life of
our congregation, we must remember that the joy we celebrate at this time of
year is born in the yearning for deliverance from the evils of the world, a
sense of being “between times”, and the hope, however faint at times, that God,
however distant He sometimes seems to be, will bring salvation to the world in
the coming Messiah.
As one of the most joyous of Christmas
hymns, this carol omits references to shepherds, angelic choruses, and wise
men. It emphasizes instead the
reverent but ecstatic joy that Christ’s birth brought to humanity. For centuries hearts had yearned for
God to reveal Himself personally.
At last it happened “as the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
“Joy to the World” is a paraphrase of
the last part of Psalm 98.
Although it was originally a song of rejoicing for Jehovah’s protection
of His chosen people and the anticipation of the time when He would be God of
the whole earth, this psalm was intended by Watts to be a New Testament
expression of praise. It exalts
the salvation that began when God became incarnate as the Babe of Bethlehem who
was destined to remove the curse of Adam’s fall. The text originally was titled “The Messiah’s Coming and
Kingdom” when it appeared in a hymnal of 1719 by Isaac Watts. The music for this popular carol is
though to have been adapted by Lowell Mason from some of the phrases used in
parts of George Frederick Handel’s oratorio, The Messiah, first performed in 1742.
“Joy
to the World” will be our last Advent hymn for the December 21 service.
“Let ev’ry heart prepare
Him room!”
Resource: Osbeck, Kenneth W., Amazing
Grace, Kregel ,1990
Book Study Continues on TUESDAYs
Last month four of us began
a study of the book Reclaiming
the “L” Word: Renewing the Church
from its Lutheran Core by Kelly Fryer, who is the pastor of Cross of Glory
Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Lockport, Illinois. Pastor Fryer has such a winsome
way of articulating the connection between mission and the Lutheran Theological
tradition. She believes that there
appears to be some confusion over what is essential to our understanding of
what it means to be Christians who happen to also be Lutherans…and what is not
essential. If our congregations
are struggling, it is most likely because we are struggling with this issue.
We’re not entirely sure of who we are.
Vibrant & growing churches have this in common: They have a clear
sense of vision, and they are open to change.
Cross of Glory Lutheran Church was a
struggling congregation in 1992 and today worship attendance has grown
500%. Their church council decided
to put some energy into clarifying who and what they were as a congregation. They came up with a set of core values,
which they call the Five Guiding Principles:
1.
Jesus
Is Lord
2.
Everyone
Is Welcome
3.
Love
Changes People
4.
Everybody
Has Something to Offer
5.
The
World Needs What We Have
Copyright ăKelly A. Fryer and Cross of
Glory Lutheran Church
Even if you have not been able to
attend the group study on Tuesday nights, this 94-page book is very much worth
your time to read. AND there are
still 3 copies at $9.00 each available in the church office. See Leslie Atkins if you’re interested.
The Meaning of Colors in the Church
Year
Since Advent begins liturgical year,
this is a good time to explore the meaning of the colors we use each
Sunday. In the Christian tradition
colors are used for vestments and paraments, but a standard system of colors
developed only gradually and haphazardly up through the Middle Ages. Today,
ELCA congregations use the same system of colors that is also used by Roman and
Anglican churches in the United States and by many churches around the world.
The colors serve to adorn the worship
space, and to call attention to the nature of the season or festival being
celebrated. A brief summary of their usage, according to the church year,
follows. In our congregation, we
have substituted gold for white with the choir wearing their gold stoles
against their off-white robes.
Advent: Blue is used for its
references to hope. It originated in Scandinavia, probably because purple dye
was too expensive for churches to use. The alternate color for Advent is
purple, the royal color of the coming King (note that this is a different
meaning than when it is used in Lent; see below).
Christmas: White is used, as a
reference to the purity of the newborn Christ, and to our light and joy in him.
Epiphany of Our Lord: White (see Christmas).
Baptism of Our Lord: White (see Christmas).
Sundays after the
Epiphany:
Green is used for its symbolism of our growth in Christ. Green, in a sense, is
a "neutral color," used when more festive or more somber color is not
indicated.
Transfiguration of Our
Lord: White
(see Christmas).
Ash Wednesday: Black is the preferred
color, since it is the color of the ashes to which we will all return. Purple
is the alternate color for this first day of Lent.
Lent: Purple is indicated, as
the stark color of repentance and solemnity.
Sunday of the Passion: Scarlet is the preferred
color of this first day of Holy Week, as it suggests the deep color of blood.
(Scarlet is to be distinguished from the brighter color of red, which is
appointed for the Day of Pentecost, martyrs’ days, and certain church
celebrations). If a parish does not have scarlet vestments, purple may be used.
Days of Holy Week: Scarlet or purple may be
used for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week.
Maundy Thursday: For this fourth day of
Holy Week, celebrated as the institution of the Lord’s Supper, scarlet or white
is used.
Good Friday: No vestments or paraments
are used on this day, after the stripping of the altar on Maundy Thursday
night.
Vigil of Easter: White as the color of joy
in the Resurrection is used on this night.
Easter Day: On this day of the church
year, gold may be used. White is the alternate, perhaps with gold running
through it. The gold color indicates that this day is the "queen of
feasts," unique in the entire church year.
Sundays of Easter: White (see Vigil of
Easter).
Day of Pentecost: Red as the color of fire
is used on this day when we remember the tongues of fire descended on the crowd
in Jerusalem. In contrast to the color of scarlet, Pentecost’s red is a bright
color.
The Holy Trinity: White is appointed, the
expression of joy in the mystery of the Triune God.
Other Sundays after
Pentecost:
Green is used, to indicate our growth in faith as we follow the teachings and
ministry of Christ.
Christ the King: The final day of the
church year uses white, a festive color of light, joy, and the celebration of
our Lord.
Lesser festivals and
commemorations
are white, unless a martyr is celebrated, in which case bright red is used.
Copyright © 2003 Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America
Healthy
Share Food Distribution
Healthy Share is a nondenominational, nonprofit food
distribution program that is committed to building healthy families by
providing affordable groceries. It is open to everyone! There is no
income or age qualification!
The prepaid, prepackaged groceries are first quality
food with no donations or government surplus. No merchandise is
outdated. The packages have a retail value of up to three times
cost. You order and pay for it in advance and pick it up on the next distribution
day.
Information is available on the bulletin board of
the Acts Center
Council
meeting highlights held on Monday, November 17th.
We were updated on Pastor
Mark's condition and we said a prayer for his quick recovery.
A letter was read from
Pastor Frank, indicating he was going to miss several weeks in December due to
his son's illness in Sweden. He should be back to us in January.
Consecration Sunday will
be held November 23rd, with members filling out pledge cards and time/talent
sheets. This will be held immediately after service, with a pot luck
brunch to be held following the meeting. Attendees are asked to bring a
dish for the pot luck.
Beginning in January,
council meetings will be held on the third Wednesday of the month instead of
the third Monday.
The proposed budget was discussed
and this will be brought before the congregation at the Budget and Election
Meeting to be held on Sunday, December 7th after service.
Due to our current
situation, we have been offered a Christmas concert by the choir of Friends
Church of Santee. Their pastor, Pastor Dennis Martins, has called and
wishes to assist us in the holiday season. Council was very open to his
offer and we also decided to sing Christmas carols after the concert, then
have refreshments. The tentative date scheduled is Sunday, December 14th
at 2 p.m. Look for definite information soon.
Next meeting Monday,
December 15th at 6:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Marie Freeman
DORCAS HIGHLIGHTS
The ladies are busily
making their craft items for the Christmas Bazaar to be held on Sunday,
December 7th & December 14th after church service. We will meet at 10
a.m. on Saturday, December 6th to organize and price the items for the bazaar.
We are sponsoring
the Santee Food Bank for donations for non-perishable food items and cash for
purchases of other foods.
Our Christmas tea will be
held on Thursday, December 11th at 3 p.m. at Cobblestone Cottage in
Alpine. Any ladies are welcome, please see Marie Freeman, Charlotte
Arthurton or Deanna Sampson and prepay $12.95 by December 1st.
Nominations were held for
our 2004 officers. Nominated were Marie Freeman, President; Charlotte
Arthurton, Vice-President; Grace Otto, Treasurer and De Ryder and Deanna
Sampson will share the position of Secretary.
We will assist in the
brunch on Sunday, November 23rd for Consecration Sunday.
Family Advent Wreath night
will be held on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Dorcas will furnish all the supplies
and also the prayers to be recited when lighting the advent candles.
Our next meeting will be
held Wednesday, December 3rd.
FAMILY ADVENT WREATH
NIGHT
The second annual Family
Advent Wreath Night was held on Wednesday night, the 19th of November.
Approximately 35 people attended and we made family advent wreaths for use at
home. Charlotte Arthurton assisted us with the directions in making our
wreaths. Sue Lisowsky gave us the history of the advent wreath, and
distributed the prayers to be read when lighting each candle. Cookies and
milk were available, and we all had a good time.
OUR SYMPATHY TO: Michael & Robin Judd. Michael’s
father, Lyle recently passed away.
v
SR.
FELLOWSHIP meets
at Orange Blossom Restaurant on Navajo in La Mesa at 11;30 a.m., Tuesday, December
9th. Join in for some good food and wonderful fellowship. For more
information call either Grace Otto, 448-9347 or Nancy Funick, 561-7823.
+++REMEMBER
IN PRAYER those who are affected by anxiety, depression, guilt, grief,
loneliness, poverty, illness and in need of God’s healing and loving touch:
Friends: Arnold, Glen, Kathy, Patty,
Fred, Marsha, Helen
Members: Crystal & Rod Boisvert, Arlean Lane, Laura
Kramer, Norie Feltner, Ralph Beyer, Joseph & Gertrude Geiler, Gunda
Richardson, Grace Otto, Judy Johnston, Ed & Marge Whitehead, Elsie Erion.,
Linda Tomsick, Cole & Marie Freeman,
Betty Keehn, Charlotte Kimbrough, Marty Freer, Arnold Flurry, Pastor
Mark & Jan Neuhaus.
NOTE: We
currently have two prayer chains that can be easily activated by calling Mary
Thomas, Prayer Chain Coordinator,
334-6457(note this is her new number).
DECEMBER
MINISTERS:
Acolyte: 7/ Brian Meyers 14/ Ericka
Davis 21/ Louie Quintanilla 25/
TBA 28/ Anna Bloemen
Assist.
Minister: Leslie Atkins
Coffee
Fellowship:
7/ Stephen Ministers 14/ 21/ 28/ Nancy Funick, Laura Vaughan, Janice Davis et.
al.
Communion
Assist.:
7/ Lyn & Charlotte Arthurton 14/ Laura Vaughan & Jim Thomas 21/ 25/ 28/
Marcy & Kathryn Metz
Communion
Care:
Susan Lisowsky
Edgemoor
Hospital Worship:
(4th Sunday of ea. mo.) Jim Thomas
Greeters:
7/ 14/ Tom & Susan Ellison 21/ 25/
28/ Ed Teichner & Jim Thomas
Lector:
7/ 14/ Marie Freeman 21/ 25/ 28/ Molly
Lisowsky
Nursery:
TBA
Sound: 7/ Randy Catron 14/ Neil
Johnson 21/ Tom Davidson 28/ Randy Catron
Stephen
Minister of the Day: 2/ Bill Blue 9/
Carol Davidson 16/ Ellie Timan 23/ Ed Teichner 30/ TBA
Ushers:
Darrel,
Bethany and Ellie Timan, Bob Metz, Gloria & Tommy Wiley
OUR SYMPATHY TO: Ralph and
Lorraine Beyer. Lorraine’s father Ferd passed away Oct. 29th at the
age of 103 years.
The Beyers would like to
take this time to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and cards.
Note: If anyone that has a
digital camera has any pictures that we might be able to use in the newsletter
please email them to the office (chlc@CarltonHillsLutheran.org). Thanks.
December Birthdays
02/ THERESA
CRAIG
03/ ROY
MONROE
LINDA
SCHLOEGEL
04/ ROYCE
PRIVETT
08/ SUSAN
ELLISON
PATRICIA
MACHES
09/ DAVID
HUBER
12/ JAMES
MACHES
CLAUDIA
MITCHELL
14/ ARIANA
QUINTANILLA
BEVERLY
SANCHEZ
19/ MAY
HUSTAD
20/ FRED
BORGESON
NATHAN
COMSTOCK
DYLAN
GRANT
ROBERT
WEBB
23/ GUNDA
RICHARDSON
26/ MARK
NEUHAUS
27/ KOURTNEE
HENSON
ELISA
INSEL
December Anniversaries
04/ STEVEN
& ARLEAN LANE
06/ THOMAS
& KIMBERLY INSEL
14/ RONALD
& CAROLE DIXON
18/ MICHAEL
& ROBIN JUDD
19/ JEFFREY
& MARY HELEN ARNDT
20/ JIM
& MARILYN THOMAS
RONALD
& JACQUALINE TONINI
Texts for the Sundays
in December:
Dec 7th 2nd
Sunday in Advent
Mal 3:1-4, Phil 1:3-11, Luke 3:1-6
Dec 14th 3rd
Sunday in Advent
Zeph 3:14-20, Phil 4:4-7, Luke 3:7-18
Dec 21st 4th
Sunday in Advent
Micah 5:2-5a, Heb 10:5-10, Luke 1:39-45
Dec 24th Christmas
Eve
Isa 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14
Dec 28th Holy
Innocents, Martyrs
Jer 31:15-17, 1 Pet 4:12-19, Matt 2:13-18
