A Dedication in Mooresville, NC

The dedication of a new renovated worship space 

at New Hope Lutheran Church was held in 

Mooresville, North Carolina

on Sunday, June 20, 2021.

New Hope was recently chartered

 as a new congregation in 2016.

After worshiping in a house, the congregation

was able- with the help of 

LCEF- Lutheran Church Extension Fund-

 to purchase this church facility

 from a Presbyterian church that was closing. 

Then they renovated the entire inside of the structure

 and landscaped the outside. 

They now have a beautiful building.

The celebration service included

 the following attendees:

 L to R:

Rev. Pete Vavarias- Mission Planter

 Specific Ministry Pastor- Vicar Luke Self

Rev. Dr. John Denninger- Southeastern District President

 

New Hope is served by this wonderful ministry family.

Vicar Luke is married to Dani 

and they are blessed with son- Levi.

We pray many blessings over this family

 as they serve the New Hope community.

The Joyful Task--A Father's Day Reflection

                                                                    

                                                           The Joyful Task

Fathers, on Father’s Day, can reflect on the joyful tasks of fatherhood. Deuteronomy 33:12 describes one such task in the blessing of Benjamin. 

“About Benjamin he said: ‘Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.’”

Scholars tell us that ‘resting between his shoulders’ refers to the mountainous terrain that was assigned to Benjamin when the promised land was divided among the tribes. Try instead to make it a literal picture of a beloved child riding on dad’s shoulders in order to see a wonderful sight. Like a father and child watching a parade or sporting event when they are back in the crowd and all the child can see is the crowd. Then dad hoists the child to his shoulders and all of a sudden, the little one can see why everyone is excited.

This joyful task, helping a child to see the wonder of God, is the task of the loving father of faith. One of my most cherished childhood memories is almost 70 years old. I must have been about 7, because I could read. For some reason I accompanied my father to a communion service. This was unusual, at that time the communion service was separate from the regular service and only communicant members were allowed to attend. We were sitting in the choir loft, so it could be that dad was going to play during the distribution so the organist could go to communion. Whatever the reason, I was hearing an entirely new liturgy and dad was helping me to read along. It was the first time ever that I both heard and read the Nicene Creed. The words “God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God” struck me as my father’s finger guided my eye. 

My recollection stops there. I don’t remember the words again until we moved to St. Louis and our new church did not segregate communicants from non-communicants. Then I heard those words again. Now my father was the regular organist and the choir director too. Dad was teaching the choir a new hymn, ‘Isaiah, Mighty Seer, In Days of Old.’ Martin Luther’s hymn tells the story of Isaiah’s vision (Isaiah 6:1-4) and dad taught the words first, stressing the meaning, before he introduced the tune. He wanted us to see and experience the glory and majesty of God. He was lifting us up so we could better see God.

This Father’s Day, remember and give thanks to God for those who lifted you up so you could better see our loving God.

Thank you to Natalie Hartwig 

who is a Journeys of Faith blog contributor.

Thanksgiving at Zion Praise

 

What a joyful event on Sunday, June 13, 2021 

for the community of 

Zion Praise Tabernacle Lutheran Church

 in Bowie, Maryland.

Pictured- L to R- Rev. Jacob Harris, 

Southeastern District President John Denninger, 

and Rev. Henry Greenfield.

This newly chartered church was blessed

 to extend calls to both of these pastors. 

The congregation also hosted the 

Ordination of Rev. Henry Greenfield in this service.

Rev. Greenfield is presented 

with a new red stole by his wife-Deborah.

Both pastors are given

 Shepherd's Staffs in the service.

Rev. Henry Greenfield and his wife Deborah.

The children were part of the worship and praise.

The service was filled with music

 of praise and thanksgiving.

Special guests for this celebration included:

Rev. Dr. Brent Smith, and Southeastern District Staff members- 

Deaconess Sally Hiller, Rev. Don Schafer, and Rev. Yared Halche.

This Liberian community certainly 

hosts a gathering with an abundant array of food.

So many things to give thanks for,

 as we pray the Lord's blessing 

on this new church in His Kingdom.

May they be faithful witnesses 

of the the grace of the Gospel.

Photo credits to Yared Halche and Brent Smith

Devotion-New Beginnings

2 Corinthians 5:6-10, 14-17

Epistle Lesson for Sunday, June 13th

With reasoned logic     We make choices That shape our daily living            Having decided, we move on   There are other matters however           Driven by deeper feelings Which catch our mind and heart Not letting us go   Paul told Corinthian Christians            That the gospel compelled him The good news of God’s love            Had captured his heart forever   This Divine compulsion            Turned his life upside down He put aside what he knew            Letting go, and letting God   Our faith is likewise formed by assumptions            But when grace finally catches us False illusions under the law give way            To the chance of graceful new beginnings   Like Paul, we also become compelled            To see ourselves and others Through the prism of the Cross           Beggars joyfully healed and free+

A Devotion By Rev. Donald Schaefer, Northern Region Facilitator for Mission Engagement

Bless More

 

BLESS MORE   - a memorial prayer

 

Hold close, O God, bless more:

The men missing their daughters; the moms without their sons

The widows grieving husbands, while raising little ones.

Each boys whose soldier daddy did not come home from war

Families who honor what the sacrifice was for 

 

Hold close,  Father,  bless big:

The battlefield  survivor who fought next to his friend

still stuck inside that foxhole where he thought it was the end 

The military heroes and their communities   

rent by the pain of  those who fell protecting liberty   

 

Hold close,  bring peace,  bless more:

The nation 

            who remembers

                        its valiant defenders. 

Mend broken lives,  restore.

hold close,  Jesus,  

bless more. 

  

*May 31,  2021  - Wendysue Fluegge