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The
Calvary Proclamation
April 2015
Holy Week Services
Sunday, March 29 - Passion/Palm Sunday
Worship at 8:30 am and 11:00 am
Meet outside (in dry weather) for the blessing of the palms and the
processional gospel reading. Then, process into the sanctuary, waving
your green palm leaves!
Thursday, April 2 - Maundy Thursday
Worship at 6:30 pm
Service of Holy Communion with Stripping of the Altar
Friday, April 3 - Good Friday
Worship at 6:30 pm
Including Procession and Contemplation of the Cross
Worship is central to our lives as Christian people. Worshiping together as a community is where
and how we are “Called to Follow”. Our life together in worship is where we are fed by the Word of
God in scripture, music, liturgy, preaching, and in the bread and wine of Holy Communion—the body
and blood of the Word made flesh, Jesus our Lord. This feeding is nourishment for our lives into the
places where we are “Sent to Serve”. Come, then, and worship. Come and hear, see and know that:

you are loved,

you are forgiven,

you are invited to come and eat!
Dear Friends in Christ,
During these last few weeks I have watched a battle—I suspect you have, too. Awhile ago we were
still firmly in the grip of winter even as daylight hours increased incrementally. Then, one morning,
while I was walking Trooper, the birds were singing—not just the desultory calls of winter but the fullthroated songs of mating and joy. Warmer days arrived.
And yet, last night and tonight we had and will have freezing temperatures. I covered and will recover the tender plants that have started to emerge from the cold earth. Last year our hydrangeas
did not bloom—victims, I’m told, of a late frost last year. This year I am trying to defend them!
Weeks ago the war between winter and spring seemed like it could go either way (even though I
know better). Today, with blooms a’ bursting—painting trees, bushes, and formerly bare ground with
life, it is clear that “spring has sprung”.
Now the green blade rises from the buried grain,
wheat that in dark earth many days has lain;
love lives again, that with the dead has been;
love is come again like wheat arising green.
In the grave they laid him, love by hatred slain,
thinking that he would never wake again,
laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen;
love is come again like wheat arising green.
Forth he came at Easter like the risen grain,
he that for three days in the grave had lain;
raised from the dead, my living Lord is seen;
love is come again like wheat arising green.
When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,
your touch can call us back to life again,
fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been;
love is come again like wheat arising green.
ELW 379, John MacLeod Campbell Crum
Perhaps my favorite Easter hymn, the tune to which we sing it echoes the almost mournful sound of
winter, death, dying, and grief. Like the battle between winter and spring, Crum’s words speak a
deeper truth than the tune reveals, the truth we celebrate at Easter and every Sunday—that God
always wins! Winter and sorrow may last for a time but, Christ is risen and the joy of new life is ours.
May you revel in Jesus’ resurrection and may the new life erupting from the earth around us draw us
out of any wintry embrace.
Easter peace and joy,
Pastor Mary +
Calvary Birthdays in April
2
Holly Goodson ; Joshua Goodson; Beverly Wilson
5
Karen Whitley
6
Dot Williams; Cole Wilson; Wayne Giese; Cole Linebaugh
7
Wanda Nichols
10
Rama Mills
12
Kevin Watts
13
Kyle Wilson
14
Krickett Militello
15
Sam Glasbrook
18
Tim Barrier
20
Paul Jacumin
21
Emilia Wilson
24
Bob Kilpatrick; Charlie Moeller; Joyce Moeller
27
Michelle Thai
28
William Robertson; Amanda Rector
30
Phillip Rector; Sarah Williams
We pray for...
Members:
Judy Bell
Glenn & Lee Ann Bethke
Sandy Blackburn
Don Blanton
Betty Butler
Violet Carlson
Jim Fisher
Lola Gantt
Wayne Giese
Steve Gregory
Judy & Walt Kozma
Cynthia Lange
Judy Lehman
Ron Lutz
Fred Miller
Rhonda Mitchell
Ed Morris
Sandy Nutbrown
Fred Roberson
Becky Stevens
Pat Stokes
Monique St. Louis
Beth Walborn
Betty and Ed Williams
Jane and Will Wolfgang
Friends & Family:
Lori Chriscoe
Denise
David Hiergesell
Janice
Jerry Knoche
Mary Ann Milholland
Howard Miller
Jennifer Priest
Amber Queen
Haydeb Rose
Herb Sands
Brittany Scoles
Cheri Seli
Seli family
Debbie Smith
Katie Spah
Teresa Tripp
Rebecca Webb
Family of Harry ‘Skip’
Williams
Sister Parish:
Pastor Matias and Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church, Brisas del Valle, El Salvador
Nursing & In-Home Members:
Louise Edwards (Hickory Village)
Callie Gregory, (Grace Ridge)
Bud Husband, (Grace Ridge)
Rachel Keisler (home)
Mildred Newton (Trinity Village)
Fred Roberson (home)
Doris Sink (Autumn Care)
Elaine Yount (Grace Ridge)
Our College Students:
Jake Duncan, Lenoir Rhyne Univ.
Will Duncan, UNC Chapel Hill
Gabe Isaac, UNC Wilmington
Ellen Koerner, TU-Dresden, Germany
Scott Kyro, Western Piedmont
Trevor Kyro, East Carolina
Gavin McDonald, Greensboro College
Tina McKinney, Lenoir Rhyne Univ.
James O’Riley, WPCC
Amanda Rector, UNCW
Sarah Williams, DePaul University
Others:
Missionaries
Those seeking employment
Those who are hungry
Those who are grieving
Refugees who have fled their homelands
Calvary News and Opportunities to Serve
Intergenerational Sunday School Event
Please join us on June 7th! For the Church Anniversary Sunday, we will merge all Sunday School
classes together in the New Fellowship Hall for an intergenerational Sunday School
Event. Members of all ages participating will make it more fun. If you don't normally come to
Sunday School, you are most welcome to come to this event. Enjoy a series of Bible games as we
spend time together. Hope to see you there!
Your Christian Education Committee
WELCA March Circle Meetings
Circle I will meet April 7, 2015 at 7pm at the home of Leslie Kern. Gloria Kilpatrick will have the
program.
Circle II will meet Tuesday, April 7th, at 10 a.m. in the Old Fellowship Hall.
Hostess: Jeanette Wilson
Program: Betty Williams
Quilting
Come join the CLC Quilters from 9:30-12:00 on Wednesday the 8th and Saturday the 18th. Quilts
made are distributed by Lutheran World Relief all over the world to those in need, particularly to
those who have experienced disaster or who have had to flee their homelands. Anyone and
everyone can participate.
Long Range Planning for Calvary
Do you have some ideas for Calvary’s future in the next 3-5 years for programming or outreach
ministries or facilities? Would you be willing to serve with a group to do such thinking and planning?
Men, women, people of all ages are invited to take part.
If you are interested, please contact Bob Kilpatrick by April 15.
What?
When?
What?
Progressive Party Reminder!
April 12, 6:00-8:00ish p.m.
Abundant Appetizers and
Delectable Desserts
R.S.V.P. to Judy Bell by April 1 (no joke!):
Phone: 828-584-2041
Email: [email protected]
Call Committee Corner
The Ministry Site Profile has been reviewed and finalized by the Call Committee and Council. It will
now be uploaded to the ELCA site. We anticipate receiving candidate profiles in the next few weeks.
We will continue updates as we move through this process. Please continue to pray for us and for
the pastors we will be interviewing.
DANKI, GRACIAS, MERCI, MUCH OBLIGED…
Fantastic!!! Many thanks to each of you. Your outstanding gifts of talents, time and money have
and are helping to spread God’s love in the Morganton Community, within the Calvary family and in
the Evangelical Lutheran Church here in North Carolina and the church at large.
For example, locally each month, CLC members prepare and serve meals at the Soup Kitchen of
BUCM. Our members bring food for the agency’s “grocery store.” Some of you work helping BUCM
clients at that store find needed groceries for their families. Other Calvary members work at the
Good Samaritan Clinic assisting sick community residents. This time and these talents, which are
freely given, demonstrate God’s continuous, never failing love.
The various activities at the Burke United Christian Ministries (BUCM) are just a very few of the
numerous activities the Calvary family does. These continued gifts to the church and the community
clearly demonstrate your thankfulness for what God has provided you and demonstrate your faith.
THANK YOU, from your Stewardship Committee
Do you like people?
Could you serve as a Care Visitor? Calvary has people who live in care facilities or are homebound.
Our Care Visitors generally visit such folks once a month and can do so with a partner. A brief
training can be provided. Speak with Beverly Watts for more information.
Dear Calvary Family,
We would like to express our appreciation for all the thoughtfulness shown to us while we are
awaiting the arrival of baby Wilson. Many thanks to everyone that helped with all the planning and
preparations for the wonderful baby shower.
Steve, Beverly, Kyle, and Rebekah Wilson
More ways to serve with BUCM
* You could help with the Soup Kitchen, lunch or supper, with cooking, serving, and/or clean up. We
currently have four teams and there is always room for more! Talk with Beverly Watts.
* You could help restock shelves and sort through donations. Liz Elsner and Gloria Kilpatrick would
welcome your help in serving.
Burke County Breastfeeding Coalition
Calling all breastfeeding advocates (yes, this includes all men)!!!! Join us, Burke County
Breastfeeding Coalition team, on the second Thursday of each month, except December, from 11
am-noon in the ‘new’ fellowship hall. The coalition was ‘birthed’ by Rebekah Poplin and led by
Debbie Little. We invite you to attend our monthly meeting to help fulfill our mission “to provide
support for all women to breastfeed through a collaborative effort to empower families within the
Burke Community”.
Holy Humor Sunday—”Risus Paschalis” (The Easter Laugh)
Sunday, April 12 at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.
God laughs! He who sits in the heavens laughs… Psalm 2:4a
God wants us to laugh. He will fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts
of joy. Job 8:21
We also read: for everything there is a season… a time to weep and a time to
laugh. Eccl. 3:1, 4
During the 15th century in southern Germany (Bavaria), a delightful custom sprung
up in many of the churches. At the end of the Easter church service, the priest would
leave the altar and come down among the people and lead the congregation in what
was called the "Risus Paschalis", which roughly translates as "the Easter laughter."
The priest would tell funny stories and sing comical songs, and the congregation
would resound with laughter (Bavarians are the funny and social Germans; unlike
their serious and somber northern counterparts).
Eventually this evolved into a regular annual practice, and the Sunday after Easter
became known as Risus Paschalis Sunday. Priests would include jokes and funny
stories in their sermons, and would often play practical jokes on their parishioners
throughout the week. The congregation would join in the fun as well.
Why do this at Eastertime? Because it was a time to celebrate the big joke God
pulled on the powers of darkness by the resurrection of Jesus. The powers of
darkness thought they had won! But God won the ultimate triumph through the
resurrection of His Son from the grave. Unfortunately, this custom didn’t last; Pope
Clement X outlawed the Risus Paschalis sometime in the seventeenth century.
Maybe he thought people were having too much fun.
In 1988, the Fellowship of Merry Christians began encouraging churches to resurrect
some of these Christian traditions—to celebrate the grace and mercy of God through
the gift of laughter and joy. In 1988 they encouraged congregations to center the
worship service around the theme: “Jesus is the Life of the Party”.
Many churches today have responded enthusiastically and named it Holy Humor
Sunday. Churches decorated their sanctuaries with helium-filled balloons with joyful
Scriptural messages, cardboard butterflies (a symbol of the resurrection), smiley
faces, and posters emblazoned with messages like “Smile! God Loves You!” and
“Christ is Risen! Smile!”
So, on Sunday, April 12, come to worship prepared to laugh at the devil and to laugh
with joy and delight in the resurrection of Jesus! You are also invited to:
· wear something funny—maybe a mask or a hat or whatever (what will Pastor Mary
do?!?)!
· think of a clean, religious joke or story to share (Come even if you don’t have one!).
Come and Celebrate Holy Humor Sunday on Sunday, April 12!
Movie and Discussion—Creating Good for All of Burke County!
Members of Calvary Lutheran Church work diligently toward the common good for this
area in a number of ways – volunteering at the soup kitchen; the back-pack ministry;
breakfast for our neighbors; collections for Options, South Mountain, Crossnore; care
visits; and more.
However, is there anything that can be done toward the root cause of the neediness in our
community? Can we even determine what the root cause is?
On Sunday afternoon, April 19th, please join us and others from our community in watching
a documentary, Inequality for All, followed by a brief sharing of thoughts and
ideas. Inequality for All examines the widening income inequality in the United
States. The film – presented by American economist, author and professor Robert Reich –
explores what effect this increasing gap has not only on the U. S. economy but on
democracy itself. At the heart of the film is a simple question: What is a good society and
what role does the widening income gap play in the deterioration of the nation's economic
health?
This documentary doesn’t have all the answers, but it presents information that helps in
understanding how we came to be in our current economic stage and some of the ways
that this stage is hurting a lot of people. The purpose of this gathering is to share
information and 1) gauge if there is interest in educating ourselves further and 2) if so,
how/where can we work with others to better support "the common good" for Burke
County.
Please join us Sunday afternoon, April 19th in New Fellowship Hall from 2:00-4:00
pm. Popcorn will be served! If you have questions or wish more information, please call
Garry Vogelpohl, Chris Kern, or Dot Williams (or the church office to get their numbers!).
Watch Those ‘Bots!
Calvary Lutheran was well represented at the 2015 Burke County Robotics Competition on
March 26th. Cora Hunt (Drexel Elem.), Rachel Gamewell (Forest Hill Elem.) and Reed
Farrar (Rutherford College Elem.) all participated. We not only had Calvary competitors,
but Robotics coaches too. Jennifer Hunt coaches the Drexel Drexoids and Monique St.
Louis coaches the Valdese Tigers. Way to go!
For the Calendar, look on the Home page for the link for a printable calendar
near the bottom.
April
“Helping Hands” for Worship
HOLY WEEK
Assisting Minister
Acolyte
Crucifer
Lector
Maundy Thurs., April 2
6:30 p.m.
Nina Harding
Catherine Gamewell
Quez Little
Dot Williams
Good Friday, April 3
6:30 p.m.
Reed Farrar
Wayne Giese
Ruth Vogelpohl
Easter Sunday, April 5
Assisting Minister
Acolyte
Crucifer
Lector
Greeter
Children’s Church
Children’s Message
Nursery
Sunday, April 12
Assisting Minister
Acolyte
Crucifer
Lector
Greeter
Children’s Church
Children’s Message
Nursery
11:00 am
Bob Kilpatrick
Reed Farrar
Emmett Brittain
Karel Johnson
Liz Elsner
Treesie Cape
Pastor Mary
Tabitha Yates
8:30 am
Nina Harding
Ed Williams
Nina Harding
Carmen Divers
Rebekah Poplin
Sunday, April 19
8:30 am
Assisting Minister
Acolyte
Crucifer
Lector
Greeter
Children’s Church
Children’s Message
Nina Harding
Larry Berryhill
Nina Harding
Lois Berryhill
Margaret Miller
Nursery
Sunday, April 26
Assisting Minister
Acolyte
Crucifer
Lector
Greeter
Children’s Church
Children’s Message
Nursery
8:30 am
Nina Harding
Howy Copenhaver
Nina Harding
Julie Copenhaver
Don & Rita Blanton
11:00 am
Wayne Giese
Catherine Gamewell
Brandi Pennell
Phillip Rector
Judy Bell
Susan Rector
Beverly Watts
Tammy Isaac
11:00 am
Ken Whitley
Gage Wallace
James O’Riley
Karen Whitley
Teresa Gamewell
Treesie Cape
Jennifer Hunt
Teresa and Rachel
Gamewell
11:00 am
Emmett Brittain
Clara Hawn
Quez Little
Hannah Hawn
Martha & Tom Mills
Beverly Wilson
Pastor Mary
Teresa Giese
8:30am
Ushers for April
Altar Guild for April
Care Visitors for April
Fred and Margaret Miller
11:00 am
Lloyd Wallace*, Nathan Wilson,
David von Oesen, Shawn Keller
Angie Voltmer, Judie Huffman, Beverly Wilson, Krista Stillwell
Glen Giese and Rebekah Poplin
CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH, ELCA
119 North King Street
Morganton, NC 28655
Phone: 828-437-0780
Fax: 828-437-1276
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.clcmorganton.org
DIRECTORY
Church Staff
Rev. Mary Miller-Zurell……...….……….Interim Pastor
Becky Stevens…….….……....Organist/Music Director
We are seeking…...….…an Administrative Assistant
Tom and Kathy Hunt…………………………...Custodians
Congregation Officers
Bob Kilpatrick.....……....…………………....……...President
Martha Mills…...…......……………....…..…Vice President
Leslie Giese……..…….……………………….....…...Secretary
Judie Huffman...…………...….....…..Financial Secretary
Sherri Morris………………..…..Asst. Financial Secretary
Garry Harding...…….....................………...…..Treasurer
MISSION STATEMENT
Embraced in God’s love through Jesus Christ, Calvary Lutheran Church is
called to proclaim the Good News of God’s saving grace, to nurture
spiritual growth, and to care for all God’s creation.
Copyright © *|2015|* *|Calvary Lutheran Church|*, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
[email protected]
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