Christ the King Lutheran Church 499 Plaza Drive Vestal, NY 13850 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED The Herald APRIL 2015 The sacred events of Holy week are upon us. We begin our annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem to witness the acts of God, which make our faith today possible. We move from waving palms and hosannas, to secret meetings in Upper Rooms, to trials and beatings, an execution and burial, and, finally, to an empty tomb. These holy events flow together as one integral whole. Easter makes no sense without Good Friday. Maundy Thursday is just an ordinary meal except for Christ’s sacrifice offered the following day, and so on. Therefore, I implore you to participate in all of the events of Holy Week. To skip from Palm Sunday to Easter is to leave out the “guts” of the story… Today, I’m simply encouraging you to experience the entire journey with Jesus… Spend the week with him and us… Have a blessed and meaningful Holy Week. ~ Pastor Norma HOLY WEEK WORSHIP Palm Sunday Palm Sunday begins the sacred drama of Holy Week. Once again this year there will be one worship service at 10:00 AM. Worship will begin on the sidewalk/Parking Lot (weather permitting) with a palm procession. During worship, we’ll hear the moments leading up to and including the plot to kill Jesus. Christ The King Lutheran Church 499 Plaza Drive Vestal NY 13850 Phone: 607-729-2688 Christ the King is Full of... Hearts Loved By God Hands to Serve All Through Jesus Christ We are a Reconciling in Christ congregation. We are called by Christ to care for, love, understand, and listen to each other, regardless of race, age, gender and gender identities, marital status, physical and mental abilities, sexual orientations, national origin, or economic status. Staff Pastor – Rev. Norma Malfatti [email protected] Church Administrator — Marsha Pulz [email protected] Music Director – Jim Ford [email protected] Nursery Staff- Jane Davis Sexton- Gary Robertson Congregational Council President: Rachel Schwartz Vice-President: Kevin Allen Secretary: Jody Fiorentino Treasurer: Eric Donaldson Todd Eames Karen Erdman Kathy Leonard Megan O’Hearn Carol Strano Financial Secretary: Phil Roberts Worship Schedule Sunday: 9:00 AM Classic Worship 10:10 AM Education Hour 11:15 AM Progressive Worship Find us on the interwebs: www.ctkvestal.org www.facebook.com/ctkvestal @ctkvestal Following worship there will be a congregational luncheon. The main dish will be baked ziti/lasagna and we ask that you bring a dish (side or dessert) to pass. There is a sign-up sheet in the Entrance Way to let us know how many are joining you and what you plan to bring. The Luncheon will also feature the assembly of the Lutheran World Relief Personal Care Kits and an Easter Egg hunt at 12:00 Noon! Bring the youngest members of your family and friends to join in the fun. Maundy Thursday Worship is at 12:00 noon and 7:00 PM. The evening service features the rite of foot washing for anyone present (see more information inside the newsletter). Worship concludes with the stripping of the altar. Good Friday Good Friday’s brief noon service, “Litany of the Cross”, moves around the Sanctuary as though we were walking with Christ through the Stations of the Cross. The 7:00 PM service involves Tenebrae (“shadows”) with the ministry of Jesus being retold and Christ’s words from the cross and sense the darkness of death. The evening ends with silence and time for personal prayer and meditation. The sanctuary will be available for meditation throughout the day. Holy Saturday The Easter Vigil begins at 6:30 PM on the sidewalk (weather permitting) in front of Christ the King with the lighting of the new fire and follows the Paschal Candle to the darkened Sanctuary for worship with Scripture readings, Affirmation of Baptism and Holy Communion. Easter Day Easter services at 9:00 and 11:15 AM celebrate Christ’s victory over death. Easter lilies, Holy Communion, and the return of the Alleluias make this day unlike any other each year. APRIL 2015 HERALD PAGE 2 APRIL 2015 HERALD Why Wash Feet on Maundy Thursday? The story of the Last Supper in John's Gospel records a remarkable event that is not mentioned in the other Gospels -- to illustrate humility, Jesus performs the duty of a slave, washing the feet of his disciples and urging them to do the same for one another. Some Lutheran congregations incorporate this holy and intimate practice into their Maundy Thursday services and this year so will Christ the King. You may be asking why? Well, we have spent this Lent focused on walking simply with Christ and heard each week in Jesus’ parables that we are called to love and serve all people. The washing of feet both draws us into Jesus’ Passion in a tangible way and provides us the opportunity to humble ourselves before one another. Part way through the service worshippers will be invited to come forward to have their feet washed. While there will be foot washers at each station, families are encouraged to wash one another’s feet as an act of love and service for and with each other. If you’re wondering, “do I have to have my feet washed?” The answer is no. As with all interactive worship experiences, you may participate at your comfort level. There will be music and psalms offered for prayer and meditation for all to use during this part of worship. God’s peace be with you this holy week. First Communion Training Any young person wishing to take communion for the first time is invited to attend the First Communion Training Workshop in April. There will be two classes: Saturday, April 11th 10 AM—1 PM for Elementary aged children and Sunday, April 12th 3—5:30 PM for Middle School youth. These classes are for students and parents and will prepare young people for First Communion which will be celebrated on Sunday, May 3rd. The workshop will include a video and hands on activities. Families need to RSVP to Pr. Norma by Wednesday, April 8th so that we can prepare enough materials. Coming this Easter Season: GO! A Sermon Series During the Council’s retreat in February, they dedicated significant time discussing who we are as a community of faith and how we can best help people use their gifts and passions to be disciples in the world. This has led to two sermon series and other learning opportunities. During the Easter season, Sunday worship will be focused on how we may be called to “Go” out into the world and ways to be Jesus’ hands and feet. Then during the weeks immediately following Pentecost, we’ll focus on Spiritual Gifts, including a Sunday morning learning series on spiritual gifts. Look for more information in the coming weeks and don’t miss out on the chance to hear how you may be called to GO! Into the world. Pastor’s Calendar Pastor Norma is going on vacation! She will be gone April 13—21. Please keep her in prayer for safe travels and refreshment during this time. Synod Assembly: God’s Story, Our Voices “...you are to be a key witness to everyone you meet of what you have seen and heard.” ~Acts 22:15 God’s Story, Our Voices is the theme for the 2015 Synod Assembly which will be held May 29-30, 2015 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center in Rochester, NY. Accommodations will be at the Hyatt Regency Rochester. Come and explore the many ways we tell God’s stories and learn some new ideas for using our voices to reach out into the world with the good news of Jesus. Attendees will hear from our ELCA Church-wide representative, the Rev. Brenda Smith, Program Director, Faith Practice/Missional Leadership and the Rev. David Lose, President, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. On Thursday, May 28th, there will several pre-assembly programs including a forum on the Practice Discipleship Initiative focused on developing faithful disciples and creating 20,000 meals which will help feed hungry people in the Rochester area. PAGE 7 Company is Coming – Time to Clean House! Easter Egg Hunt Join us for Christ the King’s Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday, March 29th at 12:00 Noon (as part of the Congregational Luncheon). Open to all kids - toddlers through age 10. Hear the Easter story and find your special Easter egg. If you have a young person you’d like to have participate, sign up in the Entrance Way. If you would like to donate items to fill the eggs, call the office to let us know what you’ll be bringing! The semi-annual church cleanup day is scheduled for Saturday, March 29. Here’s the plan... Stop by the church any time starting at 9:30 AM on the 29th. There will be a list of projects and a crew captain ready to help you figure out which task is right for you. The list will include simple things like dusting, washing windows, applying oil to the altar and pews, and yard cleanup. If you can’t be here on the 29th but still want to help, check out our “honey-do” list and pick a project (and a time) that works for you—any time between March 29—April 4. If you cannot (or should not) do some of the tasks but still want to help, you can! We need a few “crew captains” to help monitor the list throughout the day on the 29th. Together we can get the job done and be ready for company! Picture Directory Many in our church family were unable to have their portrait taken during the first round of photos. We would like to see as many of you as possible in our church directory so we’re having another day of picture taking. If you already had your portrait taken in December, you don’t have to come again. LifeTouch will be here on Monday, April 20th from 2-9PM. The directory photos are FREE and you will receive a free 8x10. There will be an option to purchase additional copies. A sign-up sheet for an appointment time is available at the Welcome Center or you can sign up for an appointment online (https://www.securedata-trans14.com/ap/ christhekinglutheranchurch3/index.php?page=10). Please contact Marsha ([email protected]) if you have any questions. Soup Kitchen On Saturday, April 18th, we will be serving our neighbors at the Soup Kitchen. Soup, bread, tossed salad, and cookies are on the menu for the meal. If you would have a favorite soup or cookie that you would like to provide or you would like to help by serving, sign up at the Welcome Center or contact Todd Eames ([email protected] or text at 761-3744). If you would like to help with preparation, serving, and/or cleanup, the Soup Kitchen is held at First United Methodist Church (corner of McKinley and Monroe) in Endicott. Preparation starts at 10:30 AM and the meal is served at noon. Think Spring - Rummage Sale in May Save those unwanted items! If you know anyone that is cleaning out, moving or having a garage sale, ask for donations. No computers, outdated electronics, or heavy items. No clothing until spring. Call Debbie Doyle for pickups at 607-724-1072. Plastic and paper bags are also needed. Proceeds from the sale will be used for building improvements. APRIL 2015 HERALD PAGE 7 Monday Night Bible Study Group “God himself he said, ‘I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down!’” (Hebrews 13:5, AMP) Trusting His promises and experiencing His blessings are what this small group is all about. We are currently in the middle of the "Loved by God" series. Author Liz Curtis Higgs shares her story of Jacob, Esau, Rachel and Leah and examines their lives in study of Genesis( 27-29). She teaches with humor, love, and joy; and sometimes even in sadness that reaches down inside our hearts and pulls us out to reach to God. Speaking of God, on March 30th we will be in session four - Blinded by Love—Man Looks at the Outward Appearance, God Looks at the Heart (Genesis 29:21-20). Curious to hear what Liz has to say? Please join us at 6:30 PM in the Fireside Room. Following that, there will be two more sessions on April 6 and April 20. To end the year, the our Bible study group will be doing "One Thousands Gifts: A Dare to Live Life Fully Right Where You Are” by Ann Voskamp. This is a five-session, video-based study. Ann encourages participants to take on the life-changing discipline of journaling God's Gifts—to really look at life and find the good in it. Join us May 4th to see what Ann has to share. More details about the study will be given out at a later date. All are welcome to attend. We are a fun group of people who share God's Love with one another and to learn about the Bible along the way. I love this group very much. It has deepened my faith and I hope it will for you too. Please come see me to inquire about the Monday Night Group. I can be found lingering around in God's House during second service at CTK or you can send me an email anytime. [email protected] God's Blessings, Megan O'Hearn (Group Facilitator) Christian Caregiving Course is Coming! Have you ever wondered, “What difference can my faith make in my everyday life and relationships?” The book Christian Caregiving—a Way of Life provides one answer. It describes what is distinctive about Christian caregiving and how this approach to caregiving can become a way of life for you. Angie Crawford, Shirley Lyttle and Pr. Norma will be leading a learning series on Sunday mornings between services April 12 – May 24 based on this book by Kenneth Haugk. At the close of the series, participants will be equipped with tools (listening skills, how to pray with others, and how to share their faith more comfortably with those they love and care for) to improve the quality of the care they give to the people around them—family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, customers, and clients. All are encouraged and welcome to take part in the conversation. While purchasing the book is not necessary for the course, if you would like to inexpensive used copies (as little as $4 including shipping) are available from Amazon. If you’re not an Amazon user but still want the book, let Pr. Norma know and she’ll order a copy for you. For more information and questions, you can ask any of the course leaders. New Member News Interested in learning more about Christ the King? Think you’d like for Christ the King to be your faith home? Then come for a light brunch with Pr. Norma on Sunday, April 12 at 12:30 PM (following the Progressive Worship Service). Conversation will be centered around the ministry and work of Christ the King, your passions for God’s work and how Christ the King can help you use your passions in our community of faith. New Members will be welcomed during worship on Sunday, May 3 at both services. APRIL 2015 HERALD PAGE 3 Council Corner The Congregational Council held its regular meeting on Thursday, March 12. The major work of the evening included discussion of the capital campaign. The consultant assigned to work with Christ the King from Steward Key Leaders is the Rev. John Sabatelli. Pastor Sabatelli spent over 30 years serving Christ Lutheran Church in Baltimore, MD before joining the SKL team. Pr. Sabatelli will be at Christ the King the weekend of April 26 to train the capital campaign team and other leaders in the congregation and help us prepare for the work ahead. He will also preach at both services that weekend. There have been a few changes to the project list: instead of replacing the carpets we believe that they can be cleaned sufficiently that they will look brand new and, of course, the gutter and soffit repair. The Council is in the final stages of approving a sexual abuse prevention policy. Andy Fiorentino, Corina Allen and Diana Drew worked together to create the policy and their draft was reviewed this month. The policy was sent back to them with a few questions and revisions. We will have the final draft available for your review and comments in the coming days. One item of note that the property team has already begun work on is putting windows on each of the interior doors. This provides an extra layer of protection for children and vulnerable adults, as well as the people who care for them. The youth have several fundraisers planned for their trip to the ELCA Youth Gathering in Detroit. This year the Easter Lily sale benefited their trip. Anything given beyond the cost of the lilies went directly to the youth. They also will be selling Chocolates by Leopold starting the end of March and the 2nd Annual Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction will be held on Saturday, May 9. Thank you to Thrivent for the constant support and the matching funds they are providing during these fundraisers. Finally, NYSEG continues to work on the light replacements. They have replaced most of the light in the Entrance Way, sanctuary and the offices. They were back at Christ the King on Tuesday, March 10 to follow up and conduct another assessment to include the 8 foot fluorescent lights in the Café. Southern Tier Conference News The Annual Southern Tier Conference Spring Assembly will be held on Sunday, April 26 at 3:00 PM at Bethany Lutheran Church, Elmira. At this gathering we will: 1. Nominate 2016 Churchwide Assembly Voting Members. The Upstate NY Synod is eligible to send 15 voting members to the Churchwide Assembly August 8-13, 2016 in New Orleans, LA. All conferences are being encouraged to nominate one male and one female lay person, one male and one female pastor, one youth (under 18), one young adult (18-30) and one person of color or whose primary language is other than English. If you are interested in being nominated (or want to see someone be nominated) please speak with Pr. Norma. 2. Elect officers and members of a NEW Conference Council Pastor Norma and Pastor Krista Mendoza (Bethany, Elmira) have proposed the creation of a Conference Council in the Southern Tier for the following reasons: effective communication in the conference; support the Office of the Dean as the conference lives in a time with many congregations in transition; support the office of the Dean as expectations from Synod increase; desire for meaningful partnership across the conference for mission and outreach efforts; desire for meaningful and purposeful ministerium gatherings The council is to be made up of the Conference Dean, Secretary (lay or clergy), Treasurer (lay or clergy), two at-large clergy delegates and two at-large lay delegates. The Conference Dean will chair the council. The Secretary and Treasurer will serve as ex officio (voice, but no vote) members of the council. The Conference Dean shall be elected and serve terms as set forth in the Upstate NY Synod Constitution of the ELCA. The Treasurer shall serve a four year term with the option to serve no more than two consecutive terms. The Secretary and at-large delegates shall serve a one year-term with the option to serve no more than 4 consecutive terms. The at-large lay and pastoral delegates shall not be from the same congregation. Elections will be held at the Spring Conference Assembly. The Conference Council will meet three to five times a year and fulfill the following role: plan Fall and Spring conference assemblies; plan conference deacon training; coordinate conference-wide mission opportunities as desired; support the Dean with congregational transitions; support monthly clergy conference ministeriums; communicate information to and from the Synod to each congregation; communicate information to and from Conference to each congregation; communicate information to and from the Central Mission Renewal Table and Synod Stewardship Table 3. Hear updates from Synod Council and the Conference of Deans. There will be a carpool organized so please let Marsha know if you intend on going and want to participate in the car pool. APRIL 2015 HERALD PAGE 4 From Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton Subtle Shifts to Works Righteousness We are in the middle of Lent-the season of spiritual warfare, or at least really good intentions. Many of us now engage in some form of Lenten discipline. We give up something: chocolate or coffee or FreeCell. Or we add something: Scripture reading, midweek worship or service projects. This seems normal and familiar to us just as the imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday or crossing ourselves has become normal and familiar in many of our congregations. I remember a time when none of these practices would be considered Lutheran by large segments of our church. Too works righteous, too showy, too ... Roman Catholic! We didn't need to, nor could we make ourselves holy or righteous. That was the whole point of justification by grace through faith apart from works of the law (Romans 3:21-28, Article IV of the Augsburg Confession). We overcorrected. Fasting, prayer, Scripture study, acts of service, imposition of ashes and making the sign of the cross are classical spiritual disciplines that not only have an ancient history in Christian practice but also serve to engage our whole selves in devotion to God. These practices serve to draw us closer to and make us more aware of the love of God shown through Jesus' death and resurrection that justifies sinners, but they aren't what justifies us. As scrupulous as we have been in proclaiming grace and eschewing works in our faith practices, I've noticed the not so subtle shift to works righteousness in the work we do as the church. This exists in all three expressions-congregations, synods and churchwide-and all across the cultural spectrum. Jesus' invitation to repentance and discipleship have become a kind of transaction between us and God where we figure out what we have done wrong, promise to work really hard to be better people, and then God forgives us. What we see as the moral wrongs that must be repented depends largely on our place on the cultural spectrum. The cultural right is preoccupied with private mores and behavior and the cultural left is preoccupied with political rights and the activities of government and business institutions. Here's how that plays out. While driving through the Smoky Mountains on a family road trip, I saw a billboard that declared: "No smoking, drinking, card playing, dancing, movie going, swearing ... there is no sin within 7 miles of our church!" Wow. There must not have been any people within 7 miles of that church. That is the works righteousness of the right. The works righteousness of the left plays out a little differently. If there are enough sit-ins or protests, or boycotts or enough petitions, we could inaugurate the kingdom of God. Then we could extricate ourselves from this bondage to sin. We could build a perfect world. APRIL 2015 HERALD PAGE 5 Financial Update Thank you for your generosity! Despite the cold, cold February, together we have fed hungry people, taught the youngest among us about Jesus’ Passion and passion, and still gathered every Sunday for worship! Below you will find the monthly and year to date giving as of February. We know that it is hard to recognize the many blessings God has provided us, when winter's unrelenting chill slaps us across the face every time we go outside. It is really hard to hear the voices of those in need when the wind howls around us. When driving snow closes our eyes, it is easy to be blind to God's mission for us. This winter's cold also left our congregation’s finances with some ups and downs. The snow caused our snowplowing costs to go up. The ice jammed our roof gutters and soffits and brought them down. The frozen ground heaved up our front walk jamming the front door. The weather also kept some folks home causing our generous giving to be less than expected. As we “spring” out of this “winter” we invite you to pray about your passions for God’s work and hope Christ the King is one of the places you choose to share your treasures, as well as your time and gifts for ministry. As always, if you have any questions do not hesitate to speak with Eric Donaldson, Treasurer, or any member of the Finance Team (MaryLu Bowen, Todd Eames and John Hiza). Budgeted Actual Difference February Collections $15,637.00 $12,756.50 $2,880.50 below budget February Expenses $16,193.15 $14,650.83 $1,542.32 below budget February shortfall $1,894.33 Year to Date Collections $36,321.95 $32,884.43 $3,437.52 below budget Year to Date Expenses $37,738.30 $39,403.45 $1,620.15 over budget Year to Date Deficit $6,519.02 Budgeted Deficit $1,461.35 There is a purveyor of high-end, organic, locally sourced groceries that is the temple of this persuasion. You can buy veal there without guilt because its source of veal is the little calf that, after gamboling across the fields, turns itself in to the butcher and declares (quoting Charles Dickens): "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done." No. Something has to die so we can live. We are complicit in the world's brokenness. We may work for justice or righteousness with the best intentions, and God knows there is plenty of work to do. But Jesus didn't die to change behaviors or political systems or institutions. Jesus died to end the fundamental brokenness and estrangement from God that is the result of human sin, our rebellion against God that infects every aspect of our lives. Just as Jesus' miracles in the Gospel of John are called signs that point to the new thing God is doing in Christ, so should our work for justice be signs that point to the new life we have in Christ. We're pointing in the wrong direction if our work becomes the new life instead of a sign of the new life. Lent can be a time to ponder this priceless gift. The death and resurrection of Christ has changed everything, a change no human effort could ever bring about. A monthly message from the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. This column originally appeared in the March 2015 issue of The Lutheran. A Thank You Dear Christ the King Lutheran Church, Thank you for your recent gift of $2500.00 to support the mission and ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) through ELCA Good Gifts. With your help, the ELCA is sharing the gospel, starting new congregations, preparing leaders, working to overcome malaria, fighting hunger and so much more. Your gifts are truly transforming lives. Together, we do more than we ever could alone. With our hands, we do God’s work of restoring and reconciling communities in Jesus Christ’s name throughout the world. Thank you for your partnership. And thanks, again, for your generous support. It is deeply appreciated. In Christ, Christine Jackson-Skelton Executive Director, Mission Advancement
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