We give thanks for the presence of Anja Stuckenberger in our community these past two months, and wish her much joy as she is ordained at synod assembly on June 10, and as she begins her call at Zion Spies Lutheran Church in Reading, Pennsylvania.  Who would have known what a blessing Anja would be for us when we first agreed to welcome her to Redeemer? Well.... it just goes to show you that angels come in unexpected and wonderful ways. Now we have to begin planning a congregational trip to Zion Spies Lutheran Church to pay Anja a visit! More to come... Read about historic Zion (Spies) Lutheran Church. 

Not only is "Downeast" "up" in Maine, also time seems to run into the opposite direction. How else would it be possible that my time here with you seems to have ended almost before it even began? I think that you need to do something about it. Or perhaps not. For when one, in faith, enters this magic world between the ocean and the woods, then even if space and time as the world knows it does not exist, there are blessings to be found, and especially so at Redeemer's place, up on a hill, with the gushing stream of a speedway flowing nearby and the serenity of a community garden around the corner inviting to breathe deeply.

And there, at Redeemer, I found wonderful people, people who know the ways of the world and how to walk them in the opposite direction facing all who are hurried, in pain, in need, or lonely, meeting them with a warm smile, creative minds, and giving hands. There is much merrymaking, too, even (or especially?) when people are working, thinking, debating.    

'I found wonderful people, people who know the ways of the world and how to walk them in the opposite direction facing all who are hurried, in pain, in need, or lonely...'

And should you expect coffee hour to be about coffee, you are right in a way, but remember Downeast" is "up" over here, and so you'll find a table loaded with wonderful tidbits, cakes, stollen, cheese, fruit, soups - all to keep the coffee company. And people lifting up and accompanying coffee and tidbits and each other and guests and everyone.  

And I also found that not only coffee, tidbits, people, the world and ministry join in a merry round, but also stories and music and worship and prayers do likewise in this most wonderful place. You may hear of peepers, "love" written onto a dusty table, and God, sing about a lamb, pray for the forests and those who are in harm's way, and find people's open hearts glistening in eyes filled with joy or tears or both, reflected in the deep red and golden sparkle of wine and grape juice and the here-and-now brawniness of bread and the shimmering river of music and the reflections of the starry skies in baptismal water.

And so I am leaving this wonderful place with a heart far more deeply prepared for ministry than I would have ever expected, with gifts, too many to name, among them a dishcloth, a cross, a stollen, articles and books, a scrapbook now filled (and with still some empty spaces for) with pictures of the Native people of this land ... and they will whisper to me of Bangor and it will bring all of you right down to Pennsylvania - which, however, won't be a substitute at all for a visit.

Thank you!

At its last meeting, the church council considered how the vibrancy of our ministries here at Redeemer makes them worthy of something different than the standard form in which they are summarized  in our Annual Reports each year.  Since our weekly worship bulletin recognizes all the baptized as ministers of Redeemer, we thought that we would invite the ministers to contribute to this year's Annual Report!  

We are looking for brief "reports," your recollections of a moment when you were involved in extending the blessing of ministry, received the gift of someone's ministry, or observed the Spirit at work in our shared ministries. We'd like to report the experience, the memory, the impression, the impact, the moment.  Your reports can be sent to Pam Shellberg at church or at pamela.shellberg@att.net  -- but get this!-- if you are not so inclined to do the writing or typing, she will be prepared, steno-pad and pencil in hand, to take your dictation any time in the next few Sundays.

What experience of our ministry at Redeemer has left its imprint so deeply, what moment would you most want to share to say something about the mercy and grace of our life together in the last year?

 My dear Redeemer family,

Many of you know that within the past few weeks I brought to a close the long process of completing my dissertation -- the last thing necessary to complete my studies at Marquette University. It is a great joy to arrive in this moment -- and I am filled to overflowing with gratitude for the support and encouragement I've received from you and also for your gladness with me in the finishing! The dissertation includes a page of acknowledgments, a part of which I am including here. I hope each of your hearts will hear that you are named and numbered within.

In gratitude for your friendship,

Pam Shellberg

In this very moment I feel a little bit like Abram, standing outside the tent of my dissertation and hearing God whisper in my ear, "Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them," (Gen 15:5). A universe of space and time has expanded around this project so that I stand with it now under a vast sky of stars, constellations of friends and family who span the horizon from California to Maine and whose love and support have kept the measure of many of my seasons. The psalmist writes that God has numbered the stars and given to all of them their names (Psalm 147:4). This is a beautiful thought to me, and I rest in it as I give thanks for all those who are numbered in my starry skies of Dubuque and Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison, Portland and Bangor -- your names are known, imprinted on this page and on my heart.

Hope Phones first pilot project distributed cell phones to community health workers in 100 rural villages in Malawi, a country in Southeast Africa, saving thousands of dollars in travel and hospital costs and doubling the number of patients treated.  

Each donated phone will be refurbished and used to purchase appropriate usable cell phones for community health workers in medical clinics in more than 30 countries around the world. Please consider donating your old, unused cell phone by placing it in the tabletop collection box in the Fellowship Hall.  Learn more about Hope Phones.

We will have a giant church picnic and cook-out at 11:45 a.m. on Sunday, July 15, right in the Redeemer side yard.

We will be inviting our Sunshine guests and our Wednesday evening soup guests as well, so we will need all the help we can get organizing and setting up for this event. More to come! But mark your calendars now, as summer schedules fill up so quickly.

Dale Ruopp, President  

Don Curtis, Vice President  

Jane Deane, Recording Secretary  

Harry Madson, Treasurer  

Rudy Walter, Financial Secretary  

Wally Jakubas

Roger Pelletier

Tricia Peterson

Pam Shellberg

Lisa Wahlstrom 

Offering  

Regular Offering    $13,594.80

Year to date            $40,010.20

Building Fund       $   964.00

 Year to date            $2,872.00

 Food Pantry  

22 Bags of food

5 Hannaford Certificates

For those of you who may think that annual meetings are hum-drum and boring, come to Redeemer's annual meeting at 9:15 a.m. on Sunday, June 3, and have your minds changed. Don't miss it....

Anyone who would like to help make baby quilts to be donated for babies at risk is welcome to join the group of Redeemer quilters. Quilters  meet from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month in the Fellowship Hall. You are invited to bring a sack lunch with you.  Quilts made this year will be displayed in the sanctuary on "Quilt Sunday," May 13. 

The Fiber Arts group, which is open to anyone who would like to work on a fiber arts project -- such as spinning, knitting, or crocheting -- while enjoying fellowship, meets at 9:30 a.m. each Tuesday. On the first Tuesday of the month, the Fiber Arts group meets at the same time as the Quilters, and members may choose to quilt or work on other projects.

Questions may be directed to Gloria Buntrock at 866-7930.  

Redeemer Lutheran Women will host the annual Spring Gathering of the Women of the ELCA, Maine Conference. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on May 5. The theme is "Responding Boldly."

There will be a choice of workshops, including Psalm writing, Bible study, including card-making, and a "Faith in Action" community activity.  

In-kind gifts will go to Spruce Run. Following is a list of items that can be used by Spruce Run, a shelter that serves those affected by domestic abuse.  

If you have questions, please see Nancy Stone, Pat Kelly, or Tricia Peterson..

• New towels
• New sheets (single and double sizes)
• New pillows
• Diapers, all sizes
• Pull-Ups
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Feminine hygiene products
• Laundry detergent
• Dryer sheets
• Dish detergent
• Trash bags
• Toilet Paper
• Paper Towels
• All -ccasion wrapping paper
• Furniture & Small Appliances (Please call ahead to check about current need)
• Gift cards (gas cards, grocery stores, Wal-Mart, Target)
• Phone cards
• Bangor Area Transportation (BAT) tickets
• Health and wellness items
• Benadryl
• Cough drops
• Tissues
• Ibuprofen  (regular and infant drops)
• Tylenol
• First Aid
• Band aids
• Triple antibiotic ointment

Happy birthday and congratulations to all of those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries in the month of May.    

Birthdays

2   Alan Smith

3   Elaine Smith, Joan Hudson,                    Erika Hipsky  

4   Hella Spencer

5   James Shimota

6   Tiffany Gilley, Levi Cox

7   Ellen Newton

11  Pat Taber

14  Jen McKay

20  Gary Mock

22  Robert Smith

25  Sharon Nilles

26   Earl Kunstman

29  Jan Kopang

Anniversaries

 10   Virgil & Patti Barker

22   Cleveland & Alison Bemis

28   Fred & Anita Schult

30   Brian & Susan Smith

       Kenn & Heather Kelly