Southeastern Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
God's work. Our hands. E-News Weekly |
Issue: #268
| April 27, 2011 | |
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No Death That God Cannot Overcome | | |
 by the Rev. H. Julian Gordy
Bishop, ELCA Southeastern Synod
The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History announced recently that it will begin restoring Thomas Jefferson's edited version of the New Testament. The book was hand-made by the great Founder just after his term as president. It is a chronological life of Jesus, carefully cut and pasted from English, Latin, French and Greek bibles. It includes those things Jefferson valued - Jesus' teachings - and excludes those he doubted - Jesus' miracles. Jefferson included the crucifixion and burial of Jesus but not the resurrection; Good Friday, but not Easter.
 That omission was likely because, current attempts by some to make the nation's founders evangelical Christians notwithstanding, Jefferson was an empiricist.
Read more on the synod blog. |
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| ELCA Disaster Response Responding to Spring Storms | |
Dear friends in Christ,
Severe storms have caused major damage in many parts of the United States this spring. In areas of Minnesota and North Dakota, overland flooding of farm fields and rural roads has exceeded past records. Elsewhere, particularly across the South, tornadoes and heavy rain have devastated a number of communities.
 But in this Easter season, we are reminded of hope and new life. It is with this hope that the ELCA leans forward in response to disaster affected places, helping our sisters and brothers in need. ELCA Disaster Response is supporting communities overwhelmed by rising waters and leveled by destructive winds. Our church is reaching out to the survivors of these devastating storms and assessing the needs - working together for as long as it takes.
Your help is needed today to bring immediate relief and ongoing support to communities affected by these disasters. Gifts designated to "U.S. Floods" or "U.S. Tornadoes" will be used in full - 100 percent - to help disaster survivors clean-up, rebuild and recover. Donations given to the undesignated fund help to respond immediately and effectively where it is needed most. Because of your generous offerings of prayer and financial support, the ELCA walks alongside disaster survivors on their long road to recovery. Thank you!
Mike Nevergall
Associate Program Director
ELCA Disaster Response
michael.nevergall@elca.org
For more information about this response and the work of ELCA Disaster Response, visit www.elca.org/disaster. |
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Two Important Deadlines | | |
Friday (April 29): Last day for reservations at Marriott Renaissance Waverly Hotel for Synod Assembly
 Please remember that assembly registration does not include hotel reservations. The cut-off date for the hotel is Friday April 29, 2011. After the cut-off, the discounted group rate will no longer be available. A block of rooms for the Southeastern Synod is available at the special assembly rate of $112 per night, plus tax.
To get the special assembly rate at the Waverly CLICK HERE or call the Waverly at 770-953-4500 and mention that you are attending the ELCA-Southeastern Synod Assembly.
The hotel has another group booked for the weekend of the assembly, so make your reservations as soon as possible.
To find out more about the assembly, visit www.elca-ses.org/Assembly.html. If you have any questions, please email us or call 404-589-1977.
Saturday (April 30): Last day to help our synod get the 2% discount by participating in the Board of Pensions Health Assessment.
The deadline to take the Board of Pensions health assessment is April 30, 2011. As of the end of March, the Southeastern Synod was less than half-way to reaching the BOP goal of 65% participation. Not only will you earn a $150 personal wellness account credit, your employer can earn a 2% discount on health contributions for all of 2011. If only 65% of ELCA-primary plan members and eligible spouses in the synod take the assesment, the Southeastern Synod could be eligible for a "wellness reward" of 1% of the estimated 2011 health contributions paid by eligible employers in the synod.
Take the assessment today! |
| Book of Faith Brief | |
This Sunday's gospel (John 20:19-31, 2 Easter A) is full of implications for our involvement in the Book of Faith Initiative.
Most obvious is the role of Scripture in awakening faith. "These things are written," the text tells us, "so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name." What better reason is there for encouraging church members to increase their knowledge and understanding of the Bible? The apostles speak to us through the "book of faith" so that we can believe in Christ; but their witness is fruitless unless we read and receive it.
Second is the issue of trust and discernment. Thomas was skeptical of the other apostles' testimony. In our age when the bookshelves, airwaves, and internet are filled with religious claims of dubious merit, Christians do well to exhibit some of that skepticism. We need to learn from trustworthy sources how to understand and evaluate various interpretations of Scripture, and the Book of Faith Initiative offers guidance from some of the church's best teachers.
Another lesson in this gospel is that our witness is best given and received in community. Jesus appeared to the ten while they were gathered, and Thomas missed the meeting. Later, when he was with the group, Christ appeared again and overcame his doubts. Anyone can read the Bible in private, but to experience the fullest impact of its witness we need to read and study in community. The Book of Faith Initiative encourages group Bible study, as well as interaction through synods and churchwide on the Book of Faith social networking site. |
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Thank you for helping us to reach our goal of 100 likes on Facebook! | | |
In response to a challenge earlier this month, the Southeastern Synod Facebook page reached 100 "likes" on April 25! We are excited about this page and its potential for outreach. You can share thoughts on our wall and will automatically get information from the Southeastern Synod in your Facebook Newsfeed.
Haven't "liked" us yet? It's easy! Simply enter "Southeastern Synod ELCA" in the search bar at the top of the page. Once our page pops up, press "like" and you're done!
Already a fan? Suggest that other friends who you think may be interested to "like" us by "sharing" our page with them.
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New ELCA Student Organization at Vanderbilt University | | |
 On Monday, April 18, a new ELCA student organization was approved by the Director of the Office of Religious Life at Vanderbilt University.
Pastor Gretchen Person, who is the Assistant Director of Religious Life at Vanderbilt says, "We hope that this can be the beginning of some wonderful new ministry here at VU."
It would be very helpful to Pastor Person if Southeastern Synod congregations who have students at VU would email names of those students to her; the new ELCA student organization would love to be in touch with them! |
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From the Southeastern Synod Health Ministry Task Force | | |
National High Blood Pressure Education Month
Did you know that May is National High Blood Pressure Education Month? This year's theme highlights the threat of uncontrolled high blood pressure (hypertension). The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) urges Americans: "If your blood pressure is not lower than 140/90, ask your doctor why."
 According to the NHLBI, high blood pressure affects about one in four American adults. High blood pressure is often associated with an unhealthy life-style including excessive alcohol use, smoking and lack of exercise. Other risk factors include obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes, age (over 40 years), and being male. If your family has a history of high blood pressure, you may not escape it even though you do not have life-style or other risk factors. High blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart failure, or kidney damage.
The good news for individuals with high blood pressure is that there are a variety of medications available to control it. Lifestyle changes (i.e., losing weight, becoming physically active, improving diet with less salt and cholesterol), can sometimes significantly lower blood pressure resulting in better blood pressure control and a reduction in the amount of medication needed.
So...take time during the month of May to have your blood pressure checked. For resources and more information on how to control or prevent high blood pressure go to the NHLBI home page at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov. Also, check out NHLBI's new Achieve Your Healthy Weight web site. The site offers practical information on weight loss, including heart healthy recipes, and tips on how to make behavior changes, choose a weight loss program, and shop for low calorie foods.
(Reference: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov)
submitted by Connie Pearson
Chair, Southeastern Synod Health Ministry Task Force |
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AROUND THE SYNOD | | |
 Reformation Children Bury and Raise Alleluia
submitted by Pastor Rick Ohsiek
As a way to teach the children (and adults) of Reformation (Greeneville, TN) about Lent, the Worship & Music Committee, along with Sunday School teachers, helped elementary school children make an "Alleluia" banner prior to the beginning of Lent. It started out rather plain, with no decoration at all.
On Transfiguration Sunday, Pastor Rick Ohsiek explained why we don't say the "A" word during Lent. During the sending hymn, children marched out of the nave with the banner and "buried" it under the stage in the fellowship hall. One young man, Reed Mitchell, really got into the spirit and told us to "Put a big rock on top of it, so that it won't get stolen."
While making the banner, the children wondered why they were tracing and cutting out their hand prints since they were not put on the banner. The plan was to use the hand cut-outs to make butterflies, along with grass and flower cut-outs to decorate the banner, but a problem arose when the completed banner became too heavy to hang in the location orginally intended. The Worship & Music Committee huddled to think of a solution: Brainstorm! Use it as altar parament.
On Easter Sunday, upon seeing the beautiful paraments full of the hand butterflies, Reformation member Eldean Helle said, "This is the best thing we have ever done at Easter."
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Easter Sunrise Services Unite Denominations Around Common Belief
submitted by Pastor Eric Luedtke
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Left to right; Pastor Gerald Anders of New Prospect Presbyterian Church Pastor; Eric Luedtke of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, both in Knoxville TN |
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church (Knoxville, TN) has held a sunrise service at Woodlawn Cemetery since the congregation was founded in the late '50s. For the past 10 years, New Prospect Presbyterian Church has joined Gloria Dei.
"Gloria Dei partnered with New Prospect in part to help build the ecumenical relationship between the denominations and also to offer a practical solution for two small-membership congregations to pool their worship leadership resources to provide a sunrise service," said Eric Luedtke, pastor of Gloria Dei.
Read the entire story, published at www.knoxnews.com.
More photos and a link to the news story can be found on Gloria Dei's website, www.gloriadeiknox.org.
Photo below: Pastor Billy Rutrough and unnamed trumpeter
from Gloria Dei sunrise service in the early 60's.
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| Synod Calendar Highlights | | |
April 29-May 1
Alassippi Youth Gathering, Gulf Shores Christian Retreat Center
May 5
National Day of Prayer
May 7
Conference 2 meeting and work project
May 13 & 14
Setting the Table Event, Nashville, TN
May 13-15
Region 9 Ventures meeting
May 15
Deadline to register for Synod Assembly
View the entire Synod Calendar |
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ELCA-Southeastern Synod
100 Edgewood Ave. NE, Suite 1600
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-589-1977
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