Nipper Notes

Weekly eNewsletter of Our Saviour Lutheran Church

March 5,2016

This Sunday

OSLC Choir

Our Saviour Lutheran Church, 212 Sunset Drive, Johnson City, Tennessee, will offer three Holy Communion Services 8:15 traditional, 10:45 traditional and Heartsong 10:45.

A nursery is provided.

All are welcome.

For further information

about OSLC, please

visit our website at

www.oslc2.cc

or join us on Facebook.

Pastor Eds

Daily Devotional Blog

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Parents Day Out

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Parish Calendar

FIRST SUNDAY IN CHRISTMAS

10:00 AM - Holy Communion

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30

11:00 AM - Malting Pot

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1 - NEW YEAR'S DAY

Church Office closed

SATURDAY, JANUARY 2

8:00 AM - Men's Prayer Breakfast

Who is the prodigal?

"There was a man who had two sons..." (Luke 15:11)

As the Bible says above, this Sunday is the story of a man and his two sons. It appears in Luke 15:11-32. Traditionally, it has been known as "The Parable of the Prodigal Son." That's the way I remember Mrs. Leskoff and Mrs. Hood reading it to me as a boy in my Sunday School classes.

Once one reads the story, one can ask the question, "Which son was the prodigal?" At first glance, we think - of course - the younger son who takes his inheritance and flees the country is the prodigal. But, if you read carefully, you learn by the end of the story, the older, more dutiful son, is also a prodigal. So......why isn't it called "The Parable of the Prodigal Sons "?

What does it mean to be a "prodigal"? The dictionary defines it as an adjective that can mean a number of things: wasteful, excessive, extravagant, intemperate, reckless, squandering, wanton. There are a few other words but they basically mean the same thing. You get my drift.

Both boys fit the category in their own way. One was wasteful and excessive, that is sure. The other was wanton and intemperate, no doubt about it.

But - why the star billing? Are they the main characters of the parable? Should they be the main characters as devious and selfish as they both are?

They both lose their respect for their father in the story. Maybe the younger's rudeness out shadows the older-but truth be told, they both sinned against their father.

The word "prodigal" - in his most ancient Latin term - means "lavish." Both boys were lavish with their own emotions and opinions of their father. They both should be ashamed of themselves.

But the opposite, then, of the word "prodigal" is "careful, thrifty." The father seems neither of those things by giving the first son what he doesn't deserve and what seems reckless to allow him to walk all over him.

But, in the end, the father could be the prodigal, if you will bear with me here, because he, too, is both reckless and lavish-with his love for his children.

I'm going to leave it all at that. I want you to figure out who is the prodigal in this story, and also, where is God in all of this? It's simple, really, and I trust you to figure it out.

In the meantime, I'll see you Sunday! Remember that God loves you and so do we!

Pastor Jim

The Parable Of The Prodigal Son

Midweek Lenten Schedule
March 9

Noon - Brief Holy Communion in the nave

6 p.m. - Lenten Meal

6:45 p.m. - Lenten Worship (Pastor Jim preaching, "Open Our Ears, Lord!") Angel Holland, leading worship

A Nursery is provided for the 6:45 p.m. service.

Hope to see you there!

Coming Up at OSLC

OFFERING ENVELOPES:

for 2016 are available in the hallway. Please call the church office if your name has been inadvertently omitted.

FLOWER CHARTS:

for the new year are posted on the bulletin board near the fellowship hall. Cost is $35.00 per vase.

NURSERY HELPERS NEEDED!:

Please sign the list on the bulletin board near the nursery!

The OSLC Prayer List

Members:

David Grazier; Pat Wolf;Pat Keffer; Marjene Chapman; Otto Zinser; Berla Smith; David & Martha Herting; Larry McCoy; Mike Rice; Penny Van Hooser; Barbara Diehl; Tom Loveday; Janet Ecklund; Gary Shealy; John Stafford; Anne Godsey; Kay Scheurer; John Paul Neas; Barbara Willis; Betty Marshall; Josiah Flint; Irene Ackley; Truman Billings; Phoebe Sand; Mary King; Willie Weems; Janice Knipp; Mary Ostermeyer; Jennifer Stafford; Wendi Garrison; Lori Markstrom; Debbie Garrison

Family Members and Friends:

Alice Sulkowski; Jason Rakel; Caray Outen; Jessica Jernigan; Sharon Neuhaus; Lou Fox Baskette; Haskel Sykes; Reese Creasy; Rev. Willis Bowers; Scarlet Garman and parents; Josh Nunn; Ann Carter; Bruce and Betsy Shine; Glenn Nutter; Mark Mullinex; Howard Parsons; Brian and Jen Milliken; Linda Linden; Bonita Martin; Kyle Lively; Taylor Miller; Jim Ackley; Barbara Noe; Rosalina White; Preston Burke; Kyle Cannon; Robin Barnett; Eve Hargrave, (Travis Pennell's aunt).

Military Service - Members:

Chance Johnson (Army); Nick Harris (Air Force);

Military Service -

Friends and family:

Nick Hodge (Air Force), friend of the Flints; Chase Estep (Marines), brother of Clint Estep; Matthew Sibenaller (Army), godson of Ed Wolff; David Guck (Marines), friends of Pat Wolf; Jeremy Downes (Navy), cousin of Joni Cannon; Adam Beier (Army), nephew of Carolynn Bailey

Resolve to Eat These 10 Healthy Foods Often in 2016!

If you are in need of a New Year's resolution, here is an option that could potentially help you to become healthier if you are not alr

eady taking advantage of these wonderful sources of nutrition. These 10 foods are some of the healthiest because they meet at least three of the following criteria:

Excellent source of fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients;

High in phytonutrients and antioxidant compounds such as vitamins A, E, and beta

carotene;

May help to reduce the risk of heart disease and other health conditions;

Low in calorie density, meaning you get a larger portion size with fewer calories;

Are readily available.

Almonds are packed with nutrients - fiber, riboflavin, magnesium, iron and calcium. Almonds have more calcium than any other nut. Also one serving of almonds provides half of your body's Recommended Dietary Allowance of vitamin E. Like all nuts, almonds are good for your heart.

Apples are an excellent source of pectin, a soluble fiber that can lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Apples can push the production of the "memory chemical" acetylcholine. Apples are also a good source of vitamin C which serves to protect the body's connective tissue from damage.

Blueberries, along with cranberries, are a rich source of phytonutrients - a group of compounds that may help prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. These plant compounds may also improve short-term memory and promote healthy aging.

Broccoli - the champion of green vegetables - is a great source of calcium, potassium, folate, fiber and phytonutrients. It also gets the award for being a great source of vitamins A and C.

Red beans - including small red beans and dark red kidney beans - are good sources of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper and thiamin. They are also an excellent low-fat, low-calorie source of protein and dietary fiber and contain phytonutrients.

Salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, a type of fat that makes your blood less likely to form clots that may cause heart attacks. Omega-3s may also protect against irregular heartbeats, lower triglyceride levels and blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke. Salmon is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and is a good source of protein.

Spinach is an excellent source of riboflavin, vitamin B-6, calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamins A and C and folate. The plant compounds in spinach may help keep your hair and skin healthy and boost your immune system.

Sweet potato, full of beta carotene which is converted to vitamin A in your body when eaten, may help slow the aging process and reduce the risk of some cancers. Sweet potatoes are also good sources of fiber, vitamins B-6, C and E, folate and potassium. Sweets are fat-free and relatively low in calories - one small sweet potato has just 54 calories. Of course, that is without the butter, brown sugar and nuts!

Vegetable juice is an easy way to include vegetables in your diet because it has most of the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients found in the original vegetables. Juices that include tomatoes are good sources of lycopene, an antioxidant that may reduce the risk of heart attack, prostate cancer and possibly other types of cancer. Be sure to choose the low-sodium varieties.

Wheat germ, the center of a grain of wheat, does for humans what it does for the new wheat sprout. This small part of the wheat seed is a highly concentrated source of nutrients including niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin E, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, iron and zinc. It also contains protein, fiber and some fat.

What better way to start the New Year than with a resolve to be healthier. Include these good foods in your daily diet and you will reap the benefits. Stay well as you look forward to a healthy 2016!

Reference: mayoclinic.org, 2016.

Connie Pearson, RN, MN

Chair, Health Ministries Task Force

Thought for the Month

Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)

The Peace Prayer of Saint Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in self-forgetting that we find;
And it is in dying to ourselves that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

Flowers

in the chancel today are given to the glory of God by

Carmen and Mary Jane Paulson in honor of granddaughter Sophie's 13th birthday.

Families of the Week

Mary Ostermeyer

Kevin and Linda Schutt

Our Purpose	*Make disciples, and grow in grace.*

Our Vision	*We love God and neighbor, so that all people will be disciples.*