Nipper Notes

Weekly eNewsletter of Our Saviour Lutheran Church

March 26,2016

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. 

   

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"...idle tales..." (Luke 24:11)

Right now there are two new movies in theatres about the life of Jesus.  One has been out for a while, "Risen," which is the story of the Resurrection of Jesus as told through the eyes of a Roman centurion.  His job, assigned him by Pontius Pilate, is to find the body of Jesus and put to an end these "idle tales" of a resurrection.

The other movie, which is more recent, is entitled, "The Young Messiah."  It is the story of a young Jesus, taken from Bethlehem by His parents to Egypt for fear that Herod might find the boy and kill him; this was his order all through Bethlehem and surrounding areas. They eventually do return to Nazareth upon the knowledge of Herod's death.  This story may well be filled with "idle tales" since most of them (with the exception of the story of Jesus left behind in the Temple at age 12) are based on legends and other writings that were not approved for the Bible as we know it.

In this year's Gospel for Easter (Luke 24:1-12), women have gone to the tomb and seen two angels who told them of the resurrection of their Lord.  They run and tell the disciples, who, in turn, "...(it) seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them..."
Jesus and the resurrection is not an idle tale; it's not some folklore that people made up to make others feel better about their faith in this one Man of God.

Our whole faith is based on the fact that we believe the story of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  But also realize that this story was a difficult one to swallow, even for the disciples of Jesus.  In each of the four Gospels, there was some pretty obvious doubt about the whole thing.

There is always doubt when a loved one dies.  Our hearts often cannot comprehend it all at the time of such a death.  Our mind can play tricks on us.  Our minds don't want to believe that our dear one is gone.  For the disciples - they're not only trying to deal with such a quick set of circumstances - from Thursday night to Friday when Jesus is well and enjoying Passover to the point in which He dies on the cross - they're now having to deal with a story that He is now alive again?

This "idle tale" is the salvation of the world.  Believe it.  Accept it as truth.  What God has done is an amazing, incredible thing.  It's only as "idle" as you make it!  He did this - died and rose from the dead -for you.  You and I are reminded of this every time we receive Holy Communion.

Come and join us this Easter Sunday.  Relive the remarkable story of Jesus' resurrection.  He truly does love you, and so do we!

He is risen - He is risen indeed!
Pastor Jim
Jesus Death And Resurrection
HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE
 
Holy Saturday - Annual Easter Egg Hunt (meet in the fellowship hall) 2 p.m.

Easter Sunday Schedule - 7 a.m. - Sunrise Service in "the Garden" - 7:45-10:15 a.m. Breakfast (Kitchen, Hallway, & Garden) - 8:q5 a.m. Traditional Holy Communion (Nave) - 10:45 a.m. Traditional Holy Communion (Nave) and Heartsong Holy Communion (Fellowship Hall).
Coming Up at OSLC 
 
SERVICE PROJECT:  
The Women of ELCA are putting together Personal Care Kits for Lutheran World Relief.  We are still seeking these items to be donated:  Light-weight bath towels of a dark color, any brand bath-sized bar soap, adult toothbrushes.  If you can't bring items, you may give a monetary gift!  Checks may be made out to OSLC with "Health Kit" in the memo, and placed in the offering plate.
  
OSLC PRAYER CHAIN:  
There is a sign-up sheet on the WELCA bulletin board for volunteers who would be willing to be callers for our Prayer Chain ministry.
The OSLC Prayer List
Praying Hands

Members: 
Betty Marshall;Laura Arredondo;Trudy Blackmer; Erica Dalton; Berla Smith; Pat Keffer; Otto Zinser; Marjene Chapman; David and Martha Herting; Penny Van Hooser; Larry McCoy; Mike Rice; Barbara Diehl; Tom Loveday; Janet Ecklund; John Stafford; Anne Godsey; Kay Scheurer; John Paul Neas; Betty Marshall; Josiah Flint; Pat Tomita; Irene Ackley; Truman Billings; Phoebe Sand; Mary King; Janice Knipp; Mary Ostermeyer; Jennifer Stafford; Wendi Garrison; Lori Markstrom; Debbie Garrison

Family Members and Friends:  
Alice Sulkowski; Jason Rakel; Carey Outen; Jessica Jernigan; Sharon Neuhaus; Lou Fox Baskette; Haskel Sykes; Reese Creasy;  Rev. Willis Bowers; Josh Nunn;  Ann Carter; Bruce and Betsy Shine; Glenn Nutter; Mark Mullinex; Howard Parsons; Brian and Jen Milliken; Linda Linden; Bonita Martin; Taylor Miller; Jim Ackley; Barbara Noe; Rosalina White; Preston Burke; Robin Barnett; Angie and Amber Frazier; Eve Hargrave, Abi Amato, Ashton Drinnon, Mark Singleton, Mark Helton (Pastor Jim's cousin), Bob Fetterolf, Eric & Chrissy Essmann (family of Becky Hamilos); Ray Osejo, Marsha Milhorn (friend of Maggie Flint); Ben Ivey (friend of Brenda Whitson)
 
Special Prayers this week:  
The family of Rev. Alan Chapman upon the death of his wife, Marjene, OLSC's office manager for 32 years.  She will be truly missed at OSLC. 

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) friend of the Pat Wolf; Jeremy Downes (Navy) cousin of Joni Cannon; Adam Beier (Army) nephew of Carolynn Bailey

"Christ has no body but mine, no hands but mine, no feet but mine.
Mine are the eyes through which we are to see Christ's compassion for the world.
Mine are the feet with which Christ is to go about doing good.
Mine are the hands with which Christ is to bless now. Amen." 
 
~ St. Teresa of Avila, a prayer offered by Bishop Mark W. Holmerud of the Sierra Pacific Synod as written in the 40 Days of Giving Devotional.

The youth of Messiah Lutheran Church in Madison, Alabama are living out St. Teresa's poetic prayer and finding amazing ways to "go about doing good."Using the 40 Days of Giving
Campaign as a catalyst, the youth of Messiah have responded to the call to end hunger in their community.

Messiah's Director of Outreach Ministries, Claire Strand, reports that the congregation is 'giving generously' in an effort to meet the ELCA World Hunger's challenge to raise $2 million by Easter morning. From the 40 Days of Giving Campaign came the ingenuity to use the hands and feet of Messiah's members to actually provide sustenance to those in their community living in poverty or living with food insecurity.

"Just this past weekend, our youth groups delivered 466 pounds of food to a new local food pantry as part of their service project, 30-Hour Famine," Strand said, "What great kids!"

Messiah is using another program to accompany the 40 days of Giving Campaign called Feed the Need.  According to Feed the Need's Facebook page, the program mobilizes and engages volunteers with hands-on opportunities. Hands on... "Christ has no body but mine, no hands but mine," St. Teresa prays.

The congregation exemplifies the model of the ELCA World Hunger's comprehensive approach. The approach simultaneously addresses issues of hunger domestically and globally. Messiah models this approach by including international needs in its giving.

Strand wrote that a portion of the Lenten offering taken up for both the Feed the Need program and the 40 Days of Giving
Campaign, were designated to build a desperately needed kitchen next to an elementary school in rural Honduras.

"Their original kitchen was adobe and had to be demolished due to termite damage. This [new] kitchen will allow parents to make the school lunches under 
sanitary conditions, as well as save them from trekking the food over the mountainside each day, " she said.

On behalf of the ELCA World Hunger Team, thank you Messiah Lutheran Church for sharing your story and being God's hands and feet in a world of need and hope.

Contact Adrainne Gray - ELCA Southeastern Synod World Hunger Ambassador - with questions or for other opportunities to join the World Hunger Campaign to end hunger. ajtdelta@gmail.com
Thought for the Month
                                                                              
 
O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." ~ Psalm 34:8
 
 
 



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Our Purpose
Make disciples, and grow in grace.

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