Nipper Notes

Weekly eNewsletter of Our Saviour Lutheran Church

April 16,2016

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 

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Pastor Eds 
Daily Devotional Blog

  

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Parents Day Out

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Sunday, April 17, 2016

Traditional/Holy Communion                8:15 AM
Blood Drive                           9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Sunday School                                      9:30 AM
Heartsong/Holy Communion                10:45 AM
Traditional/Holy Communion               10:45 AM
Monday, April 18, 2016

Parent's Day Out                                  9:00 AM
Cover Girls                                          10:00 AM
Hannah Circle                                      1:00 PM

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Parent's Day Out                                9:00 AM
Feed the Souls                                   6:00 PM
LYO                                                     6:00 PM
Chancel Choir                                     7:00 PM

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Heartsong Band Practice                   6:30 PM
Yoga                                                   6:30 PM
Lutheran Student Movement            7:30 PM

Friday, April 22, 2016

Walk / Talk                                       10:00 AM

Suspenseful Christ?
 
"How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Messiah, tell us plainly." (John 10:22)

This won't be the last time someone asks such a question.  One might expect those who didn't know Him that well to ask such questions; but in the 14th chapter of John, Philip-one of the twelve chosen disciples asks Jesus to reveal more about Himself and about the Father....Jesus responds:
 
"Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know Me? Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
 
What part of the love and mercy of God do people not understand?  Critics of religion seem to only seek the negative about God, when the negative that comes is from the imperfect world, not-so-perfect church, and the naturally flawed followers of God.
 
Jesus responds to their question (verse 23):  "I have told you, but you do not believe..."
Faith is the key.  Faith is that which we cannot begin to fully explain; our belief is not based on hard facts-other than what we sense in Holy Scripture. 
 
I do not require concrete proof because faith comes from the heart.  Those who do not believe, won't get it; those who have turned their backs on God for whatever reason just will not have the insight to see God as He is to be seen.  If one doesn't follow the voice of God, they will not have the necessary tools to be a part of the flock.
 
Now - does that mean that even though humans will choose to believe something else that God will give up?
 
No.  God never gives up.  The image later in this Gospel message makes it clear...
"What My Father has given Me is greater than all else..." (verse 29)  In our inabilities to believe and follow, God has something "greater than all else."  God's love never ceases, God's presence never ends; God always finds a way....yep, even for those who do not believe.
 
This includes you and me.  Even though - to us - it is crystal clear who and what Jesus is to us and the world, the world doesn't tend to claim Him as such.  Jesus admits it openly when He says this in the "high priestly prayer of Jesus" in John 17:
 
25 "Righteous Father, the world does not know You, but I know You; and these know that You have sent Me."
 
So - to those who "know Him" - it is our task, our charge, to share what we believe and know about Jesus with all we meet.  Then, just maybe, others will see God working through us and come to know Him as well.
 
Kill the suspense.  Love one another.  Leave no room for doubt, and remember...
 
God loves you and so do we!
 
Pastor Jim
Jesus Appears To Disciples At Lake Galilee
Products of the Month
 
Crumley House

The House has been designated for products of the month for April. The Crumley House as provided services to thousands of brain injury survivors and have had over 100 placements in competitive employment since 1992 The Crumley House offers two types of programs for clients.

1)The Day Program offers classes in academic learning, computer training, and physical training. The goal of day classes is to increase cognitive learning as well as increase physical agility. The staff at Crumley House also teach life skills such as household management, budgeting skills, personal hygiene, and time management, as well as many more.

2) The Residential Program is for clients who live at the Crumley House. This is a time to reinforce much of what has been learned during the day program as well as learning independent living skills. 

The following items are needed:
rags,      toothpaste,        tooth brushes,         personal hygiene
products (men's & women's),    clothes hangers,    razors, ibuprofen, flannel sheets OR cash donations may be made to Crumley House through OSLC.
Coming Up at OSLC 
 
PARENTS DAY OUT:  
We are now enrolling for Fall 2016, ages 1-4 years old.  For more information, contact Cat Hopper, our OSLC Parent's Day Out Director at 423-232-0077.  Registration Packets are available in the OSLC office.
 
WELCA HEALTH KITS:   
With money donated by our local Thrivent Action Team, WELCA will purchase supplies for 200 health kits.  We are requesting donations to build another 100 kits to reach our goal of 300 kits for Lutheran World Relief.  You may see people wearing blue t-shirts provided by Thrivent while working on the Health Kits. 
 
SOFTBALL:  
Practice is this Sunday, 2 p.m. Crossroads Christian Church (very near Daniel Boone High School); first two games of the season:  6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Monday night, April 18 at Winged Deer Park.
 
Blood Drive:  
This Sunday (April 17) we will host a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Please consider giving.
 
High Road Sunday School Class:  
will meet Sunday - 5-7:30 p.m. for snacks and viewing of the movie "The High Road."  Come on out!
 
Hannah Circle:  
meets at the home of Cheryl Milliken, 356 Goldenrod Dr., Jonesborough, TN - Progam entitled "Faith, Love, Prayer, Oils."  All women are welcome!
The OSLC Prayer List
Praying Hands

Members: 
Margaret Allown; Beverly Van Camp; Erica Dalton; Trudy Blackmer: Pat Keffer; Otto Zinser; David and Martha Herting; Penny Van Hooser; 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; Sharon Neuhaus; Lou Fox Baskette; Haskel Sykes; Reese Creasy;  Rev. Willis Bowers; Josh Nunn;  Ann Carter; Bruce and Betsy Shine; Glenn Nutter; Mark Mullinex; Brian and Jen Milliken; Linda Linden; Bonita Martin; Taylor Miller; Jim Ackley; Rosalina White; Preston Burke; Robin Barnett; Angie and Amber Frazier; Eve Hargrave, Abi Amato, Ashton Drinnon, Mark Singleton, Bob Fetterolf, Eric & Chrissy Essmann; Chris Toft; Cameron Crawford; Ben Ivey, Marsha Millhorn, Carmen Yoder, Jessica Mowell, Beth Neas; the family of Mark Helton (Pastor Jim's cousin) who passed away on April 14

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
 
 
 



Flowers
N/A

Famlies
Phoebe Sand; Ken and Marcia Peters

Our Purpose
Make disciples, and grow in grace.

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