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This Sunday
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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
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Sunday, May 1, 2016
Traditional Service 8:15 AM
Sunday School 9:30 AM
Heartsong Contemporary Service 10:45 AM
Traditional Service 10:45 AM
Confirmation: Final Quiz 12:00 PM
Monday, May 2, 2016
Parent's Day Out 9:00 AM
Cover Girls 10:00 AM
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Parent's Day Out 9:00 AM
Chancel Choir 7:00 PM
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Heartsong Band Practice 6:30 PM
Yoga 6:30 PM
Lutheran Student Movement 7:30 PM
Friday, May 6, 2016
Walk / Talk 10:00 AM
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"The revealing dreams of John"
"...on either side...is the tree of life..." (Revelation 22:2)
What do we really know about John's book of Revelation? What can we understand about the very last book of the Bible? It is so full of illustration and symbol - many of which we cannot understand - so what is its purpose for us today? Why is it included in our Bibles?
Language and literature is both beautiful and fickle. There's a beauty that flows to one's heart and mind when we read; it lights up the soul. Our imaginations are illuminated and we are at once in a place we've never been before! It's also fickle when it comes to apocalyptic literature, of which "The Revelation to John" would be included. For us in this modern time, it is capricious to say the least. Why is this? It's because language is a living thing. "The Word became flesh..." (John 1:14) is at the zenith of our appreciation of such thoughts. But, in its life - like any life - it can change. I've always said, as an example, my grandmother Lucile Waddell, (God rest her soul) in her day had a totally different understanding of the word, "gay," than we The word "hood" back in the day stood for the metal part of a car that covered the engine. Today, it carries a number of different meanings. Language, being alive, grows, pulsates, moves, transforms and converts through the ages. This is why we can't fully grasp some of John's meanings in his writing, Some where along the way we have lost the key, the proverbial decoder ring, that unlocks his original thought.
And, that's okay. The dreams and visions of John are still filled with purpose for us. We must be careful with our interpretations.
This Sunday, I want to touch on such purpose of John's "Revelation." In the beginning of the Bible, there stood in the middle of the Garden of Eden that was known as the "Tree of Life." It is mentioned 4 times in the book of Proverbs as a type of the "fruit of the godly life" and not as the actual tree from the Genesis story.
It's not mentioned again until John's dreams and visions of Revelation.
Life - according to John here - has, then, gone full circle. There will come a time when all things will come to an end, but not so much like some interpreters suggest, in a bloody all-out war between the good and the bad. My belief teaches that Jesus took care of all that with His death and resurrection. To suggest that Jesus has to come back to solve all the problems we have created over the years is to suggest that Jesus didn't get it right the first time. Nothing is further from the truth! What part of "Everything is done!" (see John 19:30, CEB) do we not understand?
The "Tree of Life" is a symbol of a new, complete circle of life. When God removed Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden it was so that they would not eat of this tree of life and live forever. It was part of their punishment.
At the end of time-whenever that may be-Johns use of this one and the same tree is to suggest that now we can eat and, well, live forever with Jesus Christ! That sounds wonderful doesn't it? It doesn't sound like war or blood - the war has been fought; our blood has been bought. God reigns. We are saved. This sixth week of the Easter season we shall shout, "Alleluiah!"
Come Sunday and hear what we believe about the book of John's revelation! It's not as scary as others would like you to believe. In the meantime,
...remember...
...God loves you and so do we!
Pastor Jim
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Jesus Heals Man At Bethesda Pool
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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. |
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Coming Up at OSLC
Parish Nurse "Ministries in Motion":
Thursdays, 6:30 p.m., Yoga - Youth Room - please bring your own mat; Fridays, 10 a.m. - Walk/Talk - prayer, devotion, joke of the week and "Chair Yoga."
Looking Ahead:
May 10th - Janey Owns, MSN, CCRN, NP-C, Heart replacement valve coordinator from JCMCH - 6:30 p.m. Fellowship Hall.
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:
Thank to all the women who helped pack over 250 health kits on THURSDAY, April 28!
COED SOFTBALL:
Another double header: 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Monday night, May 2 at Winged Deer Park. Come out and cheer on the team!
REMEMBER - CHURCH OFFICE HOURS are:
Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 noon.
WELCA HEALTH KITS:
With money donated by our local Thrivent Action Team, WELCA will put together 300 health kits! Thank you all! Come Thursday at 10 a.m. and help pack the kits! We'll be in the fellowship hall. (You may see people today wearing blue t-shirts provided by Thrivent while working on the Health Kits.)
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The OSLC Prayer List
Members:
Margaret Allown; Mary Ostermeyer; Beverly Van Camp; Erica Dalton; Trudy Blackmer: Pat Keffer; Otto Zinser; David and Martha Herting; Penny Van Hooser; 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; 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
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
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