Nipper Notes

Weekly eNewsletter of Our Saviour Lutheran Church

June 17,2016
This Sunday 
OSLC Choir

Our Saviour Lutheran Church, 212 Sunset Drive, Johnson City, Tennessee, will offer three Holy Communion service at 9:30 and Heartsong at 10:45.
 
A nursery is provided.  

All are welcome. 
   
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about OSLC, please 
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Daily Devotional Blog

  

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Parents Day Out

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Saturday, June 18, 2016

Path Class (DCS) State of TN 9:00 AM 

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Blood Pressure Checks
SUMMER SCHEDULE
Traditional Service 9:30 AM
Heartsong Service 10:45 AM

Monday, June 20, 2016

Parent's Day Out 9:00 AM

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Parent's Day Out 9:00 AM
WELCA Picnic 11:00 AM
Heartsong Band 6:30 PM

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Yoga 6:30 PM

Friday, June 24, 2016

Walk / Talk

"The Devil And Mr. Jesus"
 
"'Legion,' he replied, because many demons had entered him.'" (Luke 8:30)

The Gospel for Sunday is about a man possessed by many demons.  When asked, the demons who have entered the man say their name is "Legion." 
 
A legion of soldiers usually equaled 6,000.  So-this means this man in the story wasn't dealing with multiple "possessions" within his being, but thousands!  It sounds as if it was a situation out of control and unable to be properly managed!  Six thousand is an overwhelming number of problems to have at one time.
 
It seems that the community had tried certain ways to constrain the man-even to the point of chaining him up with iron fetters, only to be broken by the strength of the "legion" within him.  It also seems that the people of the area decided to just let the man run free, even though running free meant he would be naked and hanging out in the local cemetery.  How fearful that must have been for the whole community!  Besides, Luke says he was homeless which may suggest that he had been disowned by his own family (vs. 27).
 
This man's life, as was the life of the whole town, was out of control.
 
I kinda' feel like those people of this little town. 
 
Today, there seems to be a number of maladies running rampant through our lives.  And it's not just a few problems, but more than we can count.  We have a political system that appears out of whack as many people seem completely crazy with worry about the next presidential election; we live in an environment where being a spiritual person, that is, being a believing follower of God, is scrutinized beyond anything I've ever seen before!
 
With the horrid and unacceptable actions of one man and the loss of life (which numbers may continue to grow) in Orlando from last week, and, with all the rhetoric about guns and faith and political aspirations rolled into one, it seems like our lives are out of control.
 
I find it interesting that in this story of Luke 8, our Lord Jesus finds a way to deal with the ultra-multiple struggles that He is facing.  True, for Jesus, all these problems were rolled up into one, single person - Legion - and true, our modern problems seem to be rolled up in a large number of world-wide situations, but our Lord's first step was to seek the name of the problem.  Once He had the name, He knew where to put all His energy.
 
As a part of a greater number of churches, maybe instead of joining social media in flinging the insults and criticisms around, we should band together as one and pray for the one, common problem.
 
I'm wondering if what I've heard others say is that our foundations of life (trust and love of God, neighbor, and self) has been shaken - out of whack, if you will.  We all need to look down deep and seek how each of our families can discover the way back to God's presence of grace.  We need to have neighbors we can rely on, and, they upon us.  We need to have faith in ourselves again as well.
 
First - we need to reconnect with God once more.  I believe this can happen by crossing the thresholds of the doors of His places of worship.  It's not the only thing we can do, but it is the first thing we should do.
 
On Sunday I want to begin this search for truth and the way back to God.  I invite you to join us at OSLC either at 9:30 a.m. or 10:45 a.m., or, go back to your home church or the faith of your family and begin this search.
 
If ever our nation needed this strength and clear vision, it is now.  All is NOT lost.  We know this because we know that God loves us even in the midst of uncertainty.  Hold on.
 
Better days are coming!

And, remember - God loves you and so do we!
 
Pastor Jim
Jesus Heals Demon Possessed Man
Products of the Month
 
Family Promise

For the next two months, we have designated Family Promise (formerly Interfaith Hospitality Network) our agency to donations. Promise sponsors a network of churches, volunteers and community members to assist homeless familie with children. Through Family Promise, families can remain together while addressing the challenges confronting them to obtain housing. Families receive counseling and assistance to address their particular needs. Visit their website at: www.familypromise.org.

When a family leaves the program and goes to an apartment or a house, they need products to clean and "fix up" their new home. They also need personal items such as deodorant, soap, tooth paste, toilet paper, etc. As the OSLO family, let's put together 3 laundry baskets filled with items to start their homes. Two baskets will be in the narthex and one in the fellowship hall. Let's see if we can give three families a boost and love with a gift from OSLC.
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."

Softball:  
Congratulations to our CoEd Softball team, regular season 1st Place and Tournament 2nd Place!  Way to Go!  Thanks, fans, for all your support!

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, and "Chair Yoga."  

Vacation Bible School - - - THANK YOU EVERYONE!:
  It was a wonderful week! Thanks to Marcy Aaroen & Sean Golden for their co-chairing the week and to the whole staff, parents, and children!  We are the "Kids of the Kingdom!"

"Fill the baskets" for Family Promise!:
  THANY YOU EVERYONE!...for the giving of cleaning supplies this month for Family Promise!

Blood Drive:  
THANK YOU EVERYONE for the donors, the workers, and to Marsh for all the donations received this past Wednesday!

WELCA Opportunity:  
The SE Synod WELCA Annual Convention is being held in Atlanta on September 16-18.  If interested in attending, please pick up an application on the WELCA bulletin board.
The OSLC Prayer List
Praying Hands

Members: 
Kasey Sorensen (home after minor surgery); Joan Blackmer (home from the hospital); Steve Sharar; Rev. Dennis Hamm; Barbara Gish; Mary King; Margaret Allown; Mary Ostermeyer; Beverly Van Camp; 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; Irene Ackley; Truman Billings; Phoebe Sand;  Janice Knipp; Jennifer Stafford; Wendi Garrison; Lori Markstrom

Family Members and Friends:  
Bill Reece, brother of Sue Reece;Alice Sulkowski; Jason Rakel; Carey Outen; Sharon Neuhaus; 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; Karen Winter, Al Rudolph; Rev. Jim Simpson; Jim Aderhold; Richard Williams; Alice Barnett

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

National Women's Health Week was celebrated May 8 - 14. Since I am writing for the June E-news, I went to the National Health Observances list for June and found that National Men's health Week is June 13 - 19. The purpose of both of these weeks is to increase awareness of preventable health problems and to encourage early detection, treatment and participation in lifestyle changes that can reduce the risk of a variety of health issues.
Dr. Nancy Lee, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, states that science is always changing but the basics of caring for our health never changes. A few simple steps adapted to age and ability for both women and men can guide us in day to day activities ensuring that we are doing the best that we can to keep ourselves healthy. These steps include the following:

Know what you are eating. Focus on foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean protein. Read labels and know that the healthiest foods do not come in wrappers. Choose smaller plates making the bigger portion on your plate foods with lots of color; vegetables usually fill this description. Choose whole fruits instead of fruit juice and skip other sugary drinks and sodas. Save sweets and desserts for special occasions. Use mealtime as a time to teach children the basics of a healthy diet.

Kick the sedentary lifestyle. A sedentary lifestyle can set the stage for weight gain and major health problems. You do not have to go to the gym to get your daily recommended 30 minutes of physical activity. You also do not need to do all of the 30 minutes of daily activity at one time.  Think of ways that will work with your lifestyle to get moving. Increase your steps by parking further away from work or a store entrance. Take advantage of nice days during your lunch hour and walk outside. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Team up with a family member, neighbor, or friend to walk, run or bike several days a week. Walking the dog several times a day can quickly give you the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity.

Reduce your stress. Stress is a big part of our everyday lives. It is how we respond to the stress that affects our health. Long-term stress can increase an individual's risk for depression and anxiety, obesity, heart disease, cancer and many other health problems. Improving nutrition and exercising are great starters for reducing stress. Getting a good night's sleep - recommended 7 - 8 hours for adults - can also help in reducing stress. Some changes that might aid in better sleep could include winding down an hour before bedtime. Replacing electronic devices with a good book at least an hour before bedtime can help you do this. A bedtime that allows you to get the recommended amount of sleep can help you to be more resilient and better able to cope with life's stressors.

Seek assistance from the medical community. Schedule a well visit with your physician insuring that you have received the appropriate age related screenings and vaccines. Share with you physician concerns about your health and ask for referrals for health related problems that he/she is unable to provide when needed.

Make smart decisions. Even what seems to be a small decision can make a big impact on your health. In addition to what has been discussed above, not wearing seat belts and talking on the phone or texting while driving are decisions that could cost you your life or the life of another person. A helmet when biking could save you from life threatening brain trauma.

May and June have been designated nationally as months to focus on the health of women and men. If you have not already done so, pledge to take steps to be the healthiest that you can be throughout 2016.

References:
Lee, Nancy, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Women, Office of Women's Health, U. S. Office of Health and Human Services, Back to Basics, June 12, 2016, womenshealth.gov

National Men's Health Week, menshealth.org

Connie Pearson, Chair
Health Ministries Task Force
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
given today to the glory of God by N/A.

Famlies
Terry & Teresa Sweet [Matthew, TheresaJ

Our Purpose
Make disciples, and grow in grace.

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