Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
 
The Caller
Mount Katahdin (Photo by Ardie Hacker)
Redeemer Lutheran Church                                                                    
March 2013

Pastor Elaine Hewes
 
How can we sustain 
community ministry 
of our soup suppers?
 
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

During the past four years we have offered soup, bread, dessert, and fellowship on Wednesday evenings from December to April for anyone from the community who wants to come.   This ministry has grown over these years, and now serves about 75 people each Wednesday. This increase in guests means we need about 10 pots of soup every week, plus bread and desserts.  Besides cooks and bakers, we also need folks to set up tables, ladle soup, cut bread, serve guests, wash dishes, and clean up afterwards.   

    While there are many many people to thank for keeping this ministry going, there is a crew of folks that has consistently made sure everything has run smoothly week to week.  They are Jane Deane, David Levansalor, Lesley Graham, Tricia Peterson, and Gladys Merritt  (with Hella Spencer doing bread pick-up, Dick Smith making soup every single week, Nancy Stone baking cookies, not to mention our waitresses Patti Barker and Deb Christensen). 

There is no clearer picture of the kingdom of God than our Wednesday Evening Soup Suppers...This is the "real deal," and we're already doing it.  So please come and see.


But the truth is, after four years, these folks are getting a little bit weary.  So we will be having some conversations soon about how we might keep our Wednesday evening soup suppers going during the winter months.  It is clear that we will need to find a new model if we are to sustain this ministry.

 To that end, I would encourage Redeemer members to come to soup sometime in the next few weeks so you can get a sense of how beautiful and life-giving this ministry is.  Truly, as I have said many times before, there is no clearer picture of the kingdom
of God than our Wednesday Evening Soup Suppers, as tables are full of folks who would not necessarily eat together.  Some of our guests come at 4o'clock and stay until 6, and many have told us that Wednesday evenings at Redeemer is their favorite time of the week. 

It takes a long time for a congregation to build trust and relationship with those in the larger community.  But Redeemer has done so through our soup suppers. We know folks by name.  Sometimes a guest asks me to pray for them, and occasionally we have gone into the sanctuary to do so.  We often times hear about some of the difficulties folks are going through, and sometimes after conversation over supper, we have been able to help people with specific needs. 


It is my belief that Wednesday Soup is a different way of being and doing church -- a way that is much needed in these days of economic distress and isolation.  So often, congregations ask, "How can we be Church in the way Jesus would name it as 'the real deal'?"  This is the "real deal," and we're already doing it.  So please come and see.  Come and sit.  Eat. Talk.  Enter the Kingdom of God.  And then let's talk about how we can be ready once again next December to extend the Redeemer table into the community we are called to serve.

We will still be serving soup on Wednesday March 6, 13, and 20.  There is a place set for you at the table.  And if you have an interest in helping us figure out next steps, let me know. 

 
                Your sister in Christ,
                Pastor Elaine
 The Rev. Mark S. Hanson,
ELCA presiding bishop

Bishop joins call
to protect vulnerable

CHICAGO (ELCA) - In a Feb. 25 letter to President Obama and Congressional leaders, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), joined more than 100 national church leaders, calling for fiscal responsibility that models  our nation's values and is mindful of the moral obligation to protect those most vulnerable. 

    "The measure of the necessary work of debt and deficit reduction should not be political gain or loss, but whether or not fiscal decisions
reflect the needs of all people, particularly for vulnerable people. I pray for public officials and ask them to remember their God-given call to servant leadership and to forgo irresponsible brinksmanship," Hanson said.

The letter is the latest effort by Circle of Protection, an
initiative formed by national Christian leaders and heads of relief and
development organizations to protect programs that serve those living in
poverty.

      "The charter of the Circle of Protection is a powerful witness that
people of faith join together in our commitment to those who are hungry
and live in poverty," Hanson said.

Lenten vespers continue four Wednesdays 
Our Lenten vespers continue at 6:30 p.m. on the remaining Wednesdays in Lent. It is our tradition at Redeemer to use the beautiful service of "Holden Evening Prayer" during Lent. This vesper service was written in 1985-1986 by Marty Haugen while he was musician-in-residence at Holden Village, a Lutheran retreat in Washington state. It also has been our tradition for members and friends of Redeemer to share short meditations on "Ordinary Things" during the vesper service. The schedule of meditations for the remaining Wednesdays in Lent is as follows:
Feb. 27:                   Bob Bach 
March 6:                Lynn Bolduc
March 13:              Patty Barker
March 20:              Bob Buntrock

The story behind the hymn

"Jesu, Jesu, fill us with your love, show us how to serve the neighbors we have from you".  This is the refrain from the hymn many churches, including Redeemer, often sing on Maundy Thursday.  It is almost as much a part of Holy Week as "Silent Night" is to Christmas Eve, or "Jesus Christ is Risen Today" is to Easter Sunday.

This fine text is based on Jesus' personalized object lesson on servant-hood when he washed his disciples' feet (John 13:1-17), and on Jesus' parable of the good Samaritan. That parable was his response to the question, "Who is my Neighbor?" (Luke 10:25-37).

This song has always been one of my favorite parts of Holy Week.  But when I learned the story of how this text was inspired, I love it even more.  Tom Colvin, long-term missionary to Africa, wrote this text in 1963 in Chereponi, northern Ghana, while he was attending a lay-training course in agriculture, development, and evangelism. New converts had brought a folk melody to this meeting, which they thought
might be appropriate for a text about Christian love.  

Colvin explained his writing of the text as follows: "Sitting there in the moonlight, I felt it simply had to be about black and white, rich and poor. I was ashamed of the wasteful affluence of my people but proud of the Gospel that transforms us into servants of one another. It is only when we who are rich learn to have the humility of the slave towards the poor of the world that we shall be able to learn from them; they have so much to teach us and share with us."

-- Michelle Dokka, Director of Music
(history content from hymnary.org.)

Triptych by Gail Hipsky
Schedule for Holy Week services
Following is the schedule  of worship for Holy Week.

March 24: Palm Sunday/ Passion Sunday
8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. - Worship
9:15 a.m. - A walk through Holy Week with Pastor Elaine

March 28: Maundy Thursday
6 p.m. - Maundy Thursday service, including Holy Communion and washing of feet (optional).

March 29: Good Friday
6 p.m. -- Good Friday service, a tenebrae service planned and led by Pastor Conway Stone, including music, art work, Scripture readings, and prayer.

March 30: Easter Vigil
7 p.m. - Easter Vigil, St. John's Episcopal Church, French Street, Bangor.
 
March 31:  Easter Sunday
8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. - Worship
9:15 a.m. - Easter Breakfast

Largest youth group ever headed to Calumet
Many thanks to all who gave items for the youth auction and to all who bid on those items.  We are so grateful for your generosity, which raised almost $1,000 in support of the youth group's weekend at Camp Calumet, a Lutheran camp in New Hampshire.  Besides being very successful, a good time was had by all.  As one young person put it, "We should do this every year!"   (And here's the best good news of all.... Ten young people and four adult leaders are going on the trip to Calumet from March 8-10.  That's the best turn-out we've ever had for a youth group adventure!)
Quick Links




Redeemer Lutheran Church
A House of Mercy
A Place of Grace

All are welcome here 

Services: 8 and 10:30 a.m.
Sunday school for all: 9:15 a.m.
Reconciling in Christ
Redeemer Lutheran Church is a Reconciling in Christ congregation. Reconciling in Christ (RIC) is a is a program of ReconcilingWorks for congregations, synods, colleges, seminaries, and other Lutheran organizations. RIC recognizes Lutheran communities that publically welcome lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender believers. The Reconciling in Christ roster of congregations, synods, colleges, seminaries and organizations now exceeds 500.  Redeemer Lutheran Church affirms its welcome to people of all ages, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, and economic situations. 
Upcoming Events 
Feb. 27 - Lenten vespers - 6:30 p.m.

March 6, 13, 20 - Lenten vespers - 6:30 p.m.

March 23 - Redeemer Lutheran Women - 6:30 p.m.

March 28 - Maundy Thursday service - 6 p.m.

March 29 - Good Friday service - 6 p.m.
 
March 31 - Easter breakfast - 9:15 a.m.

June 2 - Annual meeting -  9:15 a.m.

June 24-28 - Arts Camp
Redeemer Women to meet
After a short winter hiatus Redeemer Lutheran Women will begin meeting again on the third Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at Redeemer. Please join us on Tuesday, March 23, for a Lenten meditation and some general planning for the upcoming months. Please call Pat Kelly (990-4967) or Nancy Stone (884-8989) for information.

Knitters at Calumet
 Camp Calumet, a Lutheran ministries Camp in New Hampshire, is offering a Knitters Weekend April 5-7.  Several Redeemer women are planning to go to this fun event.  The cost is $160 for two nights shared lodging and five meals.  For more information, please see the flyers on the bulletin board, call or text Donna Hauge at 949-4950, or click on this link. 

Historical research talk
Redeemer member Alison Leonard will give a "Tech Talk" on how to research historical resources about Mount Desert Island, including historical collections on Acadia National Park, Native Americans, maritime history, and more. The talk will be held at 4:30 p.m. March 8 in the Harbor House, Southwest Harbor. Alison is the instruction librarian at Husson University in Bangor. 

Bishop's Message
Bishop James Hazelwood, bishop of the New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, reflects on tolerance in his video message for Lent. Watch Bishop Jim's video.
Blog of the Month
Each month, the Caller features a Lutheran blog. This month, clicking on the blog link will connect you to Faith Lens. This is a weekly ELCA  Bible study designed to "engage youth and young adults in connecting world events with the Bible, faith, and everyday life." By going to the blog site, you will be able to subscribe to the blog via emails.  Click here to visit the blog.
Gathering In
Each month our outreach focuses on a different group as we collect items or donations to help those in need. Items are collected in a red wagon in the Welcome Room, the church entry. For March, the Gathering-In will be prepaid phone cards, stamps, baby supplies, personal care items, diaper wipes, and diapers for Spruce Run, a shelter for battered women and their children. Deb and Tom Christensen coordinate the Gathering-In ministry.
Stewardship

January Gifts
 for our Ministry    
Total Gifts:
$14,471

Building Fund:
 $828

Worshipers in January:
384


Food Cupboard
During January,  26 bags of groceries and  one grocery store voucher were given to those in need as part of our food cupboard ministry. Donations of staples, such as macaroni and cheese, pasta, pasta sauce, canned tuna, canned vegetables and fruits, and peanut butter are always needed for our food cupboard, which is totally supported by Redeemer members.

Staff Listing
Church office: (207) 945-3166


Nancy Leibfarth, Secretary
Michelle Dokka, Director of Music

Church Council
Pam Shellberg, President  

Wally Jakubas, Vice President  

Cheryl Olson,  Secretary  

Ruby Herring

Pat Kelly

Roger Pelletier

Neal Pratt

Lisa Wahlstrom    

 

Harry Madson, Treasurer  

Rudy Walter, Financial Secretary  

Submit News
Contributions from the congregation are welcomed. Please send articles as either Word documents or PDFs to Cheryl Olson, The Caller editor. Photos are also welcome.