Y2K, COVID, and Adaptive Change

Do you remember the sense of dread and panic that we experienced as December 31, 1999 approached?

When computer technology was in its early stages, programmers saved previous memory by always

abbreviating the year to the last two digits. 1966 was programmed as simply 66. Which is all fine and dandy

until the new century comes.

We feared computer crashes that would lead to financial market crashes, power system shut downs, and

grounding of all kinds of transportation infrastructure. Thankfully, programmers saw the problem coming,

devised patches and fixes, and ultimate crisis was avoided. But we were all on pins and needles as the big

apple fell in Times Square that year.

COVID has turned out to be something like Y2K in forcing society (that is, you and me) to quickly change

the way we do things. We’ve been forced to adapt to a new way of interaction, taking care of our basic human

needs, and accomplishing our mission... both as a fellowship of believers and in all of our unique situations and

callings.

Y2K was a big deal. It required what is known as “technical change,” not simply because it was change

primarily related to technology, but because the change required to move forward was based on information

we already were familiar with.

When the change is more substantial, and based on a completely new field of information, or based on

things significantly unfamiliar to us, then that is called “adaptive change.” What we’ve been going through with

COVID, for most of us, is adaptive change. We’ve had to adapt to new and unfamiliar ways of interacting with

others and doing the things we need to do for life, faith, work, and play.

In his book, Canoeing the Mountains, Ted Bolsinger talks about the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1803-

1806) to explore the newly purchased Louisiana Territory. Their goal was to find a water route to the Pacific

Ocean, which they reasoned they could find by going up the Missouri and jumping over to another easy river

with their “canoes” and float their way to the ocean.

What wasn’t in their imagination was the Rocky Mountains. Stuck at the headwaters of the Yellowstone

River, to accomplish their mission required the adaptive change of purchasing horses from the Native

Americans, constructing sleds, and riding over the mountains, not canoeing some easy river. (Thus the

paradoxical title of the book, since you can’t cross mountains in a canoe!)

A time is coming and is now here when we who are the Church must embrace adaptive change if we are to

accomplish our mission. If we don’t adapt now, then we will be stuck-lost at the end of our known way of doing

things.

It’s time to re-familiarize ourselves with our purpose and mission (make disciples), and our provisions

(Jesus’ promised until-his-return traveling presence). It’s time to figure out the radical change called for and

completely enabled by a radical Gospel of forgiveness. It’s time to risk the familiar for the sake of the kingdom.

This is the new day that is before us. And God is all-in it!

– John Eric Karle Exploring. Equipping. Encouraging. Ephesians 4:11-16

Good News Saint John Lutheran Church — Hattiesburg, Mississippi

September 2020

Surprise the World!

Love. Like. Jesus. + Hope for the City.

September 2020

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

12pm AA

2

10:02 Online Bible

Study

10:02am West

Hattiesburg Bible Study

12pm AA

6pm Fresh Hope

3

12pm AA

4

12pm AA

5

10am AA

6

10:30am Worship

7

12pm AA

8

12pm AA

9

10:02 Online Bible

Study

12pm AA

6pm Fresh Hope

10

12pm AA

11

12pm AA

12

10am AA

13

9:15am Online Dig In Sunday

School

10:30am Worship

14

12pm AA

6pm Elders

15

12pm AA

16

10:02 Online Bible

Study

10:02am West

Hattiesburg Bible Study

12pm AA

6pm Fresh Hope

17

12pm AA

18

12pm AA

19

10am AA

10am Altar Guild Mtg.

20

9:15am Online Dig In Sunday

School

10:30am Worship

21

12pm AA

22

12pm AA

23

10:02 Online Bible

Study

12pm AA

6pm Fresh Hope

24

12pm AA

6pm BOD (tentative)

25

12pm AA

26

10am AA

27

9:15am Online Dig In Sunday

School

10:30am Worship

28

12pm AA

29

12pm AA

30

10:02 Online Bible

Study

12pm AA

6pm Fresh Hope

LUTHERAN CAMPUS MISSION

Serving in September

Pastor

John Karle

Music Director

Jason Sims

Altar Care Team

Bill and Joyce Coll

Online Giving — Online giving is available

to members and friends of Saint John via

the 'Give' tab on our webpage. Thank you

for supporting our work together in Jesus'

name.

Campus Mission —

Welcome all college

students! We're

glad you're here. Please check in with

Pastor John (or text/call at 318.332.3352).

Live Streaming of Worship Services — www.saintjohnhattiesburg.com.

Get Your Bratwurst — Full case (2 packages, 30 Brats) for $35. 1/2 case (one package, 15

Brats) for $17.50. Starter pack of 4 Brats for $5. Contact the church office at 601.583.4898.

Come & Go Communion — Tentative date: Saturday, August 29th, 10:00am to 1pm.

August Church BOD Meeting — Date change to Sunday, August 30th at 6pm via Zoom.

Wednesday West Hattiesburg Bible Study Resumes September 2nd at 10:02am — Debbie

Frederick leads this study on 2nd Timothy hosted in the home of Shirley Thone. Please

contact either of them for directions. The gathering includes wearing masks, washing

hands, and watching our physical distancing. This study meets on the first and third

Wednesdays only.

Dig In Sunday School — Will tentatively resume Sunday, September 13th at 9:15am. Children

may be dropped off and picked up by one adult outside the door of the room and children

must wear mask while inside the classroom. Food and drink will not be allowed in the

room.

Altar Flowers — Sponsors available for September 20th.

Wednesday Online Bible Study at 10:02am — "The Word of the Lord Grows: Hardship,

Suffering, and Sacrifice in the Acts of the Early Church" — Connect via the Zoom link

emailed on Tuesday or via the Zoom link posted on Tuesday on the Saint John Hattiesburg

Mission Partners Facebook Group.

Parents of Nursery age children — Due to Gabby relocating, some things are changing in

the nursery. If you plan to come to church on Sunday, communicate with Gabby ahead of

time so we can insure someone will be there to take care of the children. Also due to

COVID, food and drink (including the snack time we normally have) will not be permitted

into the nursery. Toys have been limited to try to maintain the most sanitary room we can.

Fresh Hope Online Group — Fresh Hope is a peer-led support group for those with mental

illness. There are no restrictions…anyone struggling from mental health, or a loved one of

someone who is, can join this group, which provides God’s fresh hope for daily living.

Online meetings are held every Wednesday at 6pm. For more information on the meeting,

please email Gil Emmons at madeofclay2020@gmail.com. For more information about the

group, please see the letter in the July newsletter, visit www.freshhope.us, or search on

YouTube for, “Romans Road Channel”.

About Tithes and Offerings — As followers of Jesus, we are convinced that the continuation

of Christ's work — both in this place and to the ends of the earth — depends on each of

our generosity of our life's passions, priorities, and provisions. As partners in Jesus' Gospel

mission, we thankfully dedicate a part of our income to the Church's larger work. Financial

tithes and offerings may be given on Sunday mornings during worship in the offering

plate, via the regular mail, or online at the congregation's website by clicking on the 'Give'

button. Thanks!

25th Ordination Anniversary Thank You — Sunday, August 2nd was an amazing day for our

family as the congregation helped recognize my years of service in pastoral leadership in

God's Church! Thank you for the many cards, notes, letters, gifts, video greetings, and

words of encouragement from so many who are a part of Saint John Hattiesburg, Christ

the King Natchitoches, and the Southern District. You are beautiful and it's a joy to be in

mission together! May God's kingdom advance and increase among us!

Wisdom, Discernment, Prayer, and Courage

What does it mean that Pastor Karle has received a "Call"?

In July Pastor Karle received a Call to lead the campus mission at Texas A&M University in

College Station. The first wekk of September, he and Jennifer are going there to see what

the position entails and whether it is a good fit. Please join your prayers for wisdom,

discernment, and courage with our prayers. A longer explanation of the call process is

available in the August newsletter.

Technology Upgrades

Here's an update on what we're planning and how you can help. Nearly all of the equipment needed for technology upgrades to the worship sanctuary,

lobby, and other parts of the building has now been ordered. The most crucial items

— three new video cameras — are on backorder. The shipping date is uncertain, but

we are first on the order fulfillment list. If you'd like to make a special donation to

help cover some of the financial costs, please speak with Pastor Karle. A longer

explanation of the technology upgrades is available in the August and September

newsletters.

Confirmation Instruction Plan — We're looking to resume confirmation instruction online

during September for our three middle school confirmation students. The transition from

traditional delivery to online learning will still take a couple of weeks before we're ready to

start. We have the curriculum written, but need to transition formats and record several

sessions before we begin releasing them in an orderly fashion. Having made our way

through the foundational stories of Genesis and the first part of Exodus, we'll now turn to

John's Gospel. When that's done, we'll cruise through the catechism before the Rite of

Confirmation in about a year or so, depending on the speed of our instructional progress.

Study Books for Sale: Great for Lifelong Learning Anytime!

Woman: The Forgotten Story For any woman, identity is important. The question,

“Who am I?” will haunt her every decision. Discover again the old story of a beautiful

identity, a story of love and sacrifice. The story offers incredible comfort, gives guidance,

and teachers everyone who listens a wisdom that saves lives. Cost is $15.

The Sinner/Saint Devotional ۰ 06 Days in the Psalms A 60 day devotional that explores

the book of Psalms to help us reevaluate our views on prayer, the law, the gospel, and

the psalms. Cost is $15.

Lutheran Study Bibles — We have five regular size print Lutheran Study Bibles available for

purchase for $50 each. These resourceful ESV translations with extensive study notes may

be viewed in the church office. Larger print versions of the Lutheran Study Bible are $59.

Couples Devotional Book — We're encouraging all those who are married (or engaged) to

purchase the year of daily devotions by Timothy and Kathy Keller. The devotional is titled

The Meaning of Marriage: A Couple's Devotional and is based on their earlier book with a

similar title. Cost is $15.

Young Couples Bible Study — We are studying Broken: 7 "Christian" Rules That Every

Christian Ought to Break as Often as Possible by Jonathan Fisk. You can check it out

at https://tinyurl.com/yea5r56a. If you are interested please contact Christopher

Longman at 601.466.0103 or Dewey Case at 601.297.7953. Book cost is $20.

People Relocating with Thanksgiving and Blessing

Gabby has accepted a job in Jackson, MS and has moved in with family in that area.

John and Sylvia Ruppel are relocating to Memphis, TN in order to be closer to family.

Oktoberfest Alternative Plan

In view of our previous decision to cancel our regular Oktoberfest 2020 plans due to

concerns over COVID-19, the following plan is presented to the congregation through

the September newsletter.

We will pursue an effort, where within the congregation we ask for donations to the

Oktoberfest fund. Several individuals have calculated what they would normally

contribute to Oktoberfest in time, purchases, and in-kind donations, and have

suggested giving that amount in a cash donation. This could go a long way in assuring

that our missions are fully funded this year.

Please consider such a donation in the next three months to Oktoberfest missions. Please

write a separate check to Saint John Lutheran Church and write “Oktoberfest” in the

memo line. Place in a separate envelope clearly marked and convey to the church

office.

A news release to the general public announcing the postponement of Oktoberfest and

soliciting public support for the missions by donating to the church directly is being

distributed. Anyone anywhere is welcome to give to the Oktoberfest Missions

fundraising effort through the special Oktoberfest link on the church website.

The suggestion of having a potluck dinner in October was felt to be impractical due to the

COVID-19 pandemic. We will consider such a celebration at a later date. However,

there appears to be some interest in some type of auction that could include food

items, art work, deli items etc. Our challenge is how to do it safely, properly distanced

and adequately advertised. Please provide your thoughts to Mark Keyl as we proceed

into the fall.

Thanks go to the Oktoberfest committee for

arriving at a plan. We encourage the

congregation to consider supporting our

missions through their generous donations,

as we lead by example.

In his service and yours,

Mark Keyl

Oktoberfest Team Leader

Can You Push a Mower? — We're looking to shift how we do the lawn care around the

church building, engage some of the younger men in the congregation, and tap new skill

sets. If you could be a part of a rotation of folks helping to keep the place looking

welcoming, please contact John Karle. We're ready to get started this coming week.

Thanks!

Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

LWML NEWSLETTER – SEPTEMBER

LWML Mites collected on August 2, 2020, totaled $187.37. Praise God!!! Your prayers and support of the Mission Grants, selected in Convention by the Gulf States District and National LWML, continue to tell the Good News of Jesus all over the world! Mites will be collected next on Sunday, September 6, 2020, at church. If you are unable to attend worship, please make your checks out to Saint John Hattiesburg LWML, and mail directly to Christina Noffke at 108 Ramblewood Drive, Hattiesburg, MS 39402.

The Gulf States LWML District is planning a Winter Ladies Retreat January 29-31, 2021. Lodging will take place at Towne Place Suites by Marriott/Downtown OWA in Foley, Alabama. Bible study sessions will be held at beautiful Perdido Bay, Camp Dixie. Donna Snow (Pyle) will be the Bible Study Leader (Some of you may remember her from the National Convention held in Mobile, Alabama). I know this is many months away, but if you are interested, please let me know soon so arrangements can be made for lodging, and carpooling. Registration Fee of $50.00 is due by December 15, 2020.

The WELLSPRING OF LIFE is the title of the four Bible Studies based on Psalm 42:1-2. “As a deer pants for flowing streams. So pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?"

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4) Saint Paul’s words to us are one of my favorite passages in the Bible. He was in prison chains, and yet, he trusted God would take care of all his problems according to His Good and Gracious Will. During the past months, dealing with the circumstances of the Coronavirus, I wonder how God is using His people to do the same thing as Saint Paul—trusting in the guidance of the Holy Spirit for our lives. It is so easy to forget that we have the most wonderful loving God living in us and always leading us according to His Will. We need to continue to live each day rejoicing in JESUS, our Savior, telling everyone GOD LOVES YOU!

Saint John LWML will not be holding business meetings until it is safe, once again, to gather at church. In the meantime, we can “Serve the Lord with Gladness!” everyday using the gifts He gives us to LOVE LIKE JESUS! Together, we trust in God’s will for future zone and district meetings. Hopefully, we will be able to join our sisters in Christ and attend the next National LWML convention in Lexington, Kentucky, scheduled for June 24-27, 2021.

UNTIL NEXT TIME. . . . . “Serve the Lord with Gladness!!!”

-Shirley Thone President LWML

From the Altar Guild

Altar Guild Meeting – Mark Your Calendars Date and time: September 19, 2020 at 10:00am

Face-to-Face or Zoom? Stay tuned.

Love and Companionship

When I’m with my pets, I experience so much joy and comfort. Pets effortlessly express the unconditional love of God. They ask little in return: food, a walk, maybe some playtime. I feed them food; they feed my soul.

There are times I feel I should have an “out of order” sign stamped on my forehead or my mood might be a bit off. It doesn’t matter because my companion animals are compassion in action. I am grateful for their gifts of love, fidelity, and companionship.

That’s the way Jesus is—compassion in action. From his birth to his death to his amazing resurrection, Jesus acts on our behalf. His whole being was, is, and will be for us. Jesus provides for us spiritually, gives us his nourishing food, he walks with us, and he offers us rest. Thankfully, Jesus never hangs out an “Out of Order” sign, and we can trust that he will restore our order when we are out of sorts. We only need look to him, and he will feed our soul.

Worship: information, thoughts, and reflections on how, why, and where we worship.

Our thoughts continue from last month on actions of reverence. Bowing is one such action. We may bow our heads in prayer to show our respect for God. We may bow toward the altar because it represents Christ’s presence among us. We may bow toward the cross as it is carried in procession. Many Christians bow when the name of Jesus Christ is mentioned in liturgy as a sign that we accept him as Lord: “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11, ESV).

These ritual actions help us embody our faith. They stimulate worshipful and prayerful attitudes. They are a means of expressing and reinforcing our reverence and adoration for the holiness of God. These outward signs of devotion are acceptable to God, for they flow out of hearts full of love for God and obedience to His will.

Glory to God in the Highest!

Christina Keiper Altar Guild Chair 601-550-1050

ckeiper511@gmail.com

From the Chair — Old Minds Still Work…

Sometimes the Results Are Just As Lucid!

By Dennis Smith, Board of Direction Chair

Like many of you, Lillian and I have mostly enjoyed our church services from home rather than

participating in person. I must admit at first I missed the personal interaction with our

church family, and that resulted in a fairly significant sense of guilt. After several weeks now,

I recognize that my thinking has changed, and please allow me to share some of my

thoughts with you.

There is no question that I would prefer to be with everybody again, and I hope sooner rather

than later. There is no question that online worship is different and has taken a little

adjustment. I know that my God demands worship from me, and I freely want to honor that

request regardless of how it is done, where it is done, and what time of the day or week it is

done. There are many of us who do not have a choice in these things, and have worshipped

remotely for years, but for different reasons and practices.

I would also like to share what I have found to be a particularly positive outcome from what I

first thought was a burden. I am now worshipping as the early

church worshipped, in homes as opposed to well-built, well-

lighted, and air conditioned buildings. I sense a deeper

respect and appreciation for the art pieces, and the “canned”

music we sometimes use.

I fully appreciate the quality of our Saint John music and

choir, it’s just that my appreciation for the other has grown,

and that is a surprise to me. And that surprising change is

very positive. And certainly at my age, change is not always

endorsed as readily as it should be.

I also enjoy watching all the folks coming forward for communion. And in the beginning of

service when they all turn at Pastor John’s request and wave, I wave back. You would never

have convinced me that day would come! My daughter has had a saying for years that

allows her to affirm in the positive; she says, “Does a fat kid like cake?”

One more thing before I close (and you don’t have to share everything with Pastor John), I

really enjoy his message even more over a second cup of coffee! See You in Church!

Surprise the World!

Love. Like. Jesus. + Hope for the City.

Saint John Lutheran Church 2001 Hardy Street

Hattiesburg MS 39401 Telephone: 601.583.4898

Website: www.saintjohnhattiesburg.com Email: stjohnlutheranchurch@gmail.com

Like Us on Facebook: USM Campus Mission Like Us on Facebook: Oktoberfest Hattiesburg

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Birthdays in September

Lisa Case Sept. 1 Angela Powe Sept. 3 Zaylee McMichael Sept. 6

Andrew Meyers Sept. 6 Logan Lovdahl Sept. 7 Regan Lowry Sept. 7

Michael Jiminez Sept. 9 Marcel Thiel Sept. 13 Brandon Kirkley Sept. 15

Maurice Gault Sept. 18 Jeremy Noffke Sept. 18 Woodrow Sept. 18

Scott Chaney Sept. 19 Dave Myers Sept. 23 Zaylin Powe Sept. 24

Jennifer Blair Sept. 28 Julian Noffke Sept. 30

Anniversaries in September

Mark & Barbara Keyl 43 years Sept. 3

Jerry & Helga Herrington 57 years Sept. 18

Jim & Rita Wilson 22 years Sept. 26