January 2018 NewsletterGrace and peace to you all in Jesus!

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

As we begin the year of our Lord 2018, my resolution is to spend this year talking to you about worship, or better yet, The Divine Service.  We will spend our time diving into deep end of the pool of our rich divine liturgical heritage.  It is our hope that through these letters we will, as the Writer to the Hebrews says, "offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:28-29).

Certainly, these short letters will not be able to capture the grandeur and immensity that is the Divine Service.  Hopefully they will be good hors d'oeuvres to whet your appetite and make you hunger for further study and growth.    

Let's begin with what worship is not.  It is not all about what you do, what you sacrifice, or your work for God!  Sundays are more about what God is doing for you as He showers you with His gifts through Word and Sacrament.  Endowed with the gifts of God we love and serve our neighbor, Monday - Saturday, then return Sunday to be refreshed and revitalized for Monday - Saturday again.  So we live Sunday to Sunday in Christ.  

We begin with two strikes against us.  First, we are sinners.  Sinners think everything is about them.  In fact, Luther said that sin was being curved in upon oneself.  To be a navel gazer.  We often think that God needs something from us.  He needs our praise or our sacrifice.  The reverse is the truth.  We need everything from God.  We need His forgiveness, mercy, peace, blessing, love.  Our response is secondary and minor to what God is doing in worship.  That's why we call it The Divine Service - the Divine - God - serves us with what we need.  And as every child is taught, when you receive a gift you say, "thank you!"  The Giver and gift are the important parts, the thanks is important but minor. 

The second strike we have against us, for most of you reading this, we are Americans.  Now I know that you love this country and so do I.  Having said that the struggle with being an American is that life is all about how we are independent.  Which plays into the whole, "curved in upon ourselves" battle with sin.  We become a success with "our" hard work and "our" sacrifice.  We are called "self-made" men and women.  We are independent.  Christianity is all about being dependent on God.  Please understand that to be successful in the worldly sense it does take hard work and self-sacrifice.  Let us not forget the God who made us and endowed us with ability and drive. 

American Pride and Divine Service are at odds with each other.  Now friends, I love being an American, and there is no other place in the world I want to live.  Yet I am a stranger here because heaven is my home!  Sorry if this burst a bubble!

So now we have a handle on what worship is not, let's see what it is.  In his book, "Gathered Guests: A Guide to Worship in the Lutheran Church" (CPH) Timothy H. Maschke, says that worship is made up of four dimensions: Encounter, Expression, Education, and Evangelism.  Understanding these four dimensions will make clear what The Divine Service, worship is all about.

Encounter: "Lutherans understand worship as a profound encounter with God and His manifold gifts to His people (Gathered Guests Pg 25).  Worship is encountering the Trinity.  Mainly it is an encounter with Jesus, the second person of the Trinity.  It is an encounter with His work as our substitute.  Through the Word, the Spirit is at work revealing Jesus to us and in Jesus we get to know the Father's love. 

Along with the Word, the Sacraments are key for Divine Service.  In Baptism heaven is open to us.  Like Jesus in His baptism, the heavens were opened and the Spirit descended on Him like a dove, and the Father spoke of His Beloved Son.  In your baptism, you receive the Spirit, you receive Jesus and His death and resurrection, the Father adopts you as His own, and heaven is open to you!               In the Lord's Supper, you come to a meal where Jesus is the host and the food.  He gives you His body and blood to eat and drink, in with and under bread and wine, for your forgiveness, life and salvation.  Talk about an encounter with Jesus!  It doesn't get any more intimate and profound than the heavenly meal! 

Expression: "Lutheran Service Book continues in its introduction: 'The Lord's service calls forth our service - in sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to Him and in loving service one another.' Worship is also an expression of our faith or response to what God has done for us in Christ" (Gathered Guests Pg 28).

The Lord feeds His people and then we serve our neighbor.  That's the flow.  The Expression of God's love and forgiveness which we encounter in the Divine Service is poured out as an expression of God's love and forgiveness through us, to those we deal with daily.  Sometimes my navel gazing gets in the way of

the love and forgiveness received and expressed.        "As an expression of faith, worship can be a celebration of God's gifts to His gathered guests.  We celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of our Savior.  We celebrate "the communion of saints and forgiveness of sins."  We celebrate the joy of a renewed life in Christ and the hope of eternity.  We celebrate the opportunity to be edified by God's Spirit" (Gathered Guests Pg 30).

Education: "Worship is also educational or edification.... As education, worship teaches the faith and nurtures the faithful because it is Word-oriented" (Gathered Guests Pgs 30-31).  While the young learn many things at home they have many things learned at home, reinforced in the Divine Service.  It is wonderful to hear our 5 and 6-year old's saying the Lord's Prayer and the Creeds.  We teach some of the Liturgy to the preschoolers in Chapel so that on Sunday's you will hear them singing their parts and often the pastor's parts on the liturgy.  Education is why I'm doing these monthly letters on the Divine Service. 

Evangelism: "Worship is always evangelism or witnessing.... Whatever we do in worship expresses our faith so others may see.... As noted in the introduction of this book, our worship affects our witness and our witness affects our worship.... What we do on Sunday affects our daily lives, and our daily relationship with God affects our expression of worship on Sundays" (Gathered Guests Pgs 32-33).

Concordia Theological Seminary put out a magazine called "For the Life of The World".  What a great title.  It is very Biblical and liturgical.  The Divine Service is for the life of the world!  It is for the life of the world because it is all about Jesus.  So worship is always evangelism. I hope you enjoyed these worship hors d'oeuvres and that your appetite for more is whetted!  More to follow!  God bless you!

Pastor Lingsch                           

UPCOMING EVENTS

Elder and Usher TrainingSunday, January 14thBetween Services - Sanctuary

Hymn FestivalTuesday, January 23rd7:00 pm - Sanctuary

Dr. Arthur Just, "St. Paul and His Missionary Journeys"Saturday, January 27th10:00 am - Fellowship Hall

Youth Group Valentine Bake SaleSunday, February 11th9:30 am - Courtyard

Shrove Tuesday Pancake DinnerTuesday, February 13th6:00 pm - Fellowship Hall

Ash WednesdayWednesday, February 14th

WEEKLY EVENTS

Did You Know We Have a Facebook Page?Please 'Like' us on Facebook!  Grace of Naples Lutheran Church and Preschool.  

 

Women's Bible StudyThursday's 10:00 am - 11:00 amFellowship Hall Wednesday Afternoon/EveningPrograms 3:45 pm Cherubs Choir4:00 pm Kids Club4:15 pm Choristers5:15 pm Dinner6:00 pm Confirmation Class6:30 pm Evening Worship7:00 pm Grace Chorale

Handbell ChoirThursday's at 6:00 pm

Planning Council Happenings   The Planning Council at Grace extends to all of you the warmest wishes for the new Year.  Considering the cold snap we're experiencing, we know that you'll appreciate pretty much anything that's warm! 

 Thanks to your remarkable generosity, our staff and office/facilities/pre-school personnel know that their efforts are appreciated.  I extend my personal apology for the tardiness of the letter asking for contributions.  Regardless, we experienced a veritable blizzard of green envelopes and the gifts were distributed during the week following Christmas.

The Planning Council will be completing its review and revision of our Constitution, our Bylaws, our facilities use policy, giving policy and others.

Since Barb Hillier's financial report to the Voters in 2013, we have experienced a bit of a turnstile in the position she held.  Voters have expressed the need for financial reports as thorough as Barb's as we deliberate the church's budgets for the year.  Thanks to Betty Yock's treasure hunting skills we now have a template for Helen Leibfried to use and Helen will make available at the next Voters Meeting the appropriate report on the financial footing of our congregation.

Some steps have already been taken and more are to come to add security during services and provide a watchful eye on the parking lot.

We may be altering the type of floor covering in the Fellowship Hall.  Your suggestions will be appreciated.  Management of the implications involving sound in that room will be addressed as well.

 May God continue to bless our church and its congregation,

Steve Beights 

Wednesday Night DinnerPlease join us each Wednesday night for dinner at 5:15 pm.  

If you would like to help with a Wednesday night dinner, please see the sign-up on the wall in the Fellowship Hall or call the office.  You don't need to do the whole meal to help. See the sign-up sheet in the Fellowship Hall for jobs and dishes needed.  

FROM GRIEF TO JOYWhen Jesus told His disciples, "Your will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy." (John16:20), He included us in that same promise. Grief is for a season. There is a hope and a future for those who grieve. Please join Deaconess Linda for a new grief support group on Monday mornings at 10:00 starting January 8th. This informal group will meet weekly for those who have suffered the loss of a loved one, a marriage, a dear friend, or any other loss. We'll be working our way through the book "Hope When Your Heart Breaks" by Michael W. Newman.  Bring your coffee, bring your friend. Come and let us help you find joy again.   

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Deaconess Linda is available for spiritual counseling with women by appointment. If you need someone to talk to, to walk with you through a difficult time in your life, or someone to pray with you please feel free to contact her at (248) 892-7405, or at dcslinda1492@gmail.com  She is not a licensed therapist, but she has 15 years of deaconess experience working with women in her former congregation. She is a great listener!

Wanted:  Someone or a couple to deliver an Altar bouquet on a Sunday afternoon to someone who is in the hospital (whenever the need arises). You would be notified after the second church service on any given Sunday.  Call the church office or Ruth Dishop (239-262-7137) to volunteer.   

January EventsFrom DCE Kami Jo Mogelvang

January 13th: Blue Zones Purpose Workshop, 10-12pm in Fellowship Hall. Are you interested in learning more about the Blue Zones Project? Did you know that Grace Lutheran Church is considering becoming a Blue Zone? Join us to learn more about the Blue Zones project, sponsored by NCH Healthcare. 

From our Financial Secretary Deb Laveen: 2018 Envelopes - Thank you to those of you who have picked up your envelopes and for those of you who have not picked them up yet we have put them in your mailbox in the Narthex. Counters - Thank you for the three couples who have volunteered to count offerings during season.  Bob & Joanne Billharz, Erwin & Jackie Bruesehoff and Dick & Rhea Teteak.  This will give our regular counters some additional support during our busy time of the year.  THANK YOU.  If anyone else is interested in helping count offerings please contact Deb Laveen.

 Year-end Giving Statements - Our goal is to have the statements out to everyone by the end of January.  Those of you that have email will receive them by email and those who do not have email will have a copy put in your mailbox.  Please make sure that your correct email information has been given to Gwyn Powers in the office.

 

 

Pastor Eisold - January 2018

Dear Partners in Christ's Mission, What a difference a YEAR can make!! Last year we began public worship and averaged 16 people every Sunday.  This December with Christmas Eve and our" Three Month Anniversary of God's Grace" in surviving Irma, we averaged 47 worshippers per Sunday.  Naturally, two Sundays with over 72 people helped, but last year we did not even KNOW 72 people without a church home!    Praise the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ!! Many thanks to the many members of our LCMS from around the country for prayers and support for this mission's hurricane relief.  That work continues.  Many thanks also to GRACE and FAITH Lutheran Churches of Naples for their generous donations of gifts to give to our children at Christmastime!   This was a special part of our season for sure, and was a blessing to the children as well as parents and grandparents who could not give much this year.  Last year we also had three baptisms - 1 infant, 1 child, and one adult.  We had two weddings as well.  In December we hosted two Friday night music festivals, the second of which had 150 guests and served as the setting for a promotional video for the group, "Venezuelans of SW Florida".  The stories of every political refugee is heart-wrenching, but I remember the stories of so many of my own family and friends whose grandparents left Germany, Poland, Russia and other countries due to sad and dangerous circumstances as well.  Though they may not have been Lutheran before arriving in the USA, the local, Lutheran Church welcomed them and connected them to schools, jobs, and friends in the community.  This is incredible and enlivening work, and shows Christ to people who are open and available, and who need to know that someone 'has their back' and will provide others to accompany them in their struggles to adapt to their new, unexpected homeland.  Now, in January, we are starting the year off with a bang!   From January 8-15 we will host a Team of 6 volunteers from Hales Corners Lutheran Church, in Hales Corners, WI.  They will specialize in work to help with recovery from damage caused by Hurricane Irma.  Many people with serious troubles have been overlooked or outright forgotten.  Though the landscape changes daily, even now in January we are finding many folks who have no time, energy, money, nor hope to get repairs or removal done in a timely fashion. This is where the baptized Child of God can make a BIG difference and shine some majestic light from above.  We are also hosting an English Camp for three mornings of January 9-11, and are kicking off a new semester of English Classes that same week!  We are also "filling in the gaps" in the front and back yards where lost trees left holes and

heavy equipment left ruts.  Loads of fill dirt have been brought in to make repairs in order to keep the yard smooth and safe for everyone.  There is a place for everyone who wants to help or support this ministry in ANY way.  This is our first year without significant District support beyond the District Mission Grant, which is $30,000.  Our Distirct office has stepped-up since Irma to assist with major improvements needed to the property.  We are very thankful for this!  Due to age, roots from a large oak tree, and greater use of the facilities, we must replace the septic system for the Community Center.  It was emptied in June, September, and December of 2017 do to failings in the system.  This will be a great blessing to all! MANY THANKS to Grace Lutheran Church - our Mother Church - for continued commitment and support for this second year of Word & Sacrament Ministry to a community who the Lord has called us and blessed us to serve.   God bless you all and have a great New Year in the new start that is fully ours in Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord!! Your Brother in Christ,Pastor Mark

Don't forget to save your gently used items.

      

 

Grace Lutheran Church, 860 Banyan Blvd, Naples, FL 34102