Newsletter - Our Savior Lutheran Church

CONNECTION
Our Savior Lutheran Church
Mesquite, TX
May 2015
Pentecost and the ‘60s: Where Cultures Collide
It’s the 50th Birthday of the ‘60s.
Recent documentaries about the ‘60s have chronicled the changes that have led us into an unwinnable war—the
Culture War. Culture Wars do not use traditional armies or warheads. They breathe stereotypes, stir hatred,
inflame passions. They use weapons of racism, prejudice, and ignorance.
The skirmishes are everywhere around us. They can be found in the streets of Baltimore, the borders of the
Southwest, the deserts of Syria, the pot shops of Colorado, and even the Supreme Court of the United States.
Political parties entrench themselves for ongoing clashes. Muslim-Christian hostilities escalate. Denominations
of Christianity have widening polarities of belief. Culture wars dominate our national discourse from state
house to your house. These culture wars are about language, customs, ethnicity, economic status, lifestyles,
dress, freedom of speech, morality, government, gun control, abortion, gay rights, death penalty, sexuality,
marriage, drug use, privacy, censorship, religion, personal values … you name it and someone, somewhere is
fighting about it. These undeclared wars are reaching a fever pitch… and sometimes they break out in violence
and destruction.
Times haven’t changed much. First century Jerusalem was a hotbed of culture wars.
Roman oppression marked the dominant culture. But there were pockets of resistance. Jewish morality and
theology defied Roman culture, creating seedbeds of animosity, polarity, and out and out revolt. Language
disparity kept antagonists at a suspicious arms length. Systems of belief were at odds. Urbane Romans clashed
with nomadic Jewish tribes. The stage seemed set for violence and destruction.
Instead, the stage was set for Pentecost.
Pentecost blew through the culture wars and broke down the barriers. Language?
No problem. Ethnicity? Non-issue. Custom, dress, belief, race? Not an obstacle.
It was an unprecedented display of power. What was the weapon, the force that broke through the culture wars,
that brought peace out of hostility and unity out of diversity? What wind swept through Jerusalem like a
blazing fire to ignite an unquenchable passion—no longer of hate. but of love?
It was the Holy Spirit.
The same Holy Spirit that brought together “Partians, Medes, Elamites, and Cappadocians,” comes to us in the
middle of our culture wars: racial prejudice, religious bigotry, ethnic suspicions, moral preconceptions. Our
antagonists have different labels today, but the Holy Spirit still comes. That first Pentecost was a veritable
United Nations of Culture Wars between “Phrygia, Pamphylia, Mesopotamia, Pontus, Egypt, and Asia”.
Today’s Pentecost hosts many more nations and ethnic groups, yet “Cretan and Arab”, Roman and Jew all are
invited to sit down together and listen to a wind that still blows through our world today.
You see, Pentecost teaches us that the collision of cultures does not need to bring catastrophic destruction. It
can bring diverse forces together, promote understanding, heal wounds. Pentecost turns a culture of war into a
culture of peace.
This Pentecost Sunday (May 24) take time to listen. Listen to the sound of the rushing wind. Listen to the
rustling whisper of God’s fiery presence. Listen to those who are so different, who are so at odds. Listen to the
sound of walls coming down, of enemies made friends, of different languages speaking the same message.
Come, Holy Spirit, come … to our culture wars today, and help us listen to the language of peace.
OS L S u n d a y S ch o o l Pa g e
Is it May already? My how time flies…. But we are still having fun in Sunday school classes
learning about heroes of the bible! Come join us.
We learn about a new hero each month. Our contest continues this month with one more hero
before we break for the summer. Come and check out who we will be learning about this
month!
Last month the hero was Moses. The winner for the March Hero Logo contest is:
Hayden Jacobs 1st Grade! Come to the Hero Bulletin board located in the east education wing
to see all the winners.
Thank you to everyone who
who contributed their
time and talent to making the Easter Celebration an awesome
celebration! It was a wonderful Easter morning and great
fellowship by all who attended.
Education Director:
Lisa Holmes
Blessings to you and your family,
lisa.holmes63@gmail.com
Around the World in Eight Sundays
Our Savior is Going Global. For eight Sunday evenings after Easter we will take a whirlwind tour of the world by
hearing the Word from “ambassadors” of faith from other countries and sharing global cuisine that makes world
travel both adventurous and enriching. Spanning four continents, we’ll listen, learn, and worship together with
witnesses from other countries. Both our palates and our pieties should deepen from the experience. Our Sunday
evening service will be transformed into an intercontinental faith journey of food, fellowship, and faith. We’ve
already been to Germany, Sierra Leone, and Ethiopia, so keep your passports handy for our next stop.
International
May 3
5 & 6PM Global Smorgasbord
Finland
May 10 5PM Supper with Finland’s Finest Foods
6PM Guest Pastor Jarmo Tarkki
India
May 17 5 PM Supper with Eclectic Indian Food
6 PM Guest Pastor Gnana Segaran
The Philippines May 24
Mexico
5 PM Supper with food from the Philippines
6 PM Guest Pastor Immanuel Ilagan
May 31 6PM Worship with Pastor Portillo
Esther, Ishtar, and Easter: A Supper/Study Group
For Sunday Evening Worship
What do you get when you cross a dinner theater with a Bible study with a worship service?
You get a menu of delightful food for the stomach and laughter for the belly—just like the Persians of Esther’s
time and the Jew’s of our time. The Book of Esther is an oddity in our Bible, featuring lavish feasts, merry
entertainment, and vaudeville-type villains. Jewish people still celebrate its story with feasting and merriment,
plays and pranks called the Festival of Purim.
While Purim happens in the early spring, we’re going to try it in the summer—all 4 Sundays in June to be
exact—with a Supper and a Study that will be unlike any worship service you’ve ever experienced. Details will
be forthcoming as to the setting and style of supper (probably potluck at church), but we’re shooting for a 5pm
Supper and 5:30pm Study/Service.
Who is this Jewish heroine with strangely mythological characteristics? And why is Esther
read in Christian Churches on the Eve of Easter? And, by the way, how many times is God
mentioned in the Book of Esther?
If that doesn’t whet your appetite for “Esther, Ishtar, and Easter”, then maybe a scrumptious
supper will! Sign up in the centrum if you’re interested in learning more about the greatest
heroine in the Old Testament. No matter how many sign up, we’re going to celebrate “Four
Evenings with Esther” to celebrate the first month of summer. (This is a continuation of our
“Around the World in 8 Sundays.” People enjoyed the supper/service format and this will
continue that venue along with a bible study, worship, and Holy Communion as always.)
Pentecost Sunday—May
24
Sunday
Pentecost is the birth of the church. The Spirit came in rushing wind and tongues of fire to signal
that New Birth. The color of the day is RED for the fire of the Spirit and the power of the Church.
Wear Red slacks, dress, shoes, shirt, tie, coat, socks. Let’s make it a crimson celebration! You can
make it shine! (If you are fluent in a language other than English, please contact Pastor Schelter.)
2015 Summer Movie Marathon
Marathon events are big news makers… whether far away like the Boston
Marathon or closer to home like the Cowtown Marathon. But the
marathon that matters for this summer is a movie marathon of 3 stories of
runners whose every step was a race of courage, determination, and faith.
One runner is from the United States, the second from Great Britain, and
the third from Iran. These 3 movies highlight faith and trust and hope for
this summer’s “Flicks for Faith.” The times and movies are listed below.
We’ll share a light potluck supper at 6:30pm, and follow with the movie at
7pm. The times are set. Get on your racing shoes. To the starting blocks.
Ready. Set. Go… to Our Savior’s Summer Movie Marathon!
Supper at 6:30, Movie at 7:00pm
June 12
Unbroken
June 24
Chariots of Fire
July 17
Children of Heaven
Spring Is In The Air… and
Baseball is Around the Corner!
Cap off a 4th of July weekend
with a July 7 tip of the cap to
the Texas Rangers. Sign up now
for group rate tickets to see
our Texas Rangers on July 7,
7:05pm, against the Arizona
Diamondbacks,
and
keep
th
celebrating the 4
of July
holiday with a half price $11
ticket. Sign up in the centrum
and we’ll find out! (By the way,
Hawaiian t-shirts will be given
to the first 15,000 fans.)
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Date
1
5
7
23
24
25
26
Name
Herb
. Salmons
Marshall Hocker
Ryan DeShazo
Gregory Folkmann
Marynell Murphree
Jordan Castilleja
Nora MacLaren
Ashlyn Williams
Shari Murphy
Alexia Berger
Clinton Murphree
Paul Cross
Remona Kurt
Caleb Moore
Elena Bohling
Rachel Bolding
Hannah Kardos
Denise Bartosh
Brian Murphy
James Bartosh
Carlos Cisneros
27
28
29
30
31
Nicholas Villegas
Sydney Paige
Karley Lewis
Christina Gipson
Helen Henson
Brynna Williams
8
9
11
13
14
16
21
22
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Date
1
4
8
10
11
14
16
19
20
21
23
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TÇÇ|äxÜátÜ|xá
Bobbie Jean McClatchey
Date
2
15
26
27
31
Chris & Sally Kilgore
Jerry & Kaethe Combs
Ken & Paula Hester
Steven & Kelly Belz
Carlos & Barbara Cisneros
24
25
Years
19
53
43
20
40
27
29
30
31
Name
Cindy Nash
Martin Wardlaw Jr.
Rigo Chavez
Richard Krause
Corbin Zimmermann
Christie Nash
Tessie Murphy
Jessica Davis
Elena Conoly
Lou Mazza
Timothy Murphy
Baerbel Williams
Ann Williams
Ryan Hutchinson
Rosa Cisneros
Harrison Helm
Kirk Helm
Charles Skyles
Caleb Moore
Michael Anthony
Christa Schelter
Eric Enstrom
Sydney Paige
Connor Nash
Clinton Murphree
Shawn Sanders
Paige Furr
Worship Assistants
5/10-5/24
8:30
Assisting Minister Michael Conoly
Greeter
Jackie Howk
Stephanie Jenkins
Ushers
Tom Stewart
Patty Stewart
Reader
Communion
Assistants
Mark Hall
Cindy Nash
Mark Murray
5/31-6/14
11:00
Randy Peterson
Matt McCabe
Patti Preas
James Bartosh
Jon Cook
Richard Mastin
Robert Holmes
Debbie Zimmermann
Debbie Zimmermann
Lois Schelter
8:30
Mark Murray
Beth Shafer
Dave Shafer
Chris Lubben
Michael Lubben
Cynthia Lubben
Sonja Conoly
Thane Katz
11:00
Randy Peterson
Lou Mazza
Marie Mazza
Chris Anderson
David Anderson
Matt Oliva
Linda Oliva
Lisa Holmes
Richard Mastin
Shari Murphy
Acolytes
8:30am
11:00am
May 3
Karley L.
Logan J.
Joshua E.
Jonathan E.
May 10
Ashley L.
Cody F.
Mackenzie R.
Tessie M.
May 17
Simon B.
Sam J.
Zainab N.
Jaeden F.
May 24
Christina G.
Jasmine G.
Caroline F.
Oliva R.
May 31
Morgan B.
Athena L.
Joshua E.
Jonathan E.
June 7
Logan J.
Ashley L.
Tessie M.
Jaeden F.
__________________
Connection
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage Paid
Mesquite Texas
Our Savior Lutheran Church
411 North Town East Blvd.
Mesquite TX 75150
Office: 972-226-0510
Fax: 972-226-0722
www.oslmesquite.org
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Permit # 98
__________________
Sunday Worship – 8:30am, 11:00am & 5:30 pm
Sunday School - 9:45am
Pastor – John Schelter
Special
Congregation
Meeting May 31st
A meeting of the congregation
will be held at 12:15pm, May
31st, to discuss our relationship
with Iglesia Luterana La
Transfiguracion ELCA. We
will vote on the possibility of
renewing the contract allowing
our sister congregation to share
our space for worship. The
meeting should be brief to
allow us to get home (or our
favorite restaurant!) in time for
lunch.
2015 Seniors
We will feature our proud Seniors in next month’s
newsletter. If we have not contacted you for stats,
please email the church osl@airmail.net or call the
church office 972-226-0510.
May 2015
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
Each Sunday
8:30am Service
9:45am Sunday
School
11:00am Service
5:30am Service
FRIDAY
1
5
9:30am Mother’s
Day Out
7:00pm
Lighthouse for
New Hope
6
5:30pm
Confirmation
7:00pm Choir
Rehearsal
10
Mother’s Day
5pm Finland
Dinner
6pm Pr. Jarmo
Tarkki
11
12
9:30am Mother’s
Day Out
13
5:30pm
Confirmation
7:00pm Choir
Rehearsal
17
5pm Indian
Dinner
6pm Pr. Segaran
7pm Youth Mtg.
18
19
9:30am Mother’s
Day Out
10am NED
Conference
20
5:30pm
Confirmation
7:00pm Choir
Rehearsal
21
9:30am
Mother’s Day
Out
22
24
25
26
9:30am Mother’s
Day Out
27
5:30pm
Confirmation
7:00pm Choir
Rehearsal
28
29
5pm Global
Smorgasbord
Dinner
6pm Worshiip
7pm Youth Mtg.
5pm Philippine
Dinner
6pm Pr. Immanuel
Ilagan
31
12:30pm Cong. Mtg.
for Transfiguracion
Bldg. Use
5pm Mexican
dinner
6pm Pr. Portillo
2
9:00am
Men’s
Basketball
4
3
Bake Sale
SATURDAY
7
9:30am
Mother’s Day
Out
8
9
9:00am
Men’s
Basketball
7-10pm
Iglesia
Building Use
14
15
16
9:00am Men’s
Basketball
5:30pm Nadia
Ismail Wedding
9:30am
Mother’s Day
Out
23
9:00am Men’s
Basketball
30