March 2019

News From The Pews

Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church—ELCA 143 Chota Center, Loudon, TN 37774

www.shepherdofthelaketn.org (865) 816-4756

Ingrid J Schalk, Pastor

Sunday Worship

9:00 a.m.

On the website:

Sermons Pastor’s Blog

Announcements Newsletters Calendar

Church Council

Tom Schemberger President

Jeff Svoboda Vice President

Elaine Nevin Secretary

Jim Newman Treasurer

Carolyn Hudspeth Bob Panozzo

Members-at-large

Office Administrator

Sandy Hagan sheplakelutheran-sec@hotmail.com

A Christian community sharing God’s love with the world.

Then he said to them all, ‘If any want to become my followers,

let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me….’ Luke 9:23

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From the Pastor’s Desk

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We will soon flip the page on the liturgical calendar as the season of Lent begins. The liturgical vestments and paraments change to purple, the color associated with Lent suggesting repentance and solemnity. We refrain from singing or saying “alleluia” because of the penitential nature of the season. Fresh flowers are replaced by dried branches reminding us of the wilderness experience also associated with Lent. During the season of Lent, we turn our hearts toward God, who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. We are intentional about setting aside a time in the busyness of our lives - gathering together for worship on Wednesday evenings to listen and learn as God speaks to us through scripture and prayer, song and silence. We’ve invited the community to join us as well through the distribution of Lenten fliers throughout Tellico Village. Let us be prayerful of all that God is calling us to do and to be throughout this holy season.

Eternal Lord of love, behold your church walking once more the pilgrim way of Lent, led by your cloud by day, by night your fire, moved by your love and toward your presence bent: far off yet here—the goal of all desire.

So daily dying to the way of self, so daily living to your way of love, we walk the road, Lord Jesus, that you trod, knowing ourselves baptized into your death: so we are dead and live with you in God.

Text: Thomas H. Cain, b. 1931-2003

Pastor Ingrid Schalk

18 Ingrid Kemper 20 Marilyn Kanwischer 23 Barbara Moreau 27 Amos Hatch

Anniversaries

22 Deb & Amos Hatch 29 Bea & Ron Filbert

Birthdays

2 Karen Wiley 3 Linda Svoboda 5 Linda Schuessler 9 Jodi Corr 10 Jean Clesen 10 Sharon Fecher 14 Bob Nevin 17 Bob Panozzo

March Birthdays & Anniversaries

The following dates are open

to sign-up to provide flowers

for Sunday worship:

April 28

May 5, 12, 26

Flower Calendar

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Building Team to Replace Expansion Committee

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At our annual Congregational meeting, we voted to accept Tim Click's offer to buy this building subject to certain conditions. Our Expansion Committee presented its thoughts on what to do to enhance the building.

Now we begin the task of fine turning those thoughts into reality. That will be the task of our new “Building Team.” That team will be led by Frank Navratil and Norm Schuessler. One of the first steps to acquire the building was a full building inspection. That task was performed on Friday, Feb.15. The team reports no significant problems detected. Fact is the inspector commented on the buildings superior condition. Our Pledge Drive is well on its way. Norm Schuessler reports --“After just a few weeks we have raised the necessary funding to prepare an offer to purchase.” Funding of the enhancement ideas continues until our goal of $850,000 is reached.

Tom Schemberger

Frank Navratil, Tom Schemberger, Norm Schuessler

President’s Corner

What a year the Lord has placed before So+L. As we approach the fifth anniversary of our chartering, I begin my term as council president along with Jim Newman, treasurer, and Bob Panozzo as member-at-large. We join existing council members Jeff Svoboda, vice president, Elaine Nevin, secretary and Carolyn Hudspeth, member-at-large. I wish to thank Tom Findley, Steve Opsal and Norm Schuessler for their dedicated service these past years.

“Growing Our Congregation”

Our emphasis this coming year will be on growing our congregation. As we watch the Village grow, so should we! We will continue with our current programs, but it will take something more. Paul Elbert's comments at our annual meeting have to be taken to heart. “As members we are responsible for our congregation’s growth.” But what do we do and how do we do it? What do we say to folks? Stay tuned--we have some very exciting ideas coming soon.

Volunteers Needed to Deliver Flowers We are looking for volunteers willing to deliver flowers

following the Sunday service or early in the week. Ruth Sittler was

filled with joy when she received this beautiful bouquet of flowers. It

will not take long to do this and to spend a couple of minutes visiting

to brighten someone’s day.

There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board if you are willing

to help out. You may contact Sandy at the church by calling

865-816-4756 or send an email to admin@shepherdofthelaketn.org.

Tom Schemberger

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It is an ancient requirement of the church that we enter the forty days of Lent through the dark wilderness where Jesus confronted the devil. Here two absolute wills met. The will of Jesus was unity, obedience, the world as God meant it, sacrifice, and the service of God. The will of the devil was disunity, arrogance, the world as man would have it, accommodation, and the will of man. The church knows exactly what it is doing when it takes us this way into and through the wilderness. For this episode is a general event for all men [and women] everywhere and always. This fateful meeting in that one place and far-off time is every person’s meeting in their place and present moment. The exterior drama of confrontation and conflict and choice has its counterpart in every person’s temptation and torment and decision.

That this wilderness-meeting be preached and heard by us on the First Sunday in Lent is both report and re-enactment. It is report: for this struggle of the Servant of God to be God’s man against himself, his world, and all devilish and alluring possibilities actually took place. And it is re-enactment, too. For that old wilderness is reported as God’s way and power, and promise for my wilderness. That old story is from God for my story. It is then - and it is now. And we preach it and hear it and ponder it to the end that we may re-enact it.

There may be people for whom life is not like a wilderness. I don’t know any. A wilderness is a place where one gets lost - where, indeed, everything helps one get lost. And it its tangled confusion there are all kinds of seductions to comfort, to compromise, to blot out with sleep, or hardness of heart, or sheer preoccupation with pettiness. The devil does not always look like the devil, and his invitation to a fat and pleasant way to go to hell is more efficient than a wolfish face of snarling evil.

The Gospel tells us that God isn’t caught in a wilderness, that God didn’t just stumble into a wilderness. We read, rather, that “Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.” The Spirit led Jesus to do what God wanted done. What God wanted was to restore his children to life in himself. And if the children are to be found, the finder must become the lost where the lost are.

The season of Lent is the church’s provision whereby every person may hear again of the wilderness-God, re-enact within his darkest interior the steady invasion of this God into life’s darkling damnation, and move into Easter knowing that the one who says “Peace” to them on that day is no unscarred shepherd of tame lambs in a heated barn. He won his shepherd-card, as it were, in the wilderness.

Joseph Sittler (1904-1987) was a Lutheran pastor and theologian who taught at the Divinity School of

the University of Chicago and the Lutheran School of Theology of Chicago.

As Lent Begins by Joseph Sittler

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As we strive to welcome newcomers among us, we want to be more intentional about inviting our neighbors and acquaintances to worship. We have already begun a series of video sessions entitled, “How Lutheran Interpret the Bible” with Dr. Mark Allan Powell to help us feel a bit more comfortable in our Lutheran skin. This is a helpful place for us to begin. These insights can help inform and support our conversations with those we invite to join us. In upcoming issues of News from the Pews, you will find salient points from some of the sessions. I hope this is helpful as a review for those who attend the video sessions as well as for those who were unable to attend. Pr. Ingrid

How Lutherans Approach the Bible Lutherans believe that the Bible is the word of God. The ELCA constitution states: “The ELCA accepts the Bible as the inspired word of God and the authoritative source and norm of its proclamation, faith, and life.” What do Lutherans believe about the Bible? the Bible is the word of God the inspired word of God the authoritative word of God Lutherans are more interested in understanding the Bible rather than defending the Bible. When questions come up about errors or contradictions in the Bible, most Lutherans are not bothered by

this. We don’t think we have to prove what the Bible says, but we do believe it is the word of God. Lutherans are more concerned about: What does God have to say to us? Lutherans speak of the word of God in a three-fold sense: Jesus Christ; the incarnate Word The Message of law and Gospel; the proclaimed Word The Bible; the written Word The Bible is the book that reveals Jesus Christ to us - in its entirety Jesus is the Messiah of Israel; the Old Testament reveals Jesus to us The Bible points us to Jesus; the Bible is like the manger that held that Christ child Lutherans understand the Bible to be a book about Jesus We don’t read the Bible to learn about science, geography, or mathematics We read the Bible to learn about Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, prayer, right and wrong - to live the way that

Jesus wants us to live We expect the Bible to reveal Jesus to us; the Bible is a Jesus book, not a science book Lutherans believe that the Bible tells us what God wants to say to us. We have the privilege of holding the Bible in our own hands in our own language. We have the freedom to read the Bible whenever we wish. Sadly, many Lutherans don’t approach the Bible nearly enough. We should read, study, believe and treasure it. Why? It tells us what God does for us and what God wants to do. It affirms and comforts us; it cleanses and heals us. The Bible transforms us and draws us into a living relationship with Jesus Christ, who opens the very heart of God to us.

Adapted from How Lutherans Interpret the Bible with Dr. Mark Allan Powell, www.selectlearning.com

Through Lutheran Lenses

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Stories and photographs from our church family that went to Israel, in December 2018.

This month we are featuring Elaine Murphy’s reflections and pictures.

WELCA Spring Cluster Meeting

The Western Wall - Jerusalem

At the Wall with Monte Luker, my son

Andrew, Theresa and Liz, on the Sabbath. The

joy that the Jewish people gathered there,

evidenced by joyful dancing and singing, was

moving and uplifting. The men on one side, and

the women on the other side of the divider, each

demonstrating their love for God and the

welcoming the Sabbath (Shabbat). I especially

enjoyed seeing the young female soldiers putting

aside their guns and military readiness to

express their happiness at the Holy time.

(On the next page you will see Elaine praying

with other women at the Western Wall).

Magdala - The Duc In Altum Going to Magdala and visiting the Duc In Altum. In the lower level of the church is a large painting, “Encounter”, that took my breath away. It depicts the “hemorrhaging woman” reaching out to touch the hem of Jesus’ robe. At first all you see are the sandaled feet of men, and then you notice the light of the woman’s finger as she comes into the healing contact with Jesus. Who of us isn’t like that woman at some time in our life, desperately reaching out for healing from our Lord. Mark 5:25-29 The floor of the chapel is the original first century market place of the Magdala port.

The Women’s Atrium is stunning as it features eight pillars, seven representing women in the Bible who followed Jesus, while the unmarked eighth honors women of faith across all time.

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Magdala - Continued... Below: The Boat Chapel is stunning, with a view of the Sea of Galilee backdrop to a unique boat-shaped altar, commemorating Jesus preaching from the boat. Right: There are Mosaic Chapels that are beautiful, illustrating the public life of Jesus. The outstanding synagogue excavated is currently the oldest in Galilee. It seems certain that Jesus taught there.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd hand-carved from olivewood in Bethlehem

This beautiful remembrance of the Holy Land

Pilgrimage is a gift to Shepherd of the Lake

from Lucia and Tom Findley

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WELCA Spring Cluster Meeting

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The Shepherd’s Table

The Valentine’s theme for the February luncheon was a BIG hit! Thanks to all who contributed food—there were five different kinds of chili to taste with all the fixings, cornbread, and a hot chocolate bar. Yummy! We also had a guessing game to figure out what Biblical name was taped to our backs and then we had some more Bingo!

We would love to see you at our March 19 lunch!

Shepherd of the Lake at Tyson House (on UT campus)

Tyson House Meal Appreciated by All!

On Sunday, February 10, forty-five college students, high-school youth, parents, and folks in need had dinner together

followed by a worship service. All were so appreciative of the meal.

Thank you So+L for the many hands that made this meal possible: those who baked cookies, brownies and bars; those who donated drinks, bottles of water, coffee pods; those who shopped for the meal and items for Smokey’s Pantry; and those who prepared and served the meal. This was truly a group effort!

Thank you especially to Shari Lillestolen, who applied and received a Thrivent Grant for $250, which was used to purchase meal and pantry items. We appreciate you! Many hands make light work!

Deb Hatch Ron and Jean Clesen

Card Making

What a special

skill these ladies have as

they make cards each

month to send out to those

with a birthday, in the

military, and thinking of

you. The cards touch many

people knowing that

someone took the time to

remember them.

If you would like to

get involved, join this

group every month on the

second Thursday at 10 am.

They do a fantastic job and

they really have fun! This is

another way we use God’s

Work. Our Hands. to reach

out to others.

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March 22

Deadline for April

“News from the Pews” articles!

“We Need A Hero” was the title of a short article I have kept from Smithsonian magazine by clinical psychologist Robin Rosenberg. She was responding to a negative review of the movie Man of Steel that I imagine one could see on a movie channel today.

In that review, Adam Markovitz complained that here was “another version of the 75-year-old Superman saga.” He proposed that we all love these stories of superhero-origins because they “show the exact moment when a normal guy goes from being Just Like Us to being somehow better, faster, stronger.”

Rosenberg disagrees. She opined that “At their best, superhero origin stories inspire us and provide models of coping with adversity, finding meaning in loss and trauma, discovering our strengths and using them for good purpose.” (Keep those attributes in mind.)

So, here we are at the beginning of Lent when we come “face-to-face” with the “super hero” of the Church. Imagine this line-up: Superman. Batman, Spiderman, Wonder Woman, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Rosenberg’s notice), Wolverine, Iron Man … Jesus.

Of course, I’m thinking of Philippians 2:6-8, though [Jesus] was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross. Some superhero!

Jesus? Who would choose Jesus as a model for “coping with adversity”? Being hung on a cross doesn’t appear to me to be the best illustration of “coping”! Who would find “meaning in loss and trauma” that looks like a beaten and bloody man standing in front of Pilate with a crown of thorns planted on this head? Who would find Jesus a model for “discovering our strengths and using them for good purpose” when we remember him being shouted at by a crowd, “Crucify him!”?

A prayer of the church with which we are all familiar reads: Almighty God, you gave your son both as a sacrifice for sin and a model of the godly life. Enable us to receive Him always with thanksgiving and to conform our lives to his; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Interesting that our prayer reads “a model of the godly life” rather than “a model of the superhero life.”

Lent would ask us how often we pray desiring a superhero—hoping to be rescued or protected from some trauma of life. Someone once said that most people in adversity prefer power without love to love without power. Hence, the world (that’s us) rejects the real challenge of living in the shadow of the Cross.

But the only Model of love we have is love that does not look to its own interests, but to the interests of others. This love is the “royal law” of God’s kingdom as James writes in his letter, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” That is the mind of the Super Hero we Christians are called to imitate—not as we ought, but as we are able.

Maybe, contrary to the title of the article, above, we don’t need a superhero who can leap tall buildings with a single bound; a caped crusader who appears in the nick of time to avert disaster; or, someone who knows with great power comes great responsibility. Lent draws us to recognize our need of a Savior—who can rescue us from our bodies of death; the breathing-death that comes with thinking only about ourselves; of offering others only the scraps from our table after we have satisfied our own craving.

Lent can be a season of contemplative life when we can place our lives into the story of a Savior rather than a superhero. Then we can model in our prayers and in our lives the discovery of our strengths and our purpose even in times of adversity and trauma—to love God with all our heart and soul; strength and mind; and, love our

neighbor as ourselves.

The only sequel to the story of this “purple season of the Church” is the one we write in our own lives and our life together as Shepherd of the Lake. Contributor, Paul Elbert