One of our most well-loved hymns is

Beautiful Savior. I invite you to think with

me for a few moments about how beauti-

ful Jesus really is. Beauty may be in the

eye of the beholder, and what one

considers to be beautiful may not be so

delightful to another; however, before

anyone can call someone or something

beautiful, there must be a comparison.

Something is beautiful only when it is

compared with something that is not so

beautiful. The opposite extreme of beauty

we would say is ugly. Jesus is a Beautiful

Savior for us because of the ugliness of

sin—our sin.

Now, at this point, we may say that we

agree—to a point—that our sin is ugly. I

say “to a point” because, as we begin to

look at ourselves, we immediately want to

start into comparisons about ugliness.

“Well yes,” we may confess, “my sin is

ugly, but it is not so ugly as so-and-so’s

sin. Talk about ugly—he/she is really

ugly.” Think about that for a moment—if

my sin is less ugly, then Jesus is also less

beautiful to me. And this really is the

point. We cannot fully appreciate how

beautiful Jesus is if we do not have a full

appreciation of the ugliness of our own

sin.

The problem then really is that we are

using the wrong mirror to make the com-

parison. We have used the mirror of other

sinners’ lives to see how we look. We

dismiss our “minor” sin blemishes in

comparison to the ugly warts of other

sinners. The only appropriate mirror to

use is God’s holy law. Nothing can be

overlooked in God’s mirror. Everything

shows up, and it is ugly.

God knows the hearts of all, and He

sees that none of us is able to keep the

Law perfectly. Truly, it would be easier

for heaven and earth to disappear than for

even one pen stroke of God’s perfect

Law to pass by the boards (Matthew

5:17-18).

Indeed, it appears there was a time

in history when the very heavens and

earth wished they could disappear as

they witnessed the full fury of God’s

wrath against the sins of each and every

person who had transgressed that holy

Law.

As Jesus hung on the cross, suffering for

the sins of all, the sun recoiled in horror

and reused to shine (Luke 23:45) as it

saw the Just being punished for the sins

of the unjust (1 Peter 3:18). The earth

shuddered at the tragedy, and rocks

split themselves as they tried to turn

away (Matthew 27:51).

Still, they could not disappear; they

remained as witnesses as every sin

committed against even the smallest

pen-stroke of the Law was paid for by

God’s perfect all-availing sacrifice. And

so “Christ redeemed us from the curse

of the law by becoming a curse for

us” (Galatians 3:13).

What a Beautiful Savior Jesus is for

you and me! He took every last one of

our sins by which we had earned God’s

everlasting curse—every last bit of our

ugliness—and He died for us. Through

faith in Him we are forgiven. We are

pure. Now when God brings us before

His perfect mirror, He only sees Jesus

for us, and we are beautiful to Him.

Take a good look at yourself and at

Jesus as we continue in this Lenten sea-

son and to the cross of Good Friday and

the glory of Resurrection morning! Then

you will see how truly beautiful Jesus is,

hold Him most precious, worship Him

rightly, and gladly live for Him!

Your fellow-servant for Christ,

Pastor Mahnken

From Your Pastor

MARCH 2021 VOLUME 35, ISSUE 7

THE IMMANUEL MESSENGER

Beautiful

Savior,

King of

creation,

Son of God

and Son

of Man!

Truly I’d

love Thee,

truly I’d

serve Thee,

Light of

my soul,

my joy,

my crown.

LSB 537.1

~ SCHOLARSHIPS~ The William and Elsie Bandow Scholarship

is available for anyone who is a resident of

Crawford, Carroll, Sac, Ida, Monona, Harrison

or Shelby counties who are interested, at-

tending, or desiring to attend any seminary

for the purpose of becoming an LCMS pastor,

or a parochial school teacher. Applications

are available in our church office.

The Weifenbach-Russell Scholarship will

be offered to our high school seniors this

spring. Watch for more information.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

CROSSROADS and CRAWFORD COUNTY HOME HEALTH

HOSPICE AND PUBLIC HEALTH will be hosting sessions on

Raising Kids is Tough: Parent

Hacks 101. Date and time to be

arranged by popular vote to be held at the

United Methodist Church in Denison.

Please call Amy at 712-263-3303 if you are

interested.

`````````````````````````````````````````` ...Let’s Stay Connected …

Immanuel’s Website: www.immanuelschleswig.com

Follow our Services On Line—On Facebook or—

You Tube

If You’d Like to Receive The Messenger by email,

please call the church office, 712-676-2235 or email us

at: immansch@iowatelecom.net.

Immanuel Prayer Chain:

immansch@iowatelecom.net or Grace Langholdt, at

676-3899 or 712-431-6691

“Thy Strong Word”:

Every Mon.-Sat. 6:25 a.m. KDSN-FM, 104.9

“The Lutheran Hour”

6:30 a.m. Sundays: KDSN-FM 104.9 Denison10:30 a.m.

KDSN-AM 1530

Camp Okoboji: www.campokoboji.org

Mission Central: www.missioncentral.us

Lutheran Family Service: www.lfsiowa.org

Immanuel’s Adopt-A-Student: Tim & Amber Barber ~

Vicarage at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, Warner

Robins, Georgia. Email: barbert@csl.edu

The Messenger Staff: Special Articles: Pastor Merle

Mahnken; Coordinator—Typist: Marlene Hight;

Printing: Val Teut; Collators: Mardella Andresen,

Guenter & Joyce Detlefsen, Terry & Nancy Kline, Ra-

chel Mentink, Marie Peters, Marcella Petersen, Norma

Schoenfeld. New Helpers are Always Welcome

LENTEN WORSHIP Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m.

(No meals served)

Devotion booklets The Marks of

Love may be accessed online at

Lutheran Hour Ministries:

lhm.org.

March 3: Pastor Jacobsen from Our Savior,

his theme is: A Call to Return.

March 10: Pastor Loeschen, from Our Savior,

his theme is: Return to the Church.

March 17: Pastor Trunkhill, from Our Savior,

preaching on the theme of:

Return to the Kingdom of God.

March 24: Pastor Keinath, from Zion, with the

theme of: Return from Betrayal.

HOLY WEEK

Maundy Thursday: April 1—6 p.m. with HC

Good Friday: April 2—6 p.m. with HC

Easter Sunday: April 4—Sunrise Worship

at 6:30 a.m.

Sunday School at 8:15 a.m.

Easter Worship at 9:30 a.m. —————————————

If you’d like to donate a lily

to beautify our Easter

cross, please call the

church office, at 676-2235.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Daylight Saving Time

begins on Sunday March 14.

Remember to set your clock

to “spring forward” before

you go to bed

Saturday night.

——————————————————-

If you have Thrivent Choice Dollar$ to be

designated, remember March 31 is the deadline.

You can do this online, or if you need help,

please call Danielle at the Denison office,

712-263-6785

VOLUME 35 ISSUE 7 T H E I M M A N U E L M E S S E N G E R PAGE 2

1: Whitley Brown

2: Joan Nahnsen

3: Kayla Clark

4: Jerry Langholdt

7: Brandon Jacobson

8: Norma Schoenfeld

9: Kayla Morgan

Pat Schultz

Dolly Swearingen

10: Nan Bornhoft

Todd Jepsen

Sarah Komer

11: Roger Chisholm

Gloria Schmidt (92)

Pete Teut

12: Bonard Christiansen (92)

Ashley Rosener

13: Barb Quandt

16: Devin Jepsen

18: Roger Rothe

Wade Schultz

19: Glenda Bryson

Rocky Ellerbeck

21: Angie Ellis

22: Bob Andresen

Wyatt Kragel

Bruce Paulsen

Glenn Wigg

24: Kamden Bruhn

Jaci Kluender

Karin Schneider

25: Justin Andresen

Zach Bielenberg

Amy Hoffmeier

26: Morgan Gierstorf

28: Jarel Bral

Jestin Bral

29: Tim Riessen

===++++++=== Josh & Ashley Beeck

— March 4, 2005

Dr. Dayton & Gloria Schmidt- March 4, 1978

Terry & Nancy Kline— March 6, 1970

Ryan & Stacy Jepsen— March 20, 1999

Pr. Merle & Chris Mahnken—March 22, 1986

Dr. Doyle & Rhonda Slavik— March 22, 1986

Lodean & Sandra Voss—March 22, 1968

Grant & Janette Clausen—March 26, 1988

Hugo & Cynthia Ernst—March 26, 1983

Daryl & Barb Pedersen—March 31, 1979 ——————

Correction: Ken Winsor’s age in the December

Messenger should have been 92. Apologies.

Thank you for notifying the office of

omissions or corrections.

VOLUME 35 ISSUE 7

Mulberry Park by Judy Duarte

Everyday after work, Claire Harper drives to Mul-

berry Park and jogs for miles hoping not to dwell

on the sadness in her life. One day, as she is jog-

ging, a letter falls from a tree. The note is ad-

dressed “To God from Analisa”, a note written by

a seven-year old girl asking God to look after her

parents in heaven and help those who she loves

on earth. This will set off a chain reaction involv-

ing the lonely people who come to the park each

day. Trevor, a ten-year old boy whose father is in

prison; Walter, an elderly man who brings his

chess set to the park each day hoping to find

someone to play a game; Maria, a divorced

young woman with children about to lose her

home; and Hilda, care-giver of Analisa.

This is such a nice, uplifting story of a group of

people who have experienced grief and loneli-

ness and because of a little girl’s faith, will find

hope and new meaning in life.

We would like to encourage everyone to stop in

the adult library across from the church office,

and check out our nice selection of DVD’s.

If you’re looking for a book on the shelves, also

check those on the table. —Submitted by Elaine Teut

=========================

LWML Looks forward to March Meeting

Due to the weather, the February

meeting of the LWML was can-

celled. The Zone Prayer Service

that had been scheduled for February 16th has

been rescheduled to Tuesday, March 16th, here

at Immanuel. Coffee will be served at 9:00 and

the service will begin at 10:00. Everyone is wel-

come.

Our next meeting will be held on March 4th at

1:30. Serving hostesses are Peggy Wunschel and

Cynthia Ernst. Karen Wood and Grace Langholdt

will serve on the Visiting Committee. All ladies

are welcome to attend. Come and see what we

are up to. —Submitted by Cynthia Ernst, Secretary

T H E I M M A N U E L M E S S E N G E R PAGE 3

From Your library . . . “Have we got a book for you!”

PAGE 4 T H E I M M A N U E L M E S S E N G E R VOLUME 35 ISSUE 7

THOUGHTS FROM THE PRESCHOOL

Have you ever walked past something day after day and suddenly notice something you’d not seen before? Isn’t it the most unusual feeling? Today, I was walking through the church and happened to look up and notice the stained glass in the front above the altar. After four and a half years, you would think I would have taken the time to stop and really look at it, but I hadn’t. It is very sobering yet beautiful. The stained glass is a combination of three windows. When they are put together, the combination of the three make a cross enveloped in beautiful colors. The middle of the cross holds a picture of Jesus. What hurt my heart when I really stopped to look at it was Jesus does not appear to be his happy welcoming self. Instead, He looks sad. He appears to be in pain. It hurt my feelings to imagine Him feeling this way. Even though it was a dark and cloudy day, I could see the light from outside shining through the glass. It made for a very symbolic picture. The pain Jesus endured on the cross was for us. It was by choice. He did that so our sins could be forgiven and the punishment not be inflicted upon us. It’s enough to make me cry. It also makes me think of times when I have been accused of something I didn’t do. We call them “you state-ments” at my house. I am quick to defend myself when falsely accused. But Jesus didn’t respond that way. “… For the joy set before him he en-dured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2b (NIV) As I read John 19:10 I almost laughed out loud, “But Jesus gave no answer. So Pilate said to Him, “Do You refuse to speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to re-lease You and authority to crucify You?” (NIV) Not only did Jesus not answer when Pilate asked him a question, Pilate thought he had the authority to crucify Jesus. Jesus’ response when He did speak is enough to leave a person speechless, ““You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above.” How often do we go about our life just as I had been doing walking through the church (FYI, it is

the way to the bathroom which tells you I’ve gone there almost daily) and don’t notice what is right in front of us? Or shall I say, Who is right in front of us? There was the cross in its magnificence displaying Jesus in pain out of love for me. And you. The light coming through was a great reminder that His pain was for our freedom. Our eternity. He loves us so much He was willing to endure the cross for us to live lives filled with hope, joy and love. Lives in which His light shines through us and spills over into others. We want to be sure and stop long enough to look around and remember Jesus loves us and notice what He’s doing around us. I encourage you to notice where He’s working and let His glory and love spill out onto others. Don’t forget the mission of your existence. It’s to rejoice in your relationship with Jesus and share it with others! As we progress through our preschool year, I see Jesus all around me. There are days I need to take the time to stop and notice Him just as I noticed the cross. Yesterday, a little guy was writing his name. He’s been working on identifying the letters in his name and every time he gets to the “t” he tells me “the cross.” I’ll follow that up with, “yes, what is the name of the letter that looks like the cross?” Another struggles to remember the let-ter Y so he identifies it as the letter who prais-es Jesus. After all, “Y wouldn’t we want to praise Jesus?” Hearing these words out of the mouths of the children is a tremendous reminder to me that Jesus is here. He’s in the midst of us. He’s working. I hope for the rest of their lives these children write their name and stop to notice “the cross” and “praising Jesus.” I hope it fills them with joy and gratitude for what He did for them. And a security in knowing they are loved forever! As we begin to move into Spring, your prayers would be appreciated for each child God would choose to enroll with us next school year. I covet your prayers for the children and families who are a part of Immanuel Lutheran Preschool. Please pray that those who don’t know Jesus will have the deepest yearning to step into that relationship with Christ. And those families who do know Jesus will continue to follow Him and be filled with wisdom as they raise their children to be lights in a world that desperately needs Him. Blessings, Mrs. Gustafson

UCC PLANS DRIVE-THRU

SOUP DINNER

The Schleswig UCC Evening Guild is

planning a drive-thru Soup Dinner on

March 7th from 11 - 12:30 pm. Chili and

Chicken Noodle soup will be available

and will be sold by the quart with 2 bars

with a free will offering.

Anyone wanting to pre-order can do so

by calling the UCC Church office (712-

676-3917) or Lorene Reimer (712-269-

3406). Pre-orders would be greatly ap-

preciated and those orders will be filled

prior to serving the drive through and

will continue to serve till 12:30 or when-

ever soup/bars are gone. Thank you in

advance.

—————————————-

YOUTH GATHERINGS 2021

VOLUME 35 ISSUE 7 T H E I M M A N U E L M E S S E N G E R PAGE 5

Junior Youth Gathering

October 23-24

Sheraton, West Des Moines

Focus: 10 Commandments

Senior Youth Gathering

November 19-21

Airport Holiday Inn,

Des Moines

Theme: Fix Our Eyes —

Run the Race

Sun

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 Preschool

2 Preschool

3 p.m. Preschool Confirmation 6 p.m. Lenten Worship/Pastor Jacobsen Ladies Bible Study

4 Preschool 1:30 LWML

5 6 3 p.m. Worship w/HC—Masks Required 6 p.m. Worship w/HC

7 9 a.m. Worship w/HC 10:05 SS & BC’s 11:15 “Tactics” Bible Study

8 Preschool

9 Preschool Pastors’ Confer-ence at Our Sav-ior

10 p.m. Preschool Confirmation 6 p.m. Lenten Worship /Pastor Loeschen Ladies Bible Study

11 Preschool (possible COVID shots)

12 9 a.m. Quilting

13 3 p.m. Worship w/HC—Masks Required 6 p.m. Worship w/HC

14 Daylight Saving Time Begins

9 a.m. Worship 10:05 SS & BC’s 11:15 “Tactics” Bible Study

Schleswig Sharks Mtg.

15 No Preschool

16 Preschool Messenger Deadline for April issue

17 p.m. Preschool 1 p.m. Volun-teers to OGT Confirmation Classes 6 p.m. Lenten-Worship /Pastor Trunkhill Ladies Bible Study

18 Preschool 9 a.m. LWML Zone Board Mtg. at Dow City

19 20 3 p.m. Worship w/HC ~ Masks Required 6 p.m. Worship w/HC

21

9 a.m. Worship w/HC 10:05 SS & BC’s 11:15 “Tactics” Bible Study Elders’ Mtg.

22 Preschool

23 Preschool

24 8:45 a.m. News-letter Assmblge p.m. Preschool Confirmation Classes 6 p.m. Lenten Worship/Pastor Keinath

25 Preschool 9 a.m. Quilting

26 27 3 p.m. Worship w/HC ~ Masks Required 6 p.m. Worship w/HC

28 Palm Sunday

9 a.m. Worship 10:15 SS & BC’s 11:15 “Tactics” Bible Study

29 Preschool

30 Preschool

31 No Preschool Confirmation Classes

April 1 Maundy Thurs-day ~ Worship at 6 p.m.

April 2 Good Friday ~ Worship at 6 p.m.

Immanuel Lutheran Church, Schleswig, Iowa MARCH 2021

Preschool: Mon, Tue, Thurs.-8 a.m.-3 p.m.; Wed. 11:45 a.m.– 3 p.m.

Confirmation: Wednesday. 3:30-5:15 p.m.

Pastor: Merle F. Mahnken

Office Ph.: 712-676-2235

Home Ph.: 712-676-2242

Cell Ph.: 712-269-6364

Assisting Pastor: Kurt Kaiser

Cell Ph.: 712-269-8452

=============

Office E-mail:

immansch@iowatelecom.net

or: markey@iowatelecom.net

Website: www.immanuelschleswig.com

“Like” us on Facebook

=============

Worship Opportunities: Lenten Worship 6 p.m. every Wednesday

Saturday Worship every week at

3 p.m. (masks required) & 6 p.m.

Sunday Worship at 9 a.m.

Communion—Every Saturday

& 1st & 3rd Sundays

Sunday School & Bible Class: 10:05 a.m.

Services are live-streamed & recorded for

viewing on Facebook and You Tube.)

Office: Marlene Hight and Valerie Teut

Preschool: Leslie Gustafson

Organist: Marlene Hight

Janitor: Jolene Whiteing

Snow Removal and Lawn Care:

Ryan Jepsen; 712-790-1603

Loren and Janice Jepsen

Non Profit U.S. Postage

PAID Schleswig, Iowa

Permit No. 19

Change Service Requested

TO EVERYONE IN THE HOME OF:

OUR MISSION STATEMENT:

“Together in Christ, we grow through the

Word and Sacraments, serving

our Lord and sharing His saving

grace with all people.”

IMMANUEL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH

501 Glad St. PO Box 27 Schleswig, Iowa 51461

2021