Rooted in the Past; Sheltering the Present; Reaching Out to the Future; Empowered by the God of the Ages

CHURCH NEWSLETTER May 2017

Mount Calvary Lutheran Church

P. O. Box 484 5983 South Main Street Mt. Jackson, VA 22842 (540) 477-2421

mcoffice@shentel.net www.mountcalvaryva.org Mount Calvary Lutheran Church Virginia

Rev. Matthew A. Diehl, Pastor (mtcalrev@shentel.net) Members of Mount Calvary, Ministers

Following worship on Sunday, May 21, Mount Calvary ladies of all ages are invited to the Parish Hall for the annual

. The ladies will enjoy a lunch of light sandwiches, sweets, and hot tea. A freewill offering will support .

An informative program will be presented by Heather Diehl.

■ ■

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

■ ■

Mark your calendars!

FROM PASTOR DIEHL…

[Jesus] called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in

the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:2-4) Dear Friends in Christ, The reading “God Lives Under the Bed” that follows is one that I received as it floated around cyberspace a couple of years ago. It is a modern day parable about trusting God like a child and how we can learn from the least of those in the kingdom of heaven. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

“I envy Kevin. My brother, Kevin, thinks God lives under the bed. At least that’s what I heard him say one night. He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen. ‘Are you there, God?’ he said. ‘Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed.’ I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin’s unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in. Kevin was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during childbirth. Apart from his size (he’s 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult. He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under the tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them. I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his life? Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni and cheese for dinner, and later to bed. The only variation in the entire schedule is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child. He does not seem dissatisfied. He darts out to the bus every morning, eager for a day of simple work. He wrings his hands excitedly while he boils water on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day’s laundry chores. And Saturdays – oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That’s the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. Kevin shouts as he claps his hands. His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights. And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips. He doesn’t know what it means to be discontent. His life is simple. He will never know the entanglements of wealth or power, and he doesn’t care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not. Kevin’s hands are diligent. He is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it. He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax. He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure. He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue. Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God. Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God – to really be friends with God in a way that is difficult for an “educated” person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion. In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith. It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions. It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap. I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances – they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God’s care. Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God. And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I’ll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed. Kevin won’t be surprised at all!”

My friends, as we continue our journey through Eastertide, may we all be alert to the many ways the “Kevin’s” among us teach us about faith, love, and their own understanding of God. And may we all be emboldened in our own faith to step out and be the hands and feet of the resurrected Christ in the world around us. I look forward to greeting you in church next Sunday. Grace & Peace,

“Lord, humble me and grant me faith to find you in the simple things of life. Amen.”

Summary:

April

Congregation Council Meeting The Mount Calvary Congregation Council met

for its regular monthly meeting at 7 o’clock

Monday evening, April 17, in the church Parish Hall. Those attending were Pastor

Diehl, Susan Foltz, Charlie Frye, Judy Fultz, Lynn Holtzman, Jim Miller, John

Minnick, and Kay Whetzel. Meeting announcements, discussion, and actions

included the following:

▪ Pastor shared a note from "A Small Hand", the organization for which the

Council designated the offering received from the Advent calendars, thanking

Mount Calvary for the donation of $395.11. ▪ The Property Committee continues to review options for getting the door to

the bell tower repaired so the condition of the outside chimes can be evaluated.

Also, repair of the holes in the asphalt in the back parking lot was discussed.

Weather permitting, the potholes should be fixed soon. ▪ The first chicken barbeque fund-raiser will be held Saturday, April 29, at

Wholesome Foods. A sign-up sheet for both pre-orders and volunteers will be

placed in the narthex. Chicken will be available for sale at Wholesome Foods,

in the church Parish Hall, and at the Holtzman Oil Corporation parking lot. The

cost will be $4 per half. ▪ The Council approved a request from Emma Proctor for use of the Parish Hall

for offering piano lessons. Dates and times will be determined at a later date. ▪ The Good Friday offering was designated for our Church's Helping Hand fund. ▪ The Early Learning Center presently has 69 children enrolled. Ten children

will be graduating on May 23. The Center is expecting to have 60 children for

the summer session. The Center will be having a Trike-A-Thon on April 28 to

raise money for St. Jude Children's Hospital.

Submitted by Susan Foltz

Barbeque Chicken

Mark your calendars - AGAIN! On Saturday, May 27, Mount Calvary will again sponsor

orders for barbeque chicken from the Pence family’s

WHOLESOME FOODS, INC., Edinburg ($4/half). Pre-orders

are strongly encouraged. Pending available chicken, same-day orders may also be taken.

Watch for more details announced through the church bulletin, narthex postings, and email!

Once again our Hands of Harmony Ringers

are taking their music ministry beyond the

walls of Mount Calvary. Saturday morning, May 20, the ringers will present a program to

the residents of Greenfield Senior Living in Woodstock. The month of May is still in

Eastertide, so the ringers’ program will include an arrangement of Easter hymns as well as

arrangements of hymns considered “old favorites.” The residents will also be invited to join

the ringers in a few sing-alongs. The morning will have some just-for-fun pieces like “She’ll

Be Comin’ Round the Mountain,” “To a Wild Rose,” “I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad,” and

“This Old Man.” This will be the ringers’ second program at Greenfield. Hoping to be

invited back for a third time, they will end their program with an arrangement of “God Be

with You Till We Meet Again.”

MAY NURSE’S NOTES Spring is here and I have been reading a lot about gardening and growing vegetables organically. Obviously, these monthly messages are not about gardening. I don't know much about that. However, I did read something regarding a question I have had about the proper washing of fresh fruits and vegetables. Actually, the answer came in one of my monthly nursing magazines. Store-bought produce is loaded with petro-chemical pesticides that build up in the human body. These chemicals are being blamed for many illnesses, including autism in children to cancer at all ages. A major study by the New York State Department of Health directly links pesticides to diabetes, now known to be one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in the U.S. It sounds to me that fruits, vegetables, and flowers are best grown the 'old fashioned way: without illness-producing chemicals. Back to my question on the best way to wash fresh vegetables before using. I have always rinsed them thoroughly with cold water and considered them healthy. However, according to my source, you should first wash fresh produce in warm water, then spray with a mixture of one part white vinegar to one part water. This helps dissolve the pesticide residue. Let the produce sit for thirty minutes, then wash again with cold water. Use or store as you normally would.

The Lord bless you and keep you. Numbers 6:24

*Source: RN Nursing in Virginia Gloria L. Chambers, RN, FCN

Parish Nurse

*

…FROM MARTIN LUTHER*

During this 500th Anniversary year of the start of the Protestant Reformation, each of Mount Calvary’s newsletters will feature an excerpt from “Table Talks,” notes recorded by the pastors Martin Luther mentored for 15 years – from 1531 to 1546. These “Talks” cover a variety of subjects ranging spiritual growth to witches and vampires. Each is supported by a commentary explaining what Martin Luther meant by the words his mentees recorded. On April 15, 1532, when Luther was speaking on the topic “God’s Presence,” Luther’s mentees recorded this interaction:

“When we were debating whether God truly is in each and every minute creature, in the grass, in a tree, etc., Martin Luther responded, ‘It is so, for God is excluded from no place and is confined to none. He is everywhere and he is nowhere.’ The question was asked whether God is only potentially everywhere or is actually everywhere. Martin Luther replied, ‘God is in every creature in both ways because although a creature acts through its properties, God acts not through his properties but through his being.” Thereupon somebody said, ‘I do not understand that.’ Luther countered, ‘Do you believe that Christ on the cross was God? Do you believe that God was in the womb of the Virgin? The principle here is the same, for it is equally impossible to man’s reason in both cases, as impossible that God can be enclosed in the womb of the Virgin as it is that he can be enclosed in every creature.’ Thereupon the other person said, ‘Then he is in the devil too!’ “Yes, and essentially! He’s in hell too, as it is written in II Thessalonians 1:9, ‘They shall suffer the punishment of eternal destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord.” Commentary: Many people today accept the fact that God created the world and is not involved in any direct way. Deists teach that we should live a life based on human values or moral principles – just follow the outline of the Ten Commandments! Deism teaches that God is in nature but teachings of the virgin birth and resurrection lack the evidence or knowledge that is needed for acceptance. Lutherans believe that God is actively present everywhere – invisible but always present. In this way God’s presence is as real and vivid as sound and light waves and molecules. We know they exist and there is evidence that they do exist – but yet they are not visible. Question: Do you believe that God is actively present in all things visible and invisible as stated in The Nicene Creed?

*”Table Talks” and their commentaries and questions are taken from

LUTHER: 500 YEARS OF THE REFORMATION, reverendluther.org

As the spring showers wash away the remains of winter, we turn our attention this month to hygiene items. Important note: we can NO LONGER accept toothpaste.

However, OCC boys and girls will welcome your donations of bar soaps, wash cloths, net scrubbies, solid deodorants, toothbrushes, combs, hair brushes, etc.

THANK YOU for your continuing support of OCC!

To my Church family, Thank you for the cards, visits, telephone calls, and all other acts of comfort and love showed my family following the recent death of my father, Leon Fadeley. A special thank you to Pastor for offering prayer at the graveside.

We feel truly blessed to have such a thoughtful, caring Church family. Susan, G. B., Emily, and Adam Foltz

Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, Open Door Food Pantry, Inc. acknowledges your generous March donation of $159. Your willingness to help support the Food Pantry is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Sincerely, Ruth B. Williams, Treasurer

Members and Pastor of Mount Calvary, Thank you so much for the Easter card. It certainly brightened my day to know you think of me as part of your church family since I am unable to come to church. And, again, the bulletins mean so much to me. They keep me in contact with the church. And, Pastor Diehl, your visits are greatly appreciated.

Emma M. Smith

Many, many thanks to the wonderful Mount Calvary Church family. Your cards, phone calls, food, short visits, and prayers have meant so much to me as I recuperated from knee replacement surgery. Your care and concern lifted my spirits and gave me much to smile about. You were and are such a blessing to me and Donnie. I was glad to able attend the short Easter Sunrise Service, but look forward to seeing all of you at a regular church service.

– Barb Pifer

1. b 2. b 3. c

This month, these church family members can celebrate their birth into God’s family through Holy Baptism.

Bill Holtzman May 1 Nathan Pence May 28

Henry Holtzman May 1

Susan Foltz May 31

Vickie Williams May 10 James Nebgen May 31

Nathan Davis May 27

Luther Quiz: How well do you know the teachings

and life of Martin Luther?

1. How old was Martin Luther when he first read a Bible? a. 6 b. 18 c. 25

2. Philip Melanchthon, a close friend of Martin Luther,

wrote this treatise in 1530 which explained the religious basis of the Reformation movement.

a. The Nicene Creed

b. The Augsburg Confession c. The Small Catechism

3. Of the seven sacraments administered by the Catholic church in Luther’s

time, Luther believed only two were true sacraments. a. confirmation and marriage

b. ordination and penance

c. communion and baptism

On Mother’s Day weekend, will present Two performances will be presented:

~

Tickets: Adults - $12.00; Youth (12 to 18) - $6.00; Children under 11 – Free Tickets are available from chorus members and at the Masterworks website: www.masterworkschorus.net Information: 540-856-9010

▪ Saturday afternoon, May 13, 3:00 Emanuel Lutheran Church, Woodstock ▪ Sunday afternoon, May 14, 3:00 Reformation Lutheran Church, New Market

– Acts 2:3-4 Sunday, June 4, is the Day of Pentecost. The liturgical color for that Sunday is red, a reminder of the gift of the Holy Spirit which came as tongues “as of fire” upon those gathered for the first Pentecost following Jesus’ resurrection. In addition to wearing colors of flame – red, yellow, and orange – to worship, the Mount Calvary family is also invited to place red geraniums

in the church to mark this special day. If you wish, your plant(s) may be designated in memory of and/or in honor of family members or other loved ones. Each potted geranium is $6.00 and may be picked up by donors following the June 4th worship service. Any plants not picked up will be planted around the church. If you would like to place a geranium in the sanctuary on June 4th, complete the order form accompanying this newsletter. Send the completed form to the church or place it in the box located on the narthex table. (Checks should be made payable to “Mount Calvary Lutheran Church”).

Geranium orders are due on/by Tuesday, May 23rd.

First Reading Acts 2:42-47 First Reading Acts 17:22-31

The Psalm Psalm 23 The Psalm Psalm 66:8-20

Second Reading 1 Peter 2:19-25 Second Reading 1 Peter 3:13-22

The Holy Gospel John 10:1-10 The Holy Gospel John 14:15-21

First Reading Acts 7:55-60 First Reading Acts 1:6-14

7-10 The Psalm Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16 The Psalm Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35

Second Reading 1 Peter 2:2-10 Second Reading 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11

The Holy Gospel John 14:1-14 The Holy Gospel John 17:1-11

Source – website: National Day of Prayer Task Force (nationaldayofprayer.org)

Hello, everyone! We currently have 69 children enrolled in our center. This is the highest number of children ever enrolled! We are very proud to offer our community quality childcare.

Our preschool graduation will be held in the Parish Hall Tuesday evening, May 23, at 7:00 o’clock. We have ten graduates this year. The graduates will be going on a special trip this year. They will take a tour of Ashby Lee Elementary School. After the tour, they will visit Shenandoah Caverns, The Yellow Barn, and American Celebration on Parade.

To end the special day, the children will enjoy lunch at Burger King. We want to wish Miss Anabel good luck. She has been studying very hard to become a U.S. citizen. She will be taking her test on May 6. Happy birthday to Miss Jaz. She will be celebrating on May 26. Have a great May!

Regina and the MCELC Staff

On Thursday, May 4, 2017, our country will observe National Day of Prayer, a nation-wide observance with beginnings 65 years ago. On April 17, 1952, a bill initiated by Conrad Hilton of Hilton Hotels and Senator Frank Carlson of Kansas was passed that the President of the United States was to set aside an appropriate day each year, other than Sunday, as a National Day of Prayer. Twenty-two years later, in 1974, the National Prayer Committee (NPC) began as a subcommittee on prayer at the International Congress on World Evangelization held in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Out of the Lausanne gathering came the U.S. Lausanne Committee, now America’s National Prayer Committee which was officially formed in 1979. In 1981, the NPC – in cooperation with business men and religious leaders – drafted an initial vision for a National Day of Prayer and began planning with the White House Public Liaison office.

The first National Day of Prayer took place in 1983 at Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. with featured speakers Vice President George Bush and Dr. Lloyd Ogilvie, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, California. Three years later, the NPC contacted South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond for guidance on writing a bill designating a specific day as the National Day of Prayer. In 1987, Senator Thurmond introduced Bill S.1378 to the Senate Judicial Committee, which was then endorsed by 13 Senators and 90 Congressmen. On the afternoon of May 7, 1988, the bill passes unanimously in the Senate and later receives unanimous confirmation in the House. On Thursday, May 8, President Ronald Reagan signed into law Public Law 100-307, designating the first Thursday in May as the annual observance for the National Day of Prayer

MCELC Class of 2017

Live in the past and you will be depressed. Live in the future and you will be anxious. Live in the present with gratitude and you will be at peace.

– Lao Tzu, Chinese Philosopher (570-490 BCE)

1 Amy Proctor 1 Cameron Seal 2 Richard Minnick 1 William Silvious 3 Charles Ryman 6 Jessica Roberts 4 Jennifer Hoye 8 Katherine Hepner 5 Justin Hepner 9 John Dodson, Jr. 6 Mary Ann Mahoney 10 Tammy Barnett

Tony Pence Jansen Price 8 Allen Lough 11 June Hyde

Kerry Jo Wilson 12 Mickey Williams James Silvious 14 Roman Frye

11 Laura Ryman 15 Ronald Wilkins 12 Cristen Monroe 17 Pat Funkhouser 13 Fallon Burner 18 Lauren Barnett 14 Janelle Fadely 19 J. P. Price 17 Pastor William

Ballance 20 Sarah Ryman

Jan Jarrett 24 Debbie Price Roger Rudy 26 Jeff Kerlin Galen Wilkins Hannah Ryman

18 Tommie Frye Bill Steadman Bridgette Huffman 27 Micah Miller

19 Margaret Frye 30 Kaitlyn Nebgen 22 Carroll Estep 23 Syvilla Pence 24 Naida Roden 26 Bill Holtzman 29 Charles Fultz 30 Sandra Rush

♥ Dorothy Bean ♥ Terry and Gloria Chambers ♥ Mary Anne Fadeley ♥ Eleanor Funkhouser ♥ Frances Gerow ♥ Goldyene Harris ♥ Jeanette Jones ♥ Stephanie Melbourne ♥ Barb Pifer ♥ Emma Smith ♥ Bill Steadman ♥ Geraldine Whetzel

♥ Shirley Baker, friend of Roger Rudy and Joe Lewis ♥ Lauren Barnett, daughter of Tammy Barnett ♥ Lorenzo Bean, husband of Dorothy Bean ♥ Billy Beckinstrater, great-nephew of Donnie Pifer ♥ Evan Clark, friend of Emily Foltz ♥ Alice Coffelt, friend of Reba Thompson ♥ Jeremy Cook, nephew of Luke and Linda Ritenour ♥ Ramona Davis, mother of Rusty Davis ♥ Christopher Diehl, cousin of Pastor Diehl ♥ John Dorrin, friend of Jim Miller ♥ Mary Beth Foltz, sister-in-law of G.B. and Susan Foltz ♥ Robert Grace, brother-in-law of Mary Ann Mahoney ♥ Mike Grim, son of Dorothy Bean ♥ Larry Heltebran, step-father of Steve Povlish ♥ Lee Hinkle, first cousin of Amy Proctor ♥ Stella Hottle, friend and neighbor of Mary Ann Mahoney ♥ Daisy Keister, mother of Phyllis Richards ♥ Kathleen Kirkalay, cousin of Mary Ann Mahoney ♥ Donna Mason, sister of Bill Frye Williams ♥ Barbara McDonald, aunt of Lisa McDonald Miller ♥ Spencer McIntosh, father of Noel ♥ Shirley McWilliams, niece of Frances Gerow ♥ Debbie Neff, friend of Donnie Pifer ♥ Clare Polk, friend of Anita Miller ♥ Linda Ryman, sister of Paul Ryman ♥ Verna Ryman, mother of Paul Ryman ♥ Wilson Ryman, friend of G.B. and Susan Foltz ♥ Pastor Franklin Senger, former pastor of Mount Calvary ♥ Neil Showalter, friend of Donnie Pifer ♥ Linda Stoneburner, friend of G.B., Susan, Emily, and Adam Foltz ♥ Ryan Tomoff, friend of Susan Foltz ♥ Katie Tusing, daughter of Luke and Linda Ritenour ♥ Mary Sue Van Huss, cousin of Anita Miller ♥ Mary Jane Williams, mother of Bill Williams ♥ Nancy Zirkle, friend of Jane Grant Burner

Attendance

Offering* Sunday School Worship

April 2 12 47 $2,749 April 9 10 55 $5,670

April 16

Easter Sunday [n/a]

7:00 - 20 105 $3,812

11:00 - 85 April 23 [n/a] 68 $2,367

Averages 11 68.75 $3,649.50 *Budget needs per week: $3,263

Attendance Mid-Week Lenten Fellowship and Worship,

Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday Supper Worship

Wednesday, March 29 35 32 Wednesday, April 5 32 28

Maundy Thursday, April 13 [n/a] 26 Good Friday, April 14 [n/a] 36

Averages 33.5 30.5