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HARBOR LIGHTS HOLY WEEK/EASTER

ISSUE 379

As a uniquely metropolitan congregation, the people of Christ Lutheran Church are called to proclaim the Gospel, serve others, and invite all to experience God’s love and saving grace.

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Office Hours

Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

(410) 752-7179

Please call the church office...

• if you or a member of your family is admitted to the hospital so the pastors may schedule a hospital visit.

• if you have a new address, telephone number, or email address.

• when your committee or group plans a meeting or an activity—the room MUST be cleared and the church calendar noted.

• if you have any questions about baptisms, weddings, serving, or any of our programs.

Christ Lutheran Church 701 S Charles Street

Baltimore MD 21230-3835 www.christinnerharbor.org ♦ 410-752-7179

Pastor Tjornehoj ..................................................................................... 3

Pastor Ballard ......................................................................................... 4

Christian Education:

According to Carlien Parlett ............................................................ 5

Music Ministry

Notes from Daniel Aune ............................................................... 6-7

Social Ministry .................................................................................... 8-9

Stephen Ministry at Christ ..................................................................... 9

Proclaim and Invite ................................................................................ 9

Adult Fellowship .................................................................................. 10

Council Highlights ............................................................................... 11

Attendance and Offering Report .......................................................... 11

Health Ministry .................................................................................... 12

Environmental Stewardship ................................................................. 12

Shelter Dinner Donations ..................................................................... 13

World Hunger ...................................................................................... 13

Pastoral Acts ........................................................................................ 14

Monthly Devotions .............................................................................. 14

Memorials and Gifts ............................................................................. 15

Thank You Notes ................................................................................. 15

Christ Lutheran Church Nursery School .............................................. 15

Weekly Worship

Schedule

SUNDAYS

Traditional Service of Holy Communion

8:30 am

Contemporary Service of Holy Communion

8:45 am

Traditional Service of Holy Communion

11:00 am

WEDNESDAYS Morning Service of Prayer &

Holy Communion 11:00 am

Candlelight

Holy Communion 7:15 pm

In case of pastoral emergency, the pastors can be

reached by their personal numbers.

Pastor Susan E. Tjornehoj 410-685-0247

Associate Pastor Patrick Ballard 919-215-0419

www.facebook.com/CLCbaltimore

Christ Lutheran Church is and has been a Reconciling in Christ congregation since February 2001.

To learn more, visit: www.reconcilingworks.org/what/ric

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“He is not here.” (Mark 16:6)

Loved ones in Christ,

April fool! April 1st is April Fool’s Day. It is the day the doorbell would ring early in the morning and we three kids raced to the door only to see our dad in pajamas, grin on his face April Fool! We would do the sugar-in-the-salt-shaker trick. In good fun, newspapers ran preposterous stories, radio and television did the same, just to trick April fools. Could this have been the origin of “fake news?!” Scholars date April Fools Day to Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales in 1392, a Flemish poet in 1593 and a Dutch victory at Brielle in 1572. A London paper in 1769 printed an article indicating that the origin of April Fools is biblical, going all of the way back to Noah and the flood narrative. Noah sent out the dove before the waters receded on April 1 making Noah the first April Fool.

Christ Lutheran and churches around the world will observe April Fool’s Day together, trumpets blasting good news and tympani pounding, choirs singing, lilies abundant and we will shout “Christ is Risen!” Christ is Risen indeed. Alleluia! Easter and April Fools share April 1 this year. It is God’s greatest prank. No tomb, no grave, not even death could hold this Messiah, Son of God. To the knock of the women on the door of the tomb, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome, the women who rang the doorbell on that first Easter, the young man in a white robe responded, “He is not here; he’s been raised.” April Fool, Christ is Risen indeed.

Pastor Susan Tjornehoj

To the Glory of God

On Sunday, April 22, more of the renovations and improvements to the worship life of Christ Church will be dedicated to the glory of God. Thanks will be given for the pew cuts to enhance worship for those using assistive vehicles; the restoration, cleaning and exterior protection for the stained glass windows; new lectionary manuals for use on special worship days; and installation in the plaza of plaques to recognize the role of Pr. Deaton in developing the hospital named in his honor.

Many Christ Church members were involved in bringing these to completion: Jennifer Anderson and Daniel Aune in locating the pew cuts; Robert Anderson, Charles Busse and Jim Wilmer led the stained glass window project; Jim Wilmer provided the lectionary manuals to be dedicated “In Memory of Members of the Wilmer Family”; and Adrienne Grant and Bill Kingsley designed the plaque recognizing the Deaton Hospital.

Thanks be to God for the gift of this place, and thanks to all who made this work possible.

That joy, that daily reality in which we live, death-defying mission and ministry fills the pages of this newsletter. You will discover opportunities to Serve, to Proclaim this good news and Invite friends and strangers and neighbors and family to the sacredness of Holy Week. In the weeks beyond Easter we will receive new members, baptize and serve meals, dedicate our brilliant stained glass windows and rearrangement of pews, explore the possibility of greater access and always, tend to one another. Just livin’ the dream as followers of the Risen Christ, fools of Christ, believers in the prankster, the death-denying, life-giving creator of all things. And then this Risen One ascends and we will celebrate with crab cakes and stare at the sky. What a few weeks ahead of us!

With gratitude and hope,

Pastor Tjornehoj

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Pastor Patrick Ballard

Opening Day

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another” -John 13:34

As we celebrate more and more days of warm sunshine splashing the newly renovated plaza, one thing is on the minds of almost everyone in our neighborhood: Opening Day is near. Soon, the roar of the crowd will be able to be heard from our doorsteps as Manny, and Adam, and the rest of the Os take the field for another season of “America’s Pastime.” The smell of freshly cut grass will enthrall the fortunate who secure seats in the first few rows. For the rest of us, Eskay hotdogs and local libations are a nice consolation to pair with sitting in the upper level.

The best part of opening day is the promise that it holds, not just for the Orioles, but for every team in baseball. Sure, we may not have made any splashy trades or signed the best players. By midseason, some of our best players may be shipped off to contending teams if management decides that it is time to enter the dreaded “rebuilding mode.” But on Opening Day, these worries fade away. Every team is on equal footing and who knows where the season will go. Perhaps a young star will emerge. Perhaps a talented veteran will return to former glory. Perhaps a lifelong backup will seize an opportunity and become the talk of the town. On Opening Day, anything is possible.

This year, Opening Day falls on March 29th, which also happens to be the Thursday before Easter, celebrated by most Christians as Maundy Thursday. This holy day in the midst of the holiest of weeks gives us an opportunity to remember and celebrate the “Last Supper” of Jesus Christ. It also gives us a chance to reflect on a part of that story in John’s Gospel that is often overlooked, Jesus washing the feet of his disciples.

Maundy Thursday is the first portion of what is really one worship event, celebrated over several days: beginning with this remembrance, continuing with Good Friday and the transformative power of the cross, and culminating with the joy of the resurrection experienced on Easter morning. As we celebrate Passover, we give thanks for Christ who is our Passover and who has handed on the Holy Meal (and the ministry that goes along with it) to us. When we wash each other’s feet, we are physically sharing in this ministry that Jesus began almost 2000 years ago. We are allowing ourselves to be vulnerable, and are invited into a new reality where neighbor-love is the natural order. And as we move into Good Friday, we become acutely aware of the brokenness that exists in our world. We give thanks for Christ who enters into that brokenness and transforms the world through his victory

over sin and death and reclaims the cross as a symbol of his life-giving power. And finally, on Easter Sunday, we let loose with joy and passion. We celebrate this Christ, our champion who gives us the gift of hope for a better tomorrow though the power of forgiveness and victory over death. We are ready to celebrate, and share in this joy.

In many ways, this is kind of an Opening Day for the Church. We have repented and turned back toward God during the long and barren season of Lent and now we are on the brink of possibility. We know the pain of the past and the continued disappointment that no-doubt will persist, and yet we are graced with these transcendent moments of hope and possibility. Moments like having our feet washed on Thursday, staring up at the triumphant cross on Friday in the midst of darkness all around, or seeing a sanctuary bursting the seams with beautiful music and flowers on Easter morning. These moments remind us that anything is possible and that the Risen Christ continues to walk with us through our ups and downs.

If you have never experienced all three services (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday) in the same year, it is definitely something I urge you to consider. These holiest of days for Christians complement each other in a way that makes them almost inseparable. The coolness of water on my feet and visual power of the chancel stripped bare make the Alleluia chorus on Sunday that much more meaningful. For me, these experiences. rank right up there with the crack of the bat and singing “take me out to the ballgame. And of course, unlike at Camden Yards, at Christ Church every seat is free.

Peace, Pastor Patrick

Spring Lock-Ins for Youth We will have separate lock-ins for the

middle and high school youth.

Middle School Lock-In, March 16-17 Drop off will be at 7:30pm on Friday night and pick up

will be the next morning around 11am.

High School Lock-In, March 23-24 The arrival time will again be at 7:30 p.m. on Friday

night, but we will hang out until 12 noon on Saturday in order to help out with the congregation’s Easter Egg

Hunt for younger kids.

Pastor Patrick and the other youth leaders are excited for back-to-back weekends of faith, fellowship, and fun!

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According to: CARLIEN PARLETT Director of Christian Education

New Beginnings and New Challenges

As we approach Easter and travel through Holy Week changes will be happening all around us.

The world will put away its winter coat and Spring will adorn the earth with green, flowers and birds singing. The joys of sitting on the front porch and drinking my coffee will return, and the squirrels and birds will chatter and chirp at each other, and the rabbits will run through the yard. Then the challenges will come. Keeping the grass cut, keeping the weeds out of the gardens, picking up any leaves and branches that have recently fallen and making the porch a welcoming place to sit and greet the neighbors. All of this is work, but it also has its rewards. This reminded me of a book written by Ed Young, The Ten Commandments of Parenting.

Here are the Ten Commandments of Parenting:

• Parents need to build a functional family

• Parents need to show love to their children

• Parents need to model godliness.

• Parents need to teach their children right and wrong, teaching them Biblical principles

• Parents need to spend quality time with their children unplugged from society

• Parents need to hold their children accountable for their actions

• Parents need to encourage their children

• Parents need to provide stability and security for their children

• Parents need to have appropriate conversations with their children about sexual relationships and responsible actions

• Parents may not be passive in their responsibilities

Essentially our new beginnings as parents will make us like the parable of the Sower.

Luke 8: 4 – 8; 11 – 15

When a large crowd from several towns had gathered around Jesus, he told them a story:

A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of the seed fell along the road and were stepped on or eaten by birds.

Other seeds fell on rocky ground and started growing. But the plants did not have enough water and soon dried up.

Some other seeds fell where thorn bushes grew up and choked the plants.

The rest of the seeds fell on good ground where they grew and produced a hundred times as many seeds.

All events take place during the Sunday School hour from 9:45 - 10:45 am unless otherwise noted.

March 11 and 18

Forum on ELCA Social Justice Statements led by

Pr. Tjornehoj

March 11 and 18

Hear teachings about the Easter stained glass windows by Jim Wilmer

Topics for April and May are to be announced

When Jesus had finished speaking he said, “If you have ears, pay attention.”

As we all know, children do not come with instruction manuals. Parenting is learned by doing. But the Bible does give us guidelines that help. Thank you for following the promises that you made at your child’s Baptism. By doing this, you have given them the good ground in which they can continue to grow in the grace and love that has been given freely to them as a child of God.

EGGSTRAVAGANZA

An Easter Egg hunt free to the public

March 24

10:00 am - Noon

Please come and join us! All are welcome!

Contact Carlien Parlett at carlien@christinnerharbor.org

with how many children will be attending by March 17

Bring your own basket.

EDIBLE CRAFT * FUN WITH BUBBLES * EASTER EGG HUNT

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At the beginning of our origin story, we find Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It doesn’t take long before the first plot twist, when the devil appears as a cunning serpent. The serpent tempts Adam and Eve to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and thus sin enters human nature. But what does this have to do with Holy Week and Easter?

From the start, we have been in need of salvation. Our human nature was corrupted to sin and death at the beginning. We were banished from the Garden and denied contact with the Tree of Life. We were told, “You are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Gen 3:19) Since these first days we have faced separation from our Creator and banishment from creation by means of death. But, as a result of this, we also see the first mention of the promise of salvation. God says to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Gen 3:15) The daughter of Eve, the Virgin Mary, will have a son. The serpent will strike his heel and he will suffer great pain on the cross. But the Son of God will rise again and crush the serpent’s head, destroying death and the imprisonment of sin. God never abandoned humankind but, from the very beginning, had a plan in place to reconcile creation to Himself and that came through the saving act of Jesus Christ.

On Easter morning the choir will sing Charles Villiers Stanford’s famous anthem, “Ye choirs of new Jerusalem,” which uses the 11th-century text from St. Fulbert of Chartres. In the opening lines we hear this reference to the prophecy from Genesis, “For Judah's Lion burst his chains, Crushing the serpent's head; And cries aloud through death's domains To wake the imprisoned dead.” What glorious news! To know that we who live in death’s domain have been called to awaken to a new life in Christ, unshackled from this mortal world, to have eternal life in the presence of God.

Easter is not a celebration of one resurrection but the hope of resurrection to all, which is made possible through “Judah’s Lion” bursting the chains of death. The ultimate sacrifice on the cross now enables us to live eternally with God through our baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection. Without the cross, our baptism would be empty. Without the resurrection, the cross would be a symbol of death. Good Friday cannot stand alone, nor can Easter morning stand alone. But these two loving acts of God, done on behalf of humankind, can together fulfill the promise that God made in the Garden. We are now no longer separated from the Tree of Life, for it has been transformed into the sign that was placed on us at our baptism, when we were first washed into Christ’s death and resurrection. It is the sign placed on our forehead on Ash Wednesday, when we are reminded of our mortality. And it is the saving sign at the hour of our death, when the gates to the Garden of Paradise are again opened and we enter in.

Through this promise, we can sing the words of Sigismund von Birken from the 17th century:

Let us gladly die with Jesus. Since by death he conquered death, he will free us from destruction, give to us immortal breath. Let us mortify all passion that would lead us into sin; and the grave that shuts us in shall but prove the gate of heaven. Jesus, here with you I die, there to live with you on high. And with Ernst Christoph Homburg, also from the 17th century:

Christ, the life of all the living, Christ, the death of death, our foe, Christ, yourself for me once giving to the darkest depths of woe: through your suffering, death, and merit life eternal I inherit. Thousand, thousand thanks are due, dearest Jesus, unto you. Soli Deo Gloria! Daniel Aune

New Recording of Andover, Opus 114

A new recording will be made

of our magnificent pipe organ!

The Andover Organ Company

has contracted Katelyn Emerson

for a recording session in May.

Production of the recording,

which will include CD, MP3,

and video formats, will be done

by Pro Organo and will be

nationally distributed. Katelyn is

the recent winner of the

American Guild of Organists’ prestigious National Young

Artists Competition in Organ Playing and is Associate

Organist and Choirmaster at Church of the Advent in

Boston. This is another great highlight, on a national level,

for our music ministry. Read more about the Andover

Opus 114, by visiting Andover Organ Company’s website

at www.andoverorgan.com/organs.new.114.php.

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Music by the Harbor

at Christ Church

Kupra in Concert Sunday, May 6, 2:30 pm

Our brass-in-residence ensemble, Kupra Quintet, will once again entertain us with their talent and exciting brass music. The members of the quintet are all professional musicians in the area and they regularly join with our organ and choir to add a richness and festive tone to our celebratory services throughout the year. In this program we can hear them on their own in a concert setting, as they present some of their favorite music for trumpets, French horn, trombone, and tuba.

2018 S

EA

SON

The Sea Chanters Sunday, April 15 2:30pm

The United States Navy Band "Sea Chanters" chorus is

the official chorus of the United States Navy. The

ensemble performs a variety of music ranging from

traditional choral music, including sea chanteys and

patriotic fare, to opera, Broadway, and contemporary

music. Under the leadership of Senior Chief Musician

Adam Tyler, the Sea Chanters appear throughout the

United States and often perform at the White House,

the Vice President's home and for other Washington

dignitaries. The Sea Chanters are one of the most

dynamic vocal ensembles in the country and are

frequently found at the center of our most important

national events, including the 56th Presidential

Inauguration Ceremony in 2009. They have appeared at

the Kennedy Center Honors and with the National

Symphony Orchestra for the nationally telecast

"National Memorial Day Concerts" at the U.S. Capitol.

Throughout their history, the Sea Chanters have

remained true to the Navy's watchwords of pride and

professionalism, and they continue to flourish in the

21st century and beyond as a vibrant ensemble. Invite

your friends to come with you to what will certainly be

a memorable concert!

AN INVITATION TO NEW JOURNEYS BRUNCH

SATURDAY, APRIL 21

10:00 am - Noon

If you are new to Christ Lutheran (or if you’ve been “visiting” for a while) consider joining the pastors for our New Journeys Brunch on Saturday morning. You will get to know other folks who are new to the community, learn more about the congregation, and have an opportunity to ask all the burning questions you’ve had since you first stepped through the doors.

Contact Pastor Ballard by email at pr.ballard@christinnerharbor.org or call the church office at 410-752-7179 if you are interested in joining us!

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Dr. Jon Fielder, from Christ Lutheran, lives in Kenya, directs the African Mission Healthcare Foundation, and sees patients at Maua Methodist Hospital. Our church supports Dr. Fielder’s medical mission through our benevolence fund. A story from Dr. Fielder’s recent newsletter is excerpted below, and gives color to the important work that he is doing and how he is able to use donations like ours. For more details on this program, visit their website at www.amhf.us or contact Clare Lentz SocialMinistry@ChristInnerHarbor.org

A 20-year-old patient of mine underwent open heart surgery last month. That she received this sophisticated operation—to replace a diseased valve—is miracle enough. That she did so only two weeks after we managed to get her to the referral mission hospital was almost too much to believe. Nkatha (not her real name) first came to my attention two years ago when a physician assistant asked to review a chest x-ray. The patient had been coughing blood. “The left heart border is straight, so I thought maybe she had pericardial TB (tuberculosis around the heart).” We had trained the physician assistant well. She recognized an oft-missed sign of severe infection. But Nkatha did not have TB. Her heart emitted a tell-tale cacophony suggesting that one of her valves (called the mitral, between the upper and lower chambers on the left side of the heart) was not opening smoothly. No doubt when she was a child, Nkatha had suffered from untreated strep throat, setting off an immunological cascade leading to the malfunction of the mitral valve. An ultrasound examination called an echocardiogram would confirm the diagnosis. Maua Methodist Hospital has a beautiful machine. The cost of the test was $22. Nkatha went away to look for money. In the meantime, I prescribed medicines which would slow the heart, allowing a few extra moments for an adequate blood volume to squeeze through the narrowed passage before the lower chamber propelled it throughout the body. She also required a diuretic to remove fluid which had backed up into her lung, legs and tissues.

Nkatha, feeling better, returned with half the money. I paid the other half, allowing me—yes me, myself—to perform the echocardiogram. (And you think American health financing is incomprehensible.) The scan showed what I had expected: The mitral valve should billow like a sail in the wind. Instead, it creaked like an arthritic elbow barely able to extend. I explained the situation to Nkatha and her father. Medicines could help a little, improve her exercise tolerance, but they would not repair the underlying defect. Only surgery (or, a type of balloon catheterization procedure) constituted definitive treatment. She could seek further assistance at the national referral hospital in Nairobi, or at Tenwek Hospital, another mission facility which was performing some heart

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surgery. Nkatha and her family explored none of these options. Money, for one, was a barrier. To travel from Maua to the behemoth of Nairobi, or to an unknown part of western Kenya, is also daunting for many rural people. Nkatha had finished high school but to negotiate an almost foreign medical system seeking care for a complicated illness can intimidate even the most educated and financially secure. The waiting list for heart surgery at the national referral hospital was more-or-less infinity, anyway, given the prolonged strikes. Another, even younger woman with the same problem had been sent to Tanzania, where she waited for weeks, only to return and find help at Tenwek. I knew where this situation was headed from the moment I first evaluated Nkatha. Someday, the door would close so completely that blood would no longer transit. She would die. Unless I arranged for something to be done. So why wait? Don’t I run a health charity for the poor? On Thanksgiving I travelled to work at Maua. Nkatha’s family gifted a chicken, alive.

The widow’s mite, to be sure. Only the sale of 2,000 chickens would yield enough for a new heart.

What saved the day in the end was a conversation with a bright young Kenyan doctor who had been an intern at Maua. He himself had undergone heart surgery when he was a child, for a different condition, probably performed by a visiting team. He retained a keen interest in cardiology. The national insurance fund was now paying for

some heart surgeries, he told me. We enrolled Nkatha—for $5 every month—and investigated while we waited the requisite 90 days for her membership to “mature.” Even with the insurance, the private hospitals in Nairobi were still far too expensive. There was no way I personally could make up that gap. But Tenwek Hospital’s charges would be completely covered, so we sent her there. Why had the national government decided to fully pay this cost, when so many other pressing needs abounded? I only knew that now Nkatha could get care, someone else had made the hard choice about resource allocation. My burden off-loaded. Upon arrival, the experienced Tenwek team discovered a clot in the heart and started blood thinners. And although the usual missionary cardiac surgeon was away on furlough, a visitor had come. He operated on Nkatha and gave her a new metal door in place of the old scarred one. She is not out of the woods yet. She will have to recover from the ordeal of an opened chest. And she will need lifelong blood thinners, no small feat medically or financially. But Tenwek’s outcomes have been good and she has a real shot.

With the steady and long-term application of clinical pressure, and stubborn persistence, and reckless love—and with some resources from outside, from people who thought a disease was worth conquering, and could be conquered, without necessarily counting the cost—

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seemingly hopeless situations change, and for the better. No matter how many diseases we thrust aside, something will eventually come for each one of us, until that day when “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev 21:4). Until then, as the Malawians say, m’mtima malo: Keep heart. Hope is ascendant.

Mountain of God Swahili-language Worship Service and Open House

Sunday, March 18

1:00 pm -3:00 pm

Contact Clare Lentz for details!

Share Christ’s Gift

Easter is the time of sharing the Good news! Select one of "Christ's Gift Cards" to give to a relative, friend, acquaintance, or neighbor. The gift cards proclaim God's love for each one of us and His willingness to give His only Son to die for us. The cards provide Christ Lutheran Church's worship times for the Easter season and our location.

Cards will be available during the Lenten season (March) in the coffee hour room. Get yours now to pass on to others!

Easter Basket Outreach

Christ Church will distribute Easter outreach baskets to coffee shops and hotels. Small baskets will be filled with our Jesus calling cards and Biblical mints. If you are willing to deliver some on March 13, please contact Paula Montgomery (Paulakm1@verizon.net or 410-685-0870) or Barbara Kimbrel (barbarakimbrel@verizon.net or 410-685-0870)

PROCLAIM AND INVITE

Dr. Fielder with his family in Kenya

Stephen Ministry

Does the Joy of the Easter Season Seem Far Away?

For those who have suffered a loss or who are going through a difficult time, Easter can be a time of painful loneliness and emptiness. If you are smiling on the outside but full of pain on the inside, and the joy of Easter seems far away, help is available.

Our Stephen Ministers are ready to provide confidential, one-to-one Christian care. They will listen, care, encourage and pray with and for you. Stephen Ministers have been specially trained to meet your emotional and spiritual needs; male Stephen Ministers are always matched with men, and female Stephen Ministers are matched with women. If you or someone you know is hurting, find out more about Stephen Ministry by talking with one of our Stephen Leaders: Pastor Patrick Ballard, Barbara Kimbrel, Paula Montgomery, or Louis Straker. Our Stephen Ministers are there to care!

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MONTH EVENT CHAIR

Saturday, May 19 10:00 am

Tour of Greenmount Cemetery John & Donna Folkemer

SAVE THE DATES FOR OUR UPCOMING EVENTS

Join us for our monthly Adult Fellowship Events. Please note that dates/times are subject to change. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the chair person of the scheduled event.

JOIN THE ADULT FELLOWSHIP AS WE TRAVEL TO THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS IN WASHINGTON DC

SATURDAY, APRIL 28

Departing Baltimore via Penn Station MARC train at 11:05 am (if you would like to carpool, be at the church parking lot no later than 10:30 am)

Tour begins at 1:30 pm (see visit details below)

The Great Hall, the Main Reading Room Overlook and the Gutenberg Bible are just some of the highlights of the hour-long docent led tour.

On-going exhibits open to the public in April include “Drawn to Purpose – American Women Illustrators.” “Cartoonists: Echoes of the Great War – American Experiences of WWI,” and “Mapping a Growing Nation – From Independence to Statehood.”

The Library of Congress is free to the public. Lunch at nearby restaurants and the MARC train are reasonably priced. A one-way ticket on the MARC train between Baltimore and Washington D.C. is $8. For those over 65, the ticket is only $4, but the Senior Discount applies only to tickets purchased at the station counter. Lunch at nearby restaurants costs about $20 with a beverage.

In order to start our docent-led tour at 1:30 pm, we will need to take the MARC train that leaves Baltimore at 11:05 am and arrives in Union Station in Washington by 12:05 pm We can carpool from the church parking lot no later than 10:30 am

A leisurely 20 minute walk will bring us past the U.S. Capitol and to the front entrance of the Library of Congress well before 1:30. For those who wish to avoid the walk, taxis, Uber and a D.C. Circulator bus are available to transport members between Union Station and the Library of Congress. The Library closes by 4:30 p.m. Afternoon MARC trains leave Union Station for the hour-long run to Baltimore at: 4:10, 4:50, 5:30 and 7:50 p.m. The last MARC train leaves Washington at 10:35 pm.

Please contact Bill Kinsley (williamkinsley.wk@gmail.com) or Ron Thomas for further information. It should be a great adventure!

Photos by William Kinsley 2018

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ATTENDANCE TOTAL

JANUARY: 1,226 (includes count from Mountain of God International)

GIVING TOTAL

JANUARY: $109,174

A summary of the minutes from the Congregation Council meeting February 20, 2018:

• The financial report for January showed a net operating income surplus of over $16,000 for the month. Thus far we have collected over $705,000 and spent almost $2.6 million on the Capital Campaign.

• The Property Committee reported that a new security system has been installed; restoration of the playground in the courtyard will begin as weather permits; and the committee is evaluating carpeting conditions throughout the Parish House.

• The Church Building Committee accepted a design concept for the modifications needed to permit installation of an elevator. When drawings are prepared and construction bids are secured, they will be shared with the congregation for review and critique.

• One hundred postcards have been sent to new residents in the zip codes surrounding the church; 2,000 Jesus calling cards have been printed and are ready to be distributed; and 200 Christ’s gift cards will be distributed by Palm Sunday.

• Thirty youth participated in the pancake breakfast, which raised $1,500 for the summer gathering in Houston. There will be two lock-ins in March, one for high schoolers and one for middle schoolers.

• Pastor Tjornehoj discussed some highlights of the upcoming year, including: creation of an active stewardship team; expectation of welcoming a seminary intern from United Lutheran Seminary in August; and completion of an assessment of the nursery school program.

• The following were elected as Congregation Council officers:

Vice President – Paula Montgomery

Treasurer – Bruce Kirby

Secretary – John Folkemer

• The Council approved a recommendation from the pastors and Dr. Aune that, due to staffing and scheduling, Wednesday worship services not be held during the summer of 2018.

Senior Bible Study at CCHA Tuesdays at Noon

Join us for Bible Study

Wednesdays at 6:15 pm

Fridays at 10:00 am

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Health ministry meets quarterly on the 3rd Sunday. All are welcome to attend!

Please consider participating in any of these ministries that mean so much to those they serve.

Health Ministry Programs

Prayer Chain includes nine people from our congregation who pray for others daily. Vicki Baublitz organizes and communicates any prayer requests with those who are willing to include others in their prayers. Please contact Vicki at baublitz@christinnerharbor.org or call the church office if you would like to be added.

Card Ministry coordinated by Darlene Cole-Hope, who along with four others, sends out cards in joy and sympathy. Vicki Baublitz prepares the weekly list based on the pastoral care report. This list called "Joys and Concerns" is available to the congregation and is located in the entry near the Chapel and office.

Meals for People with special needs are prepared by Hope and Bill Collins based on requests from the pastors. Adrienne Grant and Bill Kinsley have volunteered to assist when needed.

Eucharistic Ministers Parishioners who cannot get to church have someone visit them monthly to share the sacraments through this ministry.

Prayer Shawls Committee is coordinated by Nancy Rice. Our prayer shawl ministry will be working from their homes until further notice. Please bring in quilts or shawls and prayer squared as they are finished. Thanks to all of you for your dedication to these ministries.

Over the years, members have donated slightly used or new medical equipment, such as walkers, canes, crutches, bedside commodes, etc. The Health Ministry now offers this

equipment for you to borrow as needed. For more information contact any member of Health Ministry who wear gold name tags on Sunday mornings.

Baltimore Beyond Plastic By Sarah Berger Baltimore Beyond Plastic is a student-founded, student-led grassroots organization which strives to reduce plastic pollution in Baltimore, while

empowering the youth voice. A particular focus of BBP is polystyrene foam, from the thousands of foam trays used every week in school cafeterias to ubiquitous takeout containers to hot-cups in the office. BBP's strategies include outreach and education and legislative lobbying, and their efforts have paid dividends in Baltimore's City Council, which voted 7-0 in committee last February to support a ban on polystyrene foam food packaging in Baltimore. Prince George's and Montgomery County and Washington, D.C. have already enacted bans on the use of these containers.

Polystyrene (commonly known as Styrofoam) is a pernicious pollutant for many reasons:

• It is made from non-renewable crude oil

• Approximately 680 pounds of greenhouse gases are emitted to produce 10,000 foam cups

• An estimated 1% or less of polystyrene is recycled

• Because it is lightweight and breaks easily into small particles, it finds its way into waterways and has been detected -- as a disturbing sample -- in the digestive systems of 50% of all the world's sea turtles.

Visit www.bmorebeyondplastic.org to find out more, and for ways to get involved.

FREE TAI CHI CLASSES

BEGINNING WEDNESDAY MORNINGS APRIL 4

8:30 am - 9:30 am

Very little in this life is free, but why not try Tai Chi at no cost? Come for an hour of Tai Chi, Our neighbor, Bill Krulak, is offering an introductory class in the ancient Chinese art of Tai Chi. Come experience this ancient discipline that offers the benefits of peace, tranquility, flexibility, and balance.

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SHELTER DINNER DONATIONS

The Christ Church shelter dinner team will be serving on March 25 and April 22.

Sign up for donations will be March 18, and April 15 in the coffee hour room. Please stop by before or after any worship service and sign up to donate an item from the

dinner menu.

No donation is too small, and any donation is greatly appreciated.

If you are interested in becoming part of the serving team or simply helping out one Sunday, contact Lynne Mason (lamason5@hotmail.com) or Yvonne Wilson

(michaelyvonne@comcast.net).

Many thanks to the faithful members who donate so regularly. The shelter guests always comment on how much they enjoy the meals from our church.

Tall and rail-thin, *Maria may appear young and shy, but when she is working with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Colombia’s (IELCO) Proyectando Mi Futuro program, the 14-year-old’s leadership skills are on shining display. Maria lives with her mother, grandmother and two younger siblings in a tiny home in Caracolí, a neighborhood outside Bogota, Colombia.

Her grandmother, like many of their neighbors in the crowded barrio, fled her hometown years ago to seek a better life. The streets here are dusty, the homes pieced together with scraps of wood and corrugated steel. Many lack water, electricity and sustainable protection from the elements. The challenges are easy to see.

Fortunately, so are the opportunities. Through your support of ELCA World Hunger, IELCO’s Proyectando Mi Futuro is working with young girls and women like Maria in Caracolí to develop their leadership skills and inspire their hopes.

Through her participation in self-esteem classes, Maria has been motivated to do well in school and perhaps go on for further education. Last year, Maria’s group decided to learn hairstyling skills, and today, Maria is so proficient that she and the other young women offer their services to their neighbors. This lets Maria contribute to her family’s income.

This year, the group – with some new members – has decided to focus on manicure and pedicure skills, and Maria is thrilled to expand her services in this new area. In addition to skill-building and self-esteem classes, the families in Caracolí receive counseling from staff with IELCO, who provide home visits every two weeks.

Thanks to your support of ELCA World Hunger, families like Maria’s are turning their hopes for a better life into reality in Caracolí.

Projecting My Future Columbia ELCA.org/hunger

Your support of the ELCA World Hunger Appeal helps fight hunger, poverty, and disease in many countries around the world, including the United States. Young people like Maria, growing up in difficult, poverty-stricken environments, can overcome many of their challenges through the support of ELCA World Hunger to development and life-skill programs such as IELCO. You may donate by using the Hunger Appeal envelopes in the kiosk in the Narthex or by forwarding your appropriately marked donation to the Christ Church office. Thank you.

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Dates open for Altar flower sponsorship can be found in the

Narthex.

Costs: Altar flowers are $100 and Chancel flowers are $75.

PASTORAL ACTS “You are a child of God, sealed by the Holy Spirit and

marked with the cross of Christ forever.”

BAPTISMS

February 11 Nora Leigh Parlett

DEVOTIONS FOR MARCH

March 1 Psalm 19 March 2 Exodus 19:9b-15 March 3 Exodus 19:16-25 March 4 John 2:13-22 March 5 Psalm 84 March 6 Hebrews 9:23-28 March 7 Mark 11:15-19 March 8 Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 March 9 Ephesians 1:7-14 March 10 Numbers 20:22-29 March 11 John 3:14-21 March 12 Psalm 107:1-16 March 13 1 Corinthians 10:6-13 March 14 Isaiah 60:15-22 March 15 Psalm 51:1-12 March 16 Exodus 30:1-10 March 17 John 12:1-11 March 18 John 12:20-33 March 19 Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a March 20 Psalm 119:9-16 March 21 Haggai 2:1-9, 20-23 March 22 Psalm 18:1-2, 19-29 March 23 Philippians 2:12-18 March 24 Jeremiah 33:10-16 March 25 Mark 14:1-15:47 March 26 Psalm 36:5-11 March 27 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 March 28 Isaiah 50:4-9a March 29 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 March 30 John 18:1-19:42 March 31 Romans 6:3-11

Missed a sermon? Did a sermon speak to your spirit and you want to hear it again? Visit our website at

www.christinnerharbor.org!

Vernon George Tirza Chavez 3601 Greenway Apt. #811 Baltimore, MD 21218 George Huber Brightview 912 S. Rolling Rd. Unit #101 Catonsville, MD 21228

Nadine Knoche 10415 Liberty Rd. Randallstown, MD 21133

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Dear Christ Lutheran Church, Thank you for your kind donation of Emergency Clean-up Buckets to Church World Service. Your compassion has given individuals and families touched by disaster the tangible evidence that they matter. That someone cares. And they are not alone.

Disasters can strike anywhere, anytime. And they can take many forms: tornadoes, earthquakes, civil conflict, drought, hurricanes and more. Caring people like you – who understand the urgency of responding after a disaster – allow people in crisis to receive help when they need it, and hope for the future. Here at home or overseas, when tragedy strikes your donations ensure that help is never far behind. With deepest gratitude, The Rev. John L. McCullough, President and CEO Church World Service

GIFTS GIVEN TO

BALTIMORE OUTREACH SERVICES

In honor of: By:

Olivia Brann Al & Velma Buls

GIFTS GIVEN TO CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

In memory of: By:

George & Emma Potee Steve & Joan Wright

GIFTS GIVEN TO ENDOWMENT

In honor of: By:

Barbara Kimbrel Doris Azhderian & Shirley Boylan

GIFTS GIVEN TO GENERAL

In memory of: By:

Gwen Huber Jennifer Hauf Gwen Huber Ginger Swisher

GIFTS GIVEN TO WORLD HUNGER

In honor of: By: Ada Letke Mark Letke Recorded as of: March 5, 2018

DID YOU KNOW….

Christ Church has added two new Columbariums in the

Chapel

The cost of the Columbarium is $1,000 for the space in the

columbarium and the name plaque.

For more information, contact the church office.

The staff at Christ Lutheran Church Nursery School is excited that you are taking the time to discover all we have to offer your child. We would love to meet you and your child personally and give you a tour. Until then, visit our website at clcns.org for more information that will help you learn more about our programs. We look forward to meeting you!

OPEN ENROLLMENT

FOR 2, 3 AND 4 YEAR OLDS!

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Christ Lutheran Church 701 S. Charles Street

Baltimore, MD 21230-3835 Phone: 410-752-7179 ♦ Fax: 410-752-7881

www.christinnerharbor.org

THE CHRIST CHURCH STAFF

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please call the staff at the church office at 410-752-7179 or email them.

Susan E. Tjornehoj, M.Div., Pastor ......................................................... pr.tjornehoj@christinnerharbor.org

Patrick Ballard, M.Div, Associate Pastor ................................................... pr.ballard@christinnerharbor.org

Carlien Parlett, MCM, MREd, Christian Education Director .........................carlien@christinnerharbor.org

Daniel Aune, D.M.A., Director of Music ......................................................... music@christinnerharbor.org

Johnnie Fries, Parish Administrator .................................................................. jfries@christinnerharbor.org

Vicki Baublitz, Administrative Assistant ......................................................baublitz@christinnerharbor.org

Bruce Kirby, Interim Business Manager .................................................. accounting@christinnerharbor.org

Clare Lentz, Coordinator of Social Ministry ....................................... socialministry@christinnerharbor.org

Michelle Gahagen, Systems Manager ....................................................... mgahagen@christinnerharbor.org

Rebecca Lindsey, Lead Contemp. Musician ....................................................rebecca.lindsey2@gmail.com

Annie Lowe, Nursery School Director .............................................................. annie@christinnerharbor.org

Karen Adkins, Ph.D., Executive Director, BOS ............................................ adkins@baltimoreoutreach.org

John R. Sabatelli, Pastor Emeritus

Robert Brown, Sexton

Andrew Miller, Jr., Sexton

Pr. Patrick Ballard Bill Collins

Jennifer Doonan John Folkemer, Secretary

Adrienne Grant Jake Hartlove, Youth

Bruce Kirby, Treasurer

Ben Lentz Bill Miller

Paula Montgomery, Vice President Patrick Moulds

Carl Reavis Ernie Reitz

Nancy Rice Tim Stevens

Natalie Swanson Pr. Susan Tjornehoj, President

Susan Walther Gary Wells

Cathy Wood-Rupert

DON’T FORGET...

• Parking is FREE OF CHARGE with stamped ticket. You will need to bring your ticket into church and have it stamped on the “Lock Your Car” side.

• As of September 24, parking will no longer be available in the Hugh Street lot. Pink parking tags will no longer be issued.

Parking for Sunday and Wednesday services and other

festivals in the Charles Light Garage

(entrance on Lee Street)