MAY 2020 NEWSLETTER

470 Winter Street Ext.. Troy, NY 12180

(518) 283-1372

WWW.HOPELC.ORG

Our Core

Values

We are a

community

empowered by the

Holy Spirit, called

to bring God’s

comfort, to work for

God’s justice, and

to share the hope

and love of Jesus

with all.

Masks, masks, masks! I woke up this morning, and checked the weather first thing. A high of 69 degrees, with plenty of sunshine was predicted. You don’t have to tell me twice! Immediately, I showered, dressed, got those sneakers on and tied, and was out the door. I was ready to hit the ground for a nice long walk. And it was gorgeous. The trees were flowering, front yards filled with all manner of flowers (I’d name them for you if I knew what they were called—other than tulips and roses). And I had my mask with me, as did all those with whom I came into contact. To most, I waved or said hello—while keeping the recommended standard distance of 6 feet. This changes if you go bike riding; in that instance, they recommend you have at least 20 feet between bikers. It seems we are becoming a society of procedures and recommendations related to social distancing, and rightly so. Bishop Elizabeth Eaton in a recent video, stated that it is not fear that keeps us as the church following the mandate for social distancing, but love. Love for our neighbor and the stranger in our midst; for we are disciples of Christ Jesus. Still, for the church, this has presented us with a set of problems that are unique. No longer able to gather, we are now live streaming our services and various meetings through Facebook and Zoom. We are pulling together as a community through social media and for this I am grateful. Our members are going from 0—to at least 90, in terms of learning to use social media technology. We have seen the number of people being engaged by the live streaming of our services on Facebook and Zoom go up in number. It seems we are reaching those who might not otherwise attend church—this is a good thing. Even after we return, we will continue doing both Facebook and Zoom—an important and valid means of sharing the good news of Christ Jesus. To give hope to a world that hungers to hear a word of true resurrection in these times. But in the meantime I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for you to continue to reach out to your church family and any others who come to mind who might benefit from hearing a friendly voice—a word of love and care. For even in this time of masks, procedures and mandates, God has a mission in the world and still calls the church (which is in it’s essence the people of God) to implementing that mission. To love and care for one another. To share that love with both your neighbor and the stranger in our midst. We just have to be open to the Spirit’s moving us in new ways to do so. And people of God, I have no doubt we will. I already see it. And remember, you too are a beloved child of God, to whom grace is freely given. So go outside and enjoy this beautiful day, but remember to wear your mask, not out of fear, but out of love for both yourself and for others. Keep your distance, but remain close to one another in Christ Jesus! Amen.

ZOOM LINKS for MAY & JUNE of 2020

WORSHIP SERVICES:

Hope Lutheran Church is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Sunday Worship Service Time: May 3, 2020 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Every week on Sun, until Jun 14, 2020, 7 occurrence(s) May 3, 2020 10:00 AM May 10, 2020 10:00 AM May 17, 2020 10:00 AM May 24, 2020 10:00 AM May 31, 2020 10:00 AM Jun 7, 2020 10:00 AM Jun 14, 2020 10:00 AM

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.

Weekly: https://zoom.us/meeting/tJEuduuvrD4tH9RtQ9kQ1flE2muECf3QaiqS/ics?icsToken=98tyKuCtrTooHdaQtxyHRowMA4j4a-3zpiVagvpviC68CBECZA_TZO9XF5F5Q-nR

Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/95312725750 Meeting ID: 953 1272 5750 One tap mobile +19292056099,,95312725750# US (New York)

BIBLE STUDY:

Hope Lutheran Church is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Wednesday bible study Time: May 6, 2020 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Every week on Wed, until Jun 17, 2020, 7 occurrence(s) May 6, 2020 12:00 PM May 13, 2020 12:00 PM May 20, 2020 12:00 PM May 27, 2020 12:00 PM Jun 3, 2020 12:00 PM Jun 10, 2020 12:00 PM Jun 17, 2020 12:00 PM Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.

Weekly: https://zoom.us/meeting/tJAvd-2opj0vH9VcjxHBb5o_7uf-aPaHYIMX/ics?icsToken=98tyKuCsrDsuGtyTtRyGRowIAIigLPTxiCFYgvprnxX9KwJRNwzJYfdEf7NPEfDp

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://zoom.us/j/94204086551

Meeting ID: 942 0408 6551 One tap mobile +19292056099,,94204086551# US (New York)

Food Bank Volunteers Persevere, Despite the Virus! Kudos to Charlie Huff and Jim Mounteer for volunteering at the Regional Food Bank on April 4. They made up one quarter of the volunteer force that morning, and their efforts were greatly appreciated. Local food banks are needed now more than ever, and that means that the Regional Food Bank desperately needs volunteers. They are making every effort to make sure the work force is safely social distancing. In fact, they are opening a second location so volunteers will have plenty of room! If you are interested in volunteering, Hope has a longstanding shift on the first Saturday morning of each month. For more information, contact Pam Dodson at cheezpleez@operamail.com.

Thanks to the generosity of Hope Lutheran Church and its congregation, fifteen families in our community were given $75 Price Chopper gift cards this Easter. I'd like you to know how much this effort is appreciated by relaying the words of Jason Chaplin of the St. Paul's Center. Please read and reflect on what he had to say:

"Thank you so much. I don't know how we would be able to help the families get Easter dinner if it wasn't for all of you. We are not allowed to take in any donations at this point, so without this, the families would have to get items from the food pantry or provide for themselves with their own funds. I work the with families closely so I do know that only a few would have the means to provide an Easter dinner for their families and even then, they would be doing it on a very tight budget.

I wish that everyone could see how extremely grateful the families are. The first 6 months after they move out of the Shelter are the hardest. When they get to the 6-month point, things seem to go much more smoothly for the families. They have their budgets set. They have their bills in order, etc. The first few months are extremely difficult. They move out with only the belongings they bring into the Shelter with them. They are literally starting from scratch. It's very hard for most of the families to pay a security deposit, first month's rent, and have any money left to buy basic home goods. Getting furniture through referrals to the Furniture Bank in Albany to assist with basic home furniture needs is their only option at times. Many of the families are forced to utilize the food pantries once per week to have enough food for the family to eat. The Easter and Christmas dinners go a long way and have always brought the families joy. For most of the families it is the best/most complete meal that they have eaten in months. Thanks again to you and the congregation for all that you do and continuing to think about the families at St. Paul's. We are all extremely grateful."

HELP, Please Help!

This is a terrible time for all of us. The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the lifestyles of everyone, BUT

not everything has changed. We still have the hungry, food challenged, and underfed. I am personally

making an appeal to each and every one of you. There is a large plastic bin on the front porch of the

church – it has been there since this mess began – however, we have collected only a few bags of food!

I spoke with the folks at CoNSERNS-U this morning asking the question, “What do you need now?” The

answer was quick and to the point: “We need jelly!” Kids are home and parents need jelly to make

sandwiches. “We need peanut butter, we need granola bars – items that can be given to kids and

adults when hunger pangs hit.” Further, and for the whole family, they also requested canned tuna fish.

Whether you are shopping for yourself, or if you have family members shopping for you, or if you are

using services like InstaCart, Shop For You at Hannaford, and or Walmart, PLEASE add some of these

items to your shopping list. Please note, four regular size containers are much better than one big one.

Liz and I have been taking car rides to break the monotony. Just swing by church on your travels and

drop your donation in the box. Thank you, thank you a million times.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your

inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you

gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you

invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison

and you came to visit me. … I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers

of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25

I have found the book, Difficult Conversations - How to Talk about what

Matters Most, by Douglas Stone, to be helpful. When I am in a difficult

conversation, there are 13 (maybe 14) things that I try to keep in mind. I

am not always successful. If you notice that I am not adhering to these

guidelines, please let me know:

13. Valuing the other person’s perspective helps me to refrain from

placing an inappropriate emphasis on my perspective. It helps me to

reconsider whether I really want to draw a line in the sand. It helps

me to better understand which lines are appropriate to be drawn.

More to come. In His Grace, WDM

You can continue to submit prayer requests, updates,

and praise reports of answered prayer!

Email prayers to: office@hopelc.org, in the subject put:

Prayer Request, and in your email, please indicate if you want

your prayer included in our bulletin or not. Tonya will forward

all prayers to our Prayer Group Committee until our Prayer

Group can meet in church again.

News & Upcoming Events for May of 2020

Although our doors remain

temporarily closed in

compliance with the COVID-19

pandemic, we will continue to

live-stream our Worship

Services through Facebook and

Zoom on Sundays at 10:00 AM,

as well as our Bible Studies

through Zoom on Wednesdays

at Noon.

Our Annual Meeting will be held

on May 17th via Zoom for the

members of our Congregation.

As always, our lines of

communication via phone and

email remain open.

Be well and God Bless.