pastor david...1 christ church comments september, 2020 christ evangelical lutheran church 225 e....
TRANSCRIPT
1
September, 2020 Christ Church Comments
Christ
Evangelical
Lutheran Church
225 E. Elm Avenue
Monroe, MI 48162
734.241.4554
Pastor:
New - Website:
christmonroe.com
Facebook:
Christ Lutheran Church—Monroe, MI
Secretary: Karen
Youth and Ed.: Kristen
Newsletter: [email protected]
I’ve been drinking coffee since I discovered its magical
energy giving properties in college. In those days I
would add a bunch of milk and sugar, so much so that
my boss would often remark that I wasn’t actually
drinking coffee anymore, but coffee
flavored milk. Over the years my tastes
have evolved. Now there is almost
never any milk or creamer (except in
the fall - I love some pumpkin spice),
but still a little sweetener. For the last
few years that coffee went straight
from the brewer into a travel mug to
be consumed during my morning
commute. But when the commuting stopped a few
months back so did the coffee. That morning ritual was
interrupted and the caffeine need was fed other ways.
I’ve recently started making myself a cup of coffee in a
mug every morning. I doubt that my doctor or dentist
are pleased with this development but it is important to
me. Its importance doesn’t come from the caffeine, that
I can get in other ways. What is important to me is the
ritual: the smell, the warm cup in my hands, the hiss of
the coffee maker as it spits out the last few drops.
2
There’s something grounding about
beginning the day in the same way that
sets the rest of the day up for success.
One of the things that’s been so diffi-
cult about this COVID era is that it
has separated us from so many of our
rituals. Some of these are easy to call
to mind: worship looks different than
it used to, graduations and birthday
parties have had a different flavor to
them all summer, even funerals and
our rituals around death and dying
have had to change. But there’s other
things too - the Hall of Fame game
that signals the beginning of the foot-
ball season, the county fair, a trip to
the movie theater for a summer block-
buster and a ludicrously large tub of
popcorn.
All of this has led to what some have
called time soup, that disoriented feel-
ing that makes it hard to remember
what day it is or how many days have
passed since certain events. It can also
lead to isolation, depression, anxiety,
and despair. We need rituals, both sa-
cred and secular, to help us mark time,
and ground us in the world.
With that in mind, I’d like to offer a
few ideas if you find yourself, as I did,
needing a few rituals to ground you in
the midst of uncertain times:
Pause for prayer before meals. If
you already do this one, consider ei-
ther learning a new prayer or sitting
in silent gratitude for a few mo-
ments.
Set an alarm for a time near the
end of the day. When the alarm
goes off, stop what you are doing,
take out a pen and notebook and
write down something for the day
that you are grateful for and some-
place where you could use God’s
help.
Schedule a time during the week to
check in with a family member
or friend who you haven’t been
able to see often enough lately.
If they are up for it, consider making
it a weekly event on your calendar.
Mark off some time in your
calendar for Sabbath. This can be
at a certain time during the day, or a
certain day during the week. The
important part is that you make the
time separate and restful. Even
twenty minutes that are set apart
from the rest of the day can make a
3
Peace,
Pastor David
HAVE YOU HAD A CHANGE OF ADDRESS? Please notify the church office with the details of your new address,
if you have moved, or have a new phone number, or are vacationing for an extended period of time. This
helps save postage on returned mail. All church contact information is found on page one.
Make time for worship. Come to CLC on Saturday or Sunday. Watch the Worship
Playlist on Sunday morning or Wayne’s World on Wednesday. Play a favorite hymn or
worship song and turn up the volume. Give thanks to God as you watch a sunrise or
sunset. However you do it, take a few moments to praise, and to remember that God
is sovereign over all things.
One final note, rituals are made for us, not us for rituals. Don’t let whatever you take
on become a burden - one more thing on your to do list. Keep experimenting until
you find something that you enjoy, that brings you life, and that helps you find joy in
this world that God has made.
4
Youth and Education News
Youth Group Kick-Off
September 11
6:00 p.m.
Go-Karts Plus (14999 LaPlaisance Rd)
Youth in Middle and High School, we are getting
together for fun! Go Karting, Mini Golf & Batting
Cages are all available. We will also have a pizza
picnic dinner and brain storm activity ideas for the
year. Friends (and parents) are welcome. Please
bring $10 per person to offset the cost of the event.
First (And Hopefully Last) Annual Social Distance Games!
Sunday, October 18
3:00 p.m.
The Merkels’ Yard (2130 Vivian Rd)
Middle and High School Youth, join us for an afternoon of games and fun! It will be a
blast… just not too close! We will be having an “awards” dinner after the games.
BOX CITY!
Youth, put Friday, November 6 on your calendars
for our annual Box City to raise awareness of
homelessness in our community. We have been
working on a plan to once again host this important
event, and hope to be able to go ahead with it.
Watch the newsletters and Facebook for more
information to come.
5
Faith Formation
RALLY DAY!
Sunday, September 13
10:30 a.m.
We will be having an in-person Rally Day Celebration in the church parking lot to
kick off our Sunday School Season. Please bring chairs or blankets… we will be
sitting in family groups (socially distanced). Please come join the fun!
Monthly Family Faith Formation
We will have in-person Family Faith Formation on the third Sunday of each month
starting on October 18. These gatherings will be outside as long as weather permits
(bring chairs or blankets to sit on) or in the Parish Hall. Come share in a Bible
lesson and activity as a family.
Faith Formation Weekly Journals
Every Sunday School student will receive a “journal” with weekly activities related to
the scripture lesson for that Sunday. This will be in lieu of weekly Sunday School
classes. We will hopefully begin to meet again before this Sunday School season is
over, but we wanted to give our kids something to work on until that time.
Confirmation Classes
Pastor David will convene confirmation classes starting on Sunday, September 13
at 7:00 p.m. These classes will take place in our Parish Hall. Starting in October,
classes will be held on the first Sunday of the month (October 4, November 1,
December 6, etc.) at 7:00 p.m.
6
Thank you to everyone who helped with this year’s on-line VBS,
“On Earth As In Heaven”. We had 37 participants take part, and
many who helped with creating video content for this unusual event.
We look forward to having an in-person VBS next year, but we did a
GREAT job pulling together during this unusual summer!
Vacation
B
ib
le Sch
ool
7
Cookbooks for Sale
$10 each
Christ Lutheran Church’s
75th Anniversary
Committee created this
cookbook filled with
delicious recipes
submitted by members of
the congregation.
Please contact Dede Ward
at 810-265-6520 to
purchase. She also will
deliver!
Copies also are available
following the worship
services.
Makes a
thoughtful gift!
8
Marilyn’s Nurses Notes
for Healthy Living
WALKING, the free exercise
Many people have had to resort to walking for exercise during this time of uncer-tainty in place of gym workouts and group sports. We can do this outside and still keep a distance of six feet from others wearing a mask if you have to pass more closely to others. Even if you are still staying at home you can walk around the yard and your home in order to keep from being too sedentary helping to reduce ad-verse health effects. This is the easiest and saf-est way to stay fit. A brisk walk (3 ½ to 4 miles per hour) burns as many calories as running at a
moderate pace and confers similar health benefits. Even slow walks and short walks may provide some benefit. Below, I list a few of the many benefits we can enjoy from this “freeing” exercise.
Metabolic benefits include reducing the risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease.
Reduced risk of heart failure demonstrated by several observational studies .
Healthier arteries because a sedentary lifestyle often reduces the ability of arteries to relax and contract, which decreases the blood flow and may increase long-term cardiovascular risk.
Better blood sugar control by increased daily walking.
Low back pain can be reduced by walking, im-proving the quality of life in people with chron-ic low back pain.
Improved knee osteoarthritis. People with this condition often avoid exercise thinking that it will make it worse but it can be one of the best treatments.
9
CURRENT FINANCIAL INFORMATION
July 2020 Year to Date 2020
Actual Budget Actual Budget
Operating Income: $12,349 $17,358 $ 108,477 $116,660
Operating Expense: $13,610 $15,338 $ 109,888 $120,823
Surplus [Deficit]: [$ 1,261] $ 2,020 [$ 1,411] [$ 4,163]
The new website address for Christ Lutheran Church is:
christmonroe.com
Enhanced brain function can also be a benefit helping in the
ability to plan and prioritize and often creativity is increased
because of the physical and psychological mechanisms
opened by the exercise.
Walking is a great option because of the simplicity. You need
no special equipment or clothing. You can do it almost any
time and alone or with family and friends. Other types of
exercise may yield additional benefits.
Let us get moving!
Marilyn
Marilyn Sanderlin, BSN
Source: U of CA, Berkeley, Wellness Letter, July 2020
September
Scripture
Readers
September 6
Pat Sargent
September 13
Ben Garman
September 20
Geof Oetjens
September 27