Lutheran Life Newsletter: Lent Edition

A PUBLICATION OF ST. JOHN’S LUTHERAN CHURCH

LUTHERAN LIFE

IN THIS ISSUE ...

LENTEN Midweek Worship ……………………………….. page 4 Faith Formation ………..……………...…………………… page 5 Pastoral Transition Update ………..……………...…….. page 13 Birthdays ………………………………………………...…. page 15

LENT 2020

LUTHERAN LIFE

Lent is that time when we are invited into the wilderness, a place of quiet and reflection, encounters and renewal, prayer and revelation. The wilderness is a place that helps us preserve and protect those values that are important to us because it is that place away from the business of life that invites us to listen to our soul, to enter into conversation and relationship with our Lord, to struggle with that which needs struggling with. This Lent, I invite you into that precious space of the wilderness, and I invite you to Rediscover Jesus.

Think about it. How well do you know Jesus? Do you know him as well as you would like to? Or put another way if there is one person that we should each get to know more deeply and more personally, it is Jesus. There are so many facets of Jesus: carpenter, itinerant preacher, son of God, King of Kings, lord of lords, lamb of God, the new Adam, the messiah, the alpha and the omega, the chosen one, the light of the world, the God-man, the healer of our souls.

This transfiguration Sunday we gave each family the book Rediscover Jesus. It is made of short chapters, one for each day of Lent. The book is written by Matthew Kelly. It is written in a way that we can more deeply know God and know ourselves in relationship to God. There are questions that like: Who am I? Who is God? What am I here for? What matters most or least? And as we discover answers to these question, we encounter our Lord Jesus.

Also as part of our Lent experience we will have a discussion on the book on Tuesday from 12:00 noon until 1:00pm. You are invited to join us in person or via ZOOM. For zoom, go to the website, click on join a discussion and time in our zoom meeting number: 620-250-439. During the season of Easter, we will continue Tuesday discussion group with Bible Listening. These discussions will focus on the reading for the week.

This Lent, let’s Rediscover Jesus, re-energize our relationship with Christ, and make sense of life and how to persistently live in the footsteps of Jesus.

Be blessed, Be the church, rediscover

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LUTHERAN LIFE

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ent is a dusty time, where “Remember you are dust, and to dust, you shall return” can sound ominous … or hopeful … or both. I think how we hear the words depends how we see God using said dust.

Within the realm of the cosmos, God used dust to create the world.

In the Garden of Eden, God used dust to fashioned humankind.

In the manger, God nestled in the dust of a manger.

With the woman caught in adultery, God wrote in the dust to convict those who held stones, ready to throw them with self-righteous zeal.

With the blind man, God mixed spit and dust to heal.

On the way to the cross, God fell in the dust, on the way to redeem humankind.

As God is apt to do, God will do amazing things with dust as we share the Lenten journey, meeting us.

Consider these words from Jan Richardson: Will you meet us in the ashes, will you meet us in the ache, and show your face within our sorrow and offer us your word of grace: That you are life within the dying, that you abide within the dust, that you are what survives the burning, that you arise to make us new?

And in our aching, you are breathing.

And in our weeping, you are here, within the hands that bear your blessing, enfolding us within your love.

May we meet God, and doing so, experience a dusty Love!

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LUTHERAN LIFE

Lenten Wednesday Worship

the UNHEARD Midweek Lenten Worship The theme for Midweek Lenten worship this year is “Hearing the Unheard.” As a way to enter more deeply into scripture, we will worship by candlelight on Wednesday evenings, with songs from Taizé, Holy Communion, and a chance to hear each week from a lesser-known character of the Passion: Simon of Cyrene, the serving girl who spoke with Peter, Pilate and his wife, Thomas, and others who have their own story to tell.

Wednesday worship in Lent is March 4, 11, 18, 25 and April 1. Worship will begin at 6:30pm in the sanctuary.

Beforehand, there will be a simple meal beginning at 5:30pm in the Sparks Fellowship Hall, provided by Tender Lovin’ Cooking (TLC).

A Look Ahead ...

Holy Week and Easter Palm Sunday (April 5, 9AM & 11AM) Palm Sunday is a service of sharp contrasts. It begins with pomp and circumstance. the choir processing behind the cross with banners and a Holy Spirit kite, in remembrance of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem to a royal welcome. Then we consider the Passion and enter into telling the story of Christs’ trial, crucifixion, death, and burial. The service then continues on Maundy Thursday.

Maundy Thursday (April 9, 6:30pm) On Maundy Thursday, we enter with Jesus and his disciples into the upper room, where we share the Passover feast that becomes communion. The service closes as the altar and chancel are stripped of all finery, representing Christ’s willing abandonment of power, for the sake of love.

Good Friday (April 10, 6:30pm) On Good Friday, we enter deeply into the mystery of Christ, as we read the Passion, following Jesus through betrayal, abandonemen, mock trial, suffering, and death to the grave. The service ends with the ‘Strepitus’ - the slamming of a door representing the closing of the tomb, and we leave in silence.

Easter Sunday (April 12, 7am, 9am and 11am ) Easter is Resurrection! Bright light and brass, choir anthems, new life and proclamation. “Jesus Christ is Risen TODAY! Alleluia!” It is not death and loss, but new life and possibility, that have the final word and, in a sense, it’s not a final word at all, but a continuing word of God’s love, as God continues to raise us to new life.

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LUTHERAN LIFE FAITH FORMATION

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aith Formation meets weekly at 10 AM for six Sundays: March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 & April 5.

Here’s a look at the LENTEN offerings:

> Bible Experience: Encountering Christ in the Gospel of John Encounter Christ through an engaged experience with the Gospel of John. We are looking for leaders. Contact Deaver at dtshattuck@gmail.com.

> ELCA World Hunger Lenten Study Join the ELCA World Hunger experience to take part in meaningfocused conversations about the role of hope in the season of Lent.

We are looking for leaders. Contact Anne at annetl@gmail.com. · · · · · ·

Week 1: Safety and Stability Week 2: Livelihoods Week 3: Justice for All Week 4: Leadership Week 5: Renewal of the Earth Week 6: Reflections on Hope

Children’s Faith Formation · Week 1: The First Sin (Genesis 3:1-27) · Week 2: Abram’s Call (Genesis 12:1-4a) · Week 3: Woman at the Well (John 4:5-42) · Week 4: Pool of Siloam (John 9:1-41) · Week 5: Lazarus (John 11:1-45) Week 6: Holy Week (Matthew 21:1-11; 26:14-27:66

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he St. John’s Lutheran Knoxville Youtube channel streams our worship services live and archives them -- so you can revisit a worship experience that moved you.. YOU’RE INVITED TO WORSHIP WITH US!

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LUTHERAN LIFE

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n the quote to the right, Martin Luther captures the essence of faith formation, highlighting the journey that begins with baptism and moves through Confirmation in which one professes, “What my parents and God started at the font, what my church family nurtured, I now take on as my own. It is not the end….”

We begin our next Confirmation series on Sunday, March 29 at 6:00 PM with a Family Confirmation Kick-Off Dinner for middle schoolers, their parents, and siblings. Together, we will explore the dates, the texts, and the study program. Together, we will give voice to our shared faith.

Additional dates for your family calendar include: April 24-26 September 13 September 20 October 4 October 25 November 15 November 22 March 21 April 23-25

Ten Commandment Retreat at Lutheridge Confirmation: The Reformation Confirmation: The Apostles’ Creed Confirmaiton: Article I Overview Confirmation: Creation Confirmation: Human Condition Confirmation: Ten Commandment Review Family Confirmation Kick-Off (Part Two) Confirmation Retreat: Who is Jesus?

Parents, please let Pastor Amy know if your family plans to attend.

LENTEN COMMUNION INSTRUCTION

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enten Communion Instruction is scheduled for March 11 at 4:30 P.M. and March 25 at 4:30 P.M. in the Kindergarten Room, and April 8 at 4:30 P.M. at Liza Moz Pottery Studio in Downtown West and Dinner at Tomato Head.

Children and families are invited to participate in this annual celebration which addresses God’s meal of Love; instruction will include three group sessions with Pastor Amy and family faith activities. Our Family Communion Celebration will be Sunday, April 19 at the 11:00 service in order to gather and answer last minute questions during Faith Formation.

If your child has expressed a spiritual hunger for Holy Communion, please contact Pastor Amy at amy@sjlcknox.org to express interest in your family’s participation, to coordinate shared snacks, and to prepare for your family’s faith activities at home.

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LUTHERAN LIFE

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tepping Stones is a faith formation experience for St. John’s children and youth, as well as their families.

Beginning with Baptism, the very first stepping stone of faith, parents and congregations members commit to nurture the child in the faith we share through Jesus Christ. As the child develops, the congregation revisits the promises of the baptismal covenant with the family on designated Sundays.

Each time the congregation celebrates a Stepping Stone, the child receives a gift, the family is invited to consider a new family faith formation that incorporates the gift, and the congregation joins in a prayer of rededication in which all reaffirm the promise to nurture the children of our congregation. The expressed purposes include: To remember the baptismal covenant To develop lifelong family faith formation practices To celebrate significant milestones with the children of St. John’s To equip parents with faith formation resources To pray for families Below you will find a chart that offers the specifics of our 2020 Stepping Stones. To determine how your child might participate, find your child’s current age and consider participating in the celebration of the specific stepping stone on the designated date. Pastor Amy will send out an e-mail invitation approximately a month ahead of each Stepping Stone; simply respond and look forward to celebrating the baptismal promises you made on behalf of your child.

If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Amy at amy@sjlcknox.org or 865.805.9805.

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LUTHERAN LIFE

Senior Adult Ministry, March 4 Join Us for Lunch

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he next SAMs gathering is scheduled for Wednesday, March 4th beginning at 11:30am in the Sparks Fellowship Hall. Jim and Nancy Friedrich will share about their recent trip to Israel. Lunch will be provided by Brown Bag Catering and includes grilled chicken breast

and roasted pork tenderloin, baby spinach salad with fresh berries and mandarin oranges, red skin potatoes, rolls and brownies. Cost is $5.

Please bring small bottles of hand lotion which will be shared with the residents of Minvilla and VMC Day Program participants through the social workers office. RSVP to Mary Cole at memecole@comcast.net or 865-584-3153.

Nadia Bolz-Weber, March 26 Save the Date and Donate!

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n Thursday, March 26, Tyson House is bringing Nadia Bolz-Weber (author of Salvation on the Small Screen?: 24 Hours of Christian Television, Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint; Accidental Saints: Finding God in All the Wrong People; and Shameless: A Sexual Reformation) to town!

She will give a talk at 7pm, followed by a book signing, at Episcopal Church of the Ascension. We’re waiting to set ticket prices until we see how we do in donations. To donate, go to tysonhouse.org/supportus or send checks to Tyson House Student Foundation, 824 Melrose Place, Knoxville, TN 37916.

Inquirer’s Class, March 29

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ogether with Pastor Amy, Pastor John, Pastor Jean, and the SJLC Council, we invite you to join us for Inquirers’ Gathering on Sunday, March 29 after second service, going no later than 2:00 PM. Together we will talk about what God is up to in our lives and what God is calling us to be and to do as a congregation on the corner of 5th and Broadway. You will have the opportunity to meet and talk with our Church Council members, as well as pastors and other leaders in our congregation over lunch as we look at what makes SJLC unique and how together we can serve Christ and the world.

For those who are interested in joining the St. John’s family, we will receive new members on Sunday, April 26.

Please RSVP to Toni at toni@sjlcknox.org or 865.523.3330.

W.I.N.E. (Women Involved in Narrative Exploration) Tuesday, March 10, 6:30 pm at St. John’s

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e will gather at St. John’s as a temporary meeting place for WINE this month.

Women, please join us for the March meeting, for a discussion of how culture and media images can shape justice.

We ask that you watch a short TED Talk video by Sarah Lewis. Please bring a favorite beverage and a small bite to eat (optional) to enjoy during the conversation. Contact Ruth Crowley for additional information at RNVC@comcast.net.

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LUTHERAN LIFE

Join us for a creative expression of Lenten hop. Here are the specifics: 1. Each day of Lent, consider the suggested theme as found here and on the St. John’s facebook page.

2. Express your thoughts as simply and/or creatively as you wish by posting an image and a comment.

3. Help us trend by using #SJLCLent

Listen to sermons you’ve missed ONLINE at www.sjlcknox.org

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LUTHERAN LIFE

Kids Hope Has Two New Mentors Jody Freeman and Anne Langedorfer!

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ody has been matched with a sweet energetic young lady in the 4th grade Traviona. She loves to dance and do cartwheels and she wants to be a model in fashion or makeup when she grows up.

One of the goals for their match is to help Traviona with developing patience with other students and expanding her leadership skills.

Anne Langedorfer has just recently been matched with Selena who is a 3rd grader at Christenberry. She is very chatty and appears to be fairly selfassured. She knows that she needs to learn math so she can count the money in a cash register which she says is an important skill. When she grows up she would like to be a veterinarian. Anne and Selena are just getting started on their mentor/mentee relationship.

Jody and Traviona

Folks there is always room for more mentors. Please consider if you are being called to share your gifts and talents in this way. There are always extra needs at Christenberry like Lysol spray, Clorox pes, Kleenex, school supplies and underwear for boys and girls. Please bring any donations to church and leave them in Amy’s outer office.

If you have questions, please feel free to give me a call at 865-591-4803.

Thanks so much.

Thea Peterson

Anne and Selena

Second Annual NAMI Walk, April 4 On April 4, 2020 St. John’s will be helping support the Second Annual National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Walk at the World’s Fair Park. This is a fun family and pet friendly event to raise awareness to help eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness and raise donations to help the local NAMI chapter. We will be accepting donations and signing folks up to come and walk during the month of March.

If you would like to know more, please don’t hesitate to contact Thea Peterson (591-4803) or John Cantrell as we are serving as co-chairs for the St. John’s team. Our team name is “Tender Hands, Compassionate Hearts”.

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LUTHERAN LIFE

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y best Lenten discipline, so far, was the year I gave up… theology! That is, I gave up reading theology. I’d read so much in the years post-seminary, my brain was overloaded, and it was time to stop, trust God, and work with what I’d already received. Oddly, my preaching improved! It’s a lot like eating. If your mouth is so full you can’t chew, it’s hard to make any progress, and it’s not good for the digestion. If you’re constantly taking in new ideas and new world views, it’s difficult to integrate them into something coherent, even harder to connect to the heart. So I recommend asking, what am I getting too much of, even if — maybe especially if — it’s a good thing. Then ask God if it would be good to put it down for a season. Lent is a great time for that.

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y lenten discipline used to be giving up something, then I realized that for me that was like an empty coke can. What I discovered was, if I feast on something, I make better my connections with our Lord. Therefore, my Lenten discipline can take different forms. Sometimes my Lenten discipline is keeping a gratitude journal and writing down all the things that I’m thankful to God for; sometimes it is intentionally looking for the positives in a person or situation, and other times it is naming the high points of my day or week.

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was first introduced to Lenten discipline by a friend in 1994; she gave up beer and McDonald’s. While that might have radically shaped her journey toward Easter, I wasn’t convinced the same path would be helpful for me in that I really don’t like beer and I rarely eat at McDonald’s. Not much of a sacrifice to call my attention to the passion of Christ, right?

Pastor Steve later offered wise counsel by suggesting I “take on” a discipline, and for many years, I have used Lenten mornings for intentional creativity. That usually means waking earlier than I normally would, sitting in silence, and focusing on the passion of Christ while stitching something. One year, I crossstitched a Tennessee sampler for a friend; another year, I needle-pointed a belt for my dad. This year, I’m thinking more needlepoint as two friends from church are interested in learning this creative art.

Ultimately, at the end of the forty days, I hope the world is a more beautiful place because of artwork and heartwork!

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LUTHERAN LIFE

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ave you noticed a different white-robed person on the chancel in the last few months? Here at SJLC, we’ve been blessed for over two decades with an abundant called and ordained pastoral staff, which is a wonderful gift that makes our worship community unique. As a result, all the worship roles are usually filled with ordained clergy. But this is not always the case! Many churches have only one called pastor, and thus another member of the church makes possible the entire functions of worship by taking on the role of assisting minister.

Core to our belief as Lutherans is the idea that “ministers” includes all the baptized people of God, building on Paul’s description in his first letter to the Corinthians, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ” (1 Cor. 12:12).

The ELCA defines an assisting minister as one who helps throughout the liturgy by holding books, turning pages, offering the prayers of the people, setting the table for communion, serving communion, and other duties. The rubrics (red italics) in Evangelical Lutheran Worship provide the instruction for assisting ministers.

We use assisting ministers at SJLC for some practical reasons, such as ordained pastors needing to travel, experiencing illness, or wishing to experience worship in another role such as music or with their families, and also for faithful reasons, to give more people an opportunity to experience this deep worship role. Anyone who is a confirmed member of our worshiping body is eligible to be an assisting minister. Being an assisting minister can be a gratifying way to serve our congregation at St. John’s. It invites you deeply into the faith life of the church, and a new way of serving our one body in Christ. And importantly, it is a way that we at SJLC enter into communion with our Lutheran siblings in Christ across the ELCA. If you are interested in being an assisting minister, please see Jessi Grieser (jessgrieser@gmail.com), or talk to any of the pastoral staff or worship team. We would all be delighted to help you serve in a new way!

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hris Clay will have AV Training/Refresh sessions 4 Sundays in March (8th, 15th 22nd and 29th) from 10:15 to 10:45am (between worship services. All are invited (those currently serving as well as those interested in learning and joining the team.

If you have questions, shoot Chris an email at chris@sjlcknox.org or call him in the church office at 865-523-3330.

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LUTHERAN LIFE

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he transition process is on track. Thank you to all you have dedicated time and energy, commitment and prayers. We are finishing up the zip code meetings. These have been very positive and forward thinking.

Thank you to all who have participated. The next steps are: + meet with the call team and the transition team, allowing the transition team to pass the baton to the call team + call team and visioning group meet together and take a look at “Change your Lens; Change Your Focus,” a National Geographic video. They will also take a look at “One Size Doesn’t Fit All,” a book that helps us to look at church size and expectations of pastors, as well as laity. + continue to meet as a group and look over the data gathered from the zip code meetings, discuss a focal point or points for St John’s for the next few years + make a recommendation to council on a staff structure that will empower St John’s to engage in the ministry area(s) + call team will take all the above information and write the congregation’s Mission Site Profile. This is about a 16-page document that describes St. John’s mission, vision, theology, strengths, challenges, opportunity for growth, community, demographics, and the like. + Once the profile is complete, the congregation will have the opportunity to take a look and make suggestions. + Once the document receives its final edit, it will be submitted to the bishop who will present it to the synod call committee. Then the call committee at synod level will enter discernment and select candidates for senior pastor. +The list of candidates will be forwarded to the call committee, and the interview process begins.

Additional items to be completed include a financial audit, putting in place the items suggested/required by the ELCA and synod for best financial practices, auditing the congregational records, completing background checks, updating personnel handbook, establishing personnel files, and continuing the work of the safety team.

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LUTHERAN LIFE

Meet The Church Council ...

Jessi Greiser

Deb Haines

Scott Krogmann

Nancy Maland

Sally Robinette

Clarence Scott

Jack Wells

Matt Whitehead

Christine Oehler Not Pictured

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Stan Leib

Jeff Welch

Anne Langendorfer

1 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 28 30 31

Jessi Grieser Kris Hepler Elissa Glibbery Jim Ley Joe Brown Jane French Angela Long Sonja Krautner Virginia Shaffer Amy O’Hatnick Connie Burkhalter Angie Hamstead Ashley McDermott Kelsey Buck Frederick Perkinson III Kylie Shattuck Kaye Bultemeier Elizabeth Menendez Kelley Westphal LaReau Carlson Mary Kline Ryan Sweany Linda Godden Kristen McFarland Asha Warren Dianne Eichenberg Jared Eisenhower Ella Gibson Bob Metelka Michael Holtz Lucy Page Emily Sousa Emily Bast John Jessel Anna Elizabeth Lee Karen Bertollini Katha O’Hatnick Matthew Glibbery Larry Seivers Graham Ley

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APRIL

MARCH

BIRTHDAYS

2 5 6 7 9 10 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 25 26 29 30

Tony Brewer Ron Woodward Nancy O’Callaghan Kira Krusenklaus Elizabeth Gibson Herm Gerbig Penelope Nicole Leatherwood Chris Brooks Kurt Zinser Landry Thrasher Sandy Cantrell JD Chapman Sydney Parman Olivia Ann Schmidt RuthAnn Henry Ragan Holloway Laura Morgan Martha Nelson Debbie Sweany Marcia Power Trevor Tirro Ethan Zinser David Chapman Ray Collins Sandy Bender Margareth Olsson Jeff Welch Andrew Cooter Jody Freeman Andrew Glibbery Bob Bast Jonathan Burkhalter

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ST. JOHN’S LUTHERAN CHURCH 544 Broadway, NW Knoxville, TN 37917

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Wednesdays March 4, 11, 18, 25 and April 1 beginning at 6:30pm A meal beginning at 5:30pm in the Sparks Fellowship Hall is provided by Tender Lovin’ Cooking (TLC).

CHURCH LEADERSHIP & STAFF Amy Figg Pastor of Faith Formation & Leadership Development amy@sjlcknox.org

John Tirro Pastor of Campus Ministry John@sjlcknox.org

Christopher Clay Director of Communications chris@sjlcknox.org

Deborah Dunne-Sousa Minister of Music sousa@esknoxville.org

Toni Denton Administrative Assistant toni@sjlcknox.org

Darrell Murrell Facility Staff facility@sjlcknox.org

Thea Peterson Kids Hope USA Director Thea@sjlcknox.org

Jean Vargo Interim Pastor jean@sjlcknox.org

Phone:: 865.523.3330

Mary Elizabeth Peterson, Lisa Minton & Bailey Morgan Nursery Assistants

Fax: 865.524.7895 Email: INFO@sjlcknox.org Website: www.sjlcknox.org