Lutheran life Pentecost I 2017

the congregational newsletter of

St John‘s Lutheran Church St John’s Lutheran Church

2017 PENTECOST I ISSUE

LUTHERAN LIFE

PENTESCOST

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ecently I preached a sermon about the Good Shepherd and I used the Saint John’s Good Shepherd stained glass window to illustrate my message. The message was a gift I received on a rainy Monday morning when I took the time to sit in the sanctuary and meditate on this colorful window. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is dressed in a red robe and is holding a little lamb.

The sermon I preached on Commitment Sunday, May 7 was written for me as the Holy Spirit spoke through the visual voice of that red robed Good Shepherd. If you missed worship on Commitment Sunday or you just want to hear this sermon one more time, go to the Saint John’s website and listen for the voice to speak to you about making a commitment to follow the Good Shepherd through the season of Pentecost.

I believe the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is what continues to enable followers of Jesus to hear his voice and proclaim God’s promises. The Holy Spirit reveals the way, the truth and the life God intends for us to experience as a gift of amazing grace. The fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, generosity, faithfulness, and self-control.

As we begin a new season of the church year, we will also reveal a new Plan of Ministry at our congregational meeting on Pentecost Sunday, June 4, 2017. I hope and pray your participation in our shared ministry this Pentecost will produce fruits of the Spirit through new pathways of service, Spirit-filled relationships and renewed commitments to follow the red robed Good Shepherd.

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On Pentecost Sunday, wear something RED as we celebrate the promised gift of the Holy Spirit with Word and sacrament worship. Dressed in red, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, has promised to set our hearts on fire! Yes, come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love!

In Christ,

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Red-Letter Day: Pentecost Sunday, June 4, 2017

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ven if your calendar is an arrangement of black lines and numbers against a white surface, it is likely to include a redletter day or two. We use that expression for the start of a vacation, a birthday, or a holiday because calendars were once produced by hand and were seldom seen except in monasteries and convents.

Scribes who prepared ecclesiastical calendars fell into the custom of emphasizing saints’ days and feastby listing them with ink made from ocher, a mineral oxide of iron. A quick glance at a calendar hanging on the wall of an abbot revealed days numbered in red. Since each of these involved both anticipation and preparation, a red-letter day is special for personal reasons. Prepare for Pentecost! Sunday, June 4th is a red-letter day followed by a season for church growth!

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an Richardson penned a beautiful poem that invites us first into the fire-red Day of Pentecost and then into the long season of Pentecost, captured in hues of green to connote spiritual growth:

“When We Breathe Together: A Blessing for Pentecost” This is the blessing we cannot speak by ourselves.

This is the blessing we cannot summon by our own devices, cannot shape to our purpose, cannot bend to our will.

This is the blessing that comes when we leave behind our aloneness, when we gather together, when we turn toward one another.

This is the blessing that blazes among us when we speak the words strange to our ears, when we finally listen into the chaos, when we breathe together at last.

On Sunday, June 4, we enter Pentecost with Pentecost Sunday, complete with red paraments and symbols such as tongues of fire and rushing wind and a reading from Acts that speaks of the birth of the Church with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We remember the life and ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and his call to each of us to be his disciples, gifted at baptism and empowered by the Holy Spirit. The days and months that follow are known as the Season of Penteost, stretching from June through the middle of November when we celebrate Christ the King Sunday. During this time, the Church considers discipleship and explores opportunities to grow deeper in our faith. Appropriately, the season is characterized by shades of green.

On the Day of Pentecost, let us breathe together at last; during the Season of Pentecost, let us grow together day in, day out!

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LUTHERAN LIFE

SUNDAY MORNING

FAITH FORMATION Julie Davis

Completed her first year at Yale Divinity School. Highlights include developing community, exploring New Haven, studying more than ever in her life, and discovering a passion for the study of ethics. Summer plans include more working in New Haven and reading for enjoyment.

Jennifer Roberts Completed her first year at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary Highlights include passing Greek with flying colors, leading as Student Body Secretary, exploring her passion for pastoral care ministry, and chauffeuring Zion to St. Peter’s Catholic School. Summer plans include serving as a chaplain at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, completing her Clinical Pastoral Education requirement for candidacy.

Ashton Roberts Completed his first year at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary Highlights include also passing Greek with flying colors, leading as Junior Class President, delving into his passion for ecumenical partnership, and cooking lots of yummy comfort food for his family and the seminary community. Summer plans include ministering through food as part of the Win Our World (WOW) Urban Ministry and spending quality time with Zion and Hank, the family dog.

Adam Schultz Completed his second year at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary Highlights include serving as a Greek Teaching Assistant, leading as Middler Class President, traveling to the Holy Land during January, and honing his culinary skills in his very minimal free time. Summer plans include spending time with family and friends in Knoxville and then moving to Durham, NC where he will serve as Vicar at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.

Preston Fields Completing his internship at First Lutheran Church in Dekalb, IL Highlights include moving into a house with Wesley and their two dogs, Oakley and Chaco, developing a food ministry at Northern Illinois University, working with the youth group, and helping officiate the wedding of his sister, Hayley.

Summer plans include wrapping up his internship with a trip to Win Our World (WOW) Urban Ministry, preparing for his final year of seminary, and traveling.

Will Wing Completing his internship at Trinity Lutheran Church in Greenville, SC Highlights include participating in Lutheran Student Ministries at Furman University, learning about vegan cooking, planning his wedding to Brooke McAbee, and traveling to Alaska with his friend, Vern. Summer plans include getting married on Saturday, June 3, enjoying his honeymoon in the wine country of California, playing with his dog, Molly, and preparing for the call process and beginning his pastoral ministry.

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Victoria Schwahn is a graduate of Oak Ridge High School. She will attend Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Thomas Campbell Clay is a graduate of Hardin Valley Academy. He will attend Wingate University in Wingate, NC.

Ryan Lee is a graduate of the Webb School of Knoxville. He will be attending Columbia University in New York, NY.

William Boyd is a graduate of the Webb School of Knoxville.

He will be attending Loyola University in New Orleans, LA.

We would like to recognize those students completing undergraduate and graduate school studies in the Pentecost II edition of Lutheran Life (August). Please send information to chris@sjlcknox.org.

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N E H C T I K renovation

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he kitchen renovation has begun and we are Extremely excited. Phase One involved moving the dish disposal window to one of the kitchen doors. Then the new stateof-the-art dish washer and new sink (with a disposal) was installed. Also, we added beautiful stainless steel counters in the dish room. This will make dish washing work for WOW and serving hundreds of teens much easier.

We will begin Phase 2 in August after all sessions of WOW are complete.

We are SO excited about the completion of this first phase. Watch for details about Phase Two and Three.

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t. John’s involvement with Knoxville Habitat has been going on for nearly 20 years. To date we have participated as a Covenant Partner for 8 homes and families providing: * Funding for materials * Labor for construction * Support for the families

In 2018, we will be participating as a Covenant Partner on our 9th house. This will be an excellent opportunity to commit time, treasures and talents for the placement of a family. Each family goes through a rigorous qualifying process and must complete 500 hours of “sweat equity” time attending classes and ultimately assisting with the build.

Critical Need for Habitat Volunteers Now! Currently there is a critical need for crew volunteers to work Tuesdays and Thursdays on the Habitat home construction. There are 25 houses per year built and the need for individuals with a knack for working on construction is welcomed.

"As a crew leader or member you not only see the homes being built, but you also see the effects homeownership has on families."

-Tim Butler Opportunities are available to become a volunteer crew leader! Our crew leaders come from a wide variety of backgrounds and levels of experience.

If you love leading, helping others and learning new skills, contact Trinity via email at tedgar@khfh.com or via telephone at 865-523-3539, ext 108.

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astor Amy here: Since the rhythm of summer changes just a bit, I thought it might be nice to offer you some suggestions for summer faith formation. Here is a breakdown for all of God’s kiddos…

Pre-school through Elementary Age Children … I will be sending an e-mail with two cool links. One is a Flat Marty project that allows you to take Martin Luther with you on your summer adventures. The other is a special edition of cool coloring sheets from Children’s Illustrated Ministry that explores the beautiful gift of compassion.

Be sure to check your Inbox the week of June 5!

Youth … most of our teenagers will be busy with WOW this summer, but if you want a little creative outlet, use your phone to take pics of this summer’s simple gifts. From ice cream to rainbows, from campfires to bicycle rides, capture the best of your summer and send them to me at 865.805.9805.

We will create a montage at the end of the summer!

Adults … I have compiled some reading suggestions. Below you will find recommendations from a hodgepodge of Lutheran pastors. Additionally, I have tried to note those that might be a bit more earthy or controversial.

Happy Reading!                    

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle … Christian classic What We Talk about When We Talk about God by Rob Bell Love Wins by Rob Bell Pastrix by Nadia Bolz-Weber … very explicit language and earthy content The Kingdom of God is a Party by Tony Campolo Baptized, We Live by Daniel Erlander … very Lutheran, order at danielerlander.com for the best price The Good Book by Peter Gomes Help, Thanks, Wow by Anne Lamott Stitches by Anne Lamott Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis … Christian classic The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis … Christian classic Generous Orthodoxy by Brian D. McLaren Why Did Jesus, Moses, The Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road by Brian D. McLaren Life of the Beloved by Henri Nouwen With Open Hands by Henri Nouwen Wounded Healer by Henri Nouwen … Christian classic The Divine Dance by Richard Rohr Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church by Rachel Held Evans Jesus Feminisit: An Invitation to Revisit the Bible’s View of Women by Sarah Bessey … may be a bit controversial The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out by Brennan Manning

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he next time you enter the St. John’s sanctuary, take a moment to look around, to breathe in the beauty of feeling so close to God you can taste it.

That feeling does not happen by accident.

From the altar flowers to the meal set on the altar, volunteers coordinate and prepare it all to the glory of God. For 5 years Ruth Crowley has served as Altar Guild coordinator, after having served on the Altar Guild for many years. Ruth learned to love serving on Altar Guild as a child as she worked with her mother. She has worked tirelessly every week to make sure there was bread and wine for the services and that there were volunteers to set the table where all are welcome. She has decided hat she should allow someone else to serve in the role she loved and was blessed by.

Jackie Tucker, a church council member, has agreed to take on the role of Altar Guild coordinator. Although she has never served on the Altar Guild, Jackie brings many gifts to the role of coordinator. She will train with Ruth, Deanna Lloyd, and Rita Schwartz. She will begin meeting the Altar Guild volunteers over the next few weeks.

For ten years Sue Fischer has coordinated the altar flowers. She made sure that folks were signed up to donate the arrangements in honor of, or in memory of friends and families. She faithfully worked directly with the supplier to order arrangements in keeping with the theme of the day. Sue decided that this year it was time to retire and allow someone new to reap the blessings she experienced the last ten years.

Judy McCarter has agreed to become the new coordinator for altar flowers. Judy is a long time worshiper and member at Saint John’s. She is involved in the Senior Adult Ministry and other activities here. She will train with Sue to take over this important role this summer.

As we celebrate the ways Sue and Ruth have served, we also celebrate the new volunteers and what each will bring to their roles.

Please pray for those who have served so beautifully these last years, and for those who so willingly bring their gifts and talents to these roles.

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Say HELLO NEW MEMBER INTRODUCTIONS

JANIS KYLE DENISE THRONTVEIT

JUDI & DAN REES

GARY SMITH

TRACY REES

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St. John’s D UN

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SEE

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5 1. Pastor Steve surveys the kitchen reno.

2. Dr. Bill Bass signs books at St. John’s 3. A full house for Youth Sunday 4. WOW Staff heads departs for their Beach Retreat.

5. Youth Sunday speakers Victoria Schwahn and Thomas Clay greet worshipers in the Welcome Center.

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LUTHERAN LIFE Dear Members of SAM, Wednesday, May 3, 2017, SAM (Senior Adult Ministry) wrapped up our 6 th year of ministry. We had a delicious salad and dessert potluck luncheon.

Our excellent speaker was Larsen Jay, founder and CEO of Random Acts of Flowers. This is a wonderful nonprofit service run by volunteers that recycles flowers and delivers “smiles” to people in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living, etc.

At the end of a perfect gathering, Deanna Lloyd came to the podium to bring me a message of thanks for coordinating the SAM program. I did not recognize myself in her kind words, but I appreciated it. She gave me a beautiful potted plant full of gift certificates to my favorite restaurant—Bravo’s, to my favorite nail shop—Lacquer Up, to a favorite grocery store—Fresh Market, and money—lots of cash in the form of Visa Gift Cards along with a beautiful card. I was so surprised and so humbled by everyone’s kindness and generosity. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

SAM’s is a team effort, and many are involved in carrying out the plans each month. We are proud of this strong, small group ministry for God’s older children of St. John’s, and we all hope and pray that it will continue for many years to come.

Have a safe, happy, healthy summer and mark your calendars for our next SAM Meeting, Wednesday, September 6, 2017. Thanks again to all of you.

God’s peace,

WE NEED YOU! For those of you who have not heard about the B.E.E.R. group, it stands for Brothers Engaged in Enriching Relationships. We meet every 4 weeks at new and fun places around town. Though we often find ourselves at places that serve beer, drinking beer is by no means required. We simply spend together, getting to know each other better, and maintaining a sense of community between us.

Contact me at calebwarren@comcast.net for details on our next event.

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Interested in sharing your gifts with St. John’s by volunteering?

Contact Rita or Toni in the office so we can match your gifts with our needs.

Thanks!

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hat do you think of when you hear “Simple Gifts”?

This is something the youth will be discussing as they consider the numerous “simple gifts” God gives us every day. The scriptural basis for WOW 2017 is the simplest yet most profound - gift ever: God’s love.

“We love because God first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 Each day, WOW will look at different simple gifts given to us by God: Grace, Sacrament, Community, Brokenness, and finally our Response.

WOW staff arrived on May 27th to prepare for the WOW Beach Retreat, May 29 - June 2nd. The purpose of the beach retreat is to: To plan and prepare for WOW and have some FUN at the beach.

Create, finalize worships - practice.

Create, finalize Bible Studies - practice.

Practice Faith Formation Practice Leadership Development Practice leading Café WOW Practice and know all music and ice breakers Complete worship and Bible Study powerpoints There are 23 youth plus 5 faithful adults participating. (Nancy, Pastor Amy, Betty Kyle, David Trout, and Jim Friedrich will be supporting our youth.) We return from the beach the evening of June 2nd and our first guests arrive on June 4th!

We invite you to pray for WOW - for safety, for grace, for patience, and for wisdom.

We invite you to participate by volunteering in the kitchen, offering to drive, or asking Nancy, Angie, or Amy, “how can I help?” : ) WOW is so very thankful for the beautiful partnership with St. John’s. Thanks to everyone for your love and support of WOW. Questions? Nancy.o.friedrich@gmail.com or angie@wowurbanministry.org.

Affirm is a Summer Youth Event of the ELCA Southeastern Synod. Affirm nurtures faith, equips youth leaders for today and tomorrow, and trains youth in discipleship skills and leadership. Affirm is for youth grades 6th-12th, as well as college freshman and sophomores. Affirm’s programming is based on 10 different age appropriate leadership and discipleship units, with each of these units staffed by small group leaders and a pair of unit directors.

This year’s AFFIRM happens June 18-23 at the University of Alabama.

Cost is $425 per person for food, housing, and programming. Contact Rachel Alley for information and to register at ralley@ses-elca.org.

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Shift to Love, Then Try Again Rev. John Tirro

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was born in 1966, I was baptized in 1968, the year Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, and my first political memory was President Richard Nixon’s impeachment. I remember asking then, from the back seat of my parents’ car, why they were sad and what they were talking about on the radio. I remember saying, “but he seemed like a nice guy.”

It took a lot of years for me to make what sense I could of these events. I’m a pastor, so I tend to see these things through a Biblical lens.

The heroic movement toward “love thy neighbor as thyself” is part of both Old and New Testament teaching. It is the movement toward recognizing the dignity of all people.

But to use your influence and power unfairly, to raise your own influence and diminish that of others, whether because of where their family is from (Africa, Syria, White Pine, Brooklyn) or some other reason, that’s sin, straight up. It’s the opposite of “love thy neighbor as thyself,” and that’s before we even get to what the Bible calls “resident aliens,” a specially protected class from the point of view of God. We have so many people in our country who seek the good, but we have also seen a disturbing trend toward selfishness. We have people who oppose the well-being of their fellow Americans, and I think that comes from fear. Sin comes from fear. We’re afraid to die (or lose power, or be shamed), so we get defensive and combative. We see neighbors as enemies. We take away their health care.

We offer predatory loans. We cheat, and we sue, and we call ourselves “smart cookies.” We do this when we’re afraid.

But “perfect love casts out fear.” In Christ, we see life united to love, most clearly on the cross. Life united to love doesn’t die; it has nothing to fear. When we talk about uniting to Christ, living in him such that he lives in us, we’re talking about life freed from fear, freed for love.

When people say “freedom ain’t free,” they mean your freedom was bought by someone, and that’s true. But it’s also true the other way around. United to love, you are free from fear.

The cost is your whole life, lived for love, but what a beautiful cost to pay.

We need people to make this shift, daily, from fear to love. I’m still working out how to do this myself. More and more, I think God makes the shift, in us, but we get to make choices too.

What I try to do is notice when I am acting from fear, then shift. Shift, from fear to love, then try again. That’s the movement I want to be part of.

Is there an area of your life where you’re acting (or holding back) from fear? What would it be like, to shift to love? What might become possible? Shift to love, then try again.

This article was published in the May 31st edition of the Knox News Sentinel’s Shoppers News

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Brenda Wainner Kelly Page Virginia Grace Connor Gibson Clarke Hinkle Lisa Smith Megan Venable Sarah Crowley Thomas Campbell Clay

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Caleb Warren Claire Robinette Martha Jennings Darby Bernard Rachel Delgado Grace Sweany Brenda Wayland Michael Eisenhower Nancy Delgado David Glibbery Sally Seivers Spencer Bradford Larry Eikenberry Teresa Greene Sonja Fowler Natalie Graves Jerry Shock

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Leah Zinser Sara Whitehead Doug Thompson Joe Laney Susan Bradford-Callo Sara Daugherty Reed Solt Nicole Leatherwood Christina Racek Mike Sweany Chesney Burkhalter Loreley Sinnott Dale Teague Bill Nelson

Karen Johnson Butch Fischer J.E. Henry Brad Long Alan Shattuck Raney Shattuck Joe Mathews Gina Vandergriff Tracie Lefler Diana McElhaney Sutton Lewis Zion Roberts Stan Leib Cathy Converse Kevin Kimzey Mike Eisenhower Lauren Kimzey Sally Osborn Benjamin Sousa Chad Gibson Emelia Warren Trista McCarthy

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Rachel Crowley Declan McWilliams Darin Clark Betsy Wittenberg Mary Critselous Pat Counts Linda Peterson Kitty Sharp Julia Wittenberg Bill Lawhon Kaye Williams Brandon Hopkins Mary Gagle Emily Skaar Sherry Barry

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

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

SUNDAY, JUNE 4TH, 10AM in Sparks Fellowship Hall

CHURCH LEADERSHIP & STAFF Stephen Misenheimer Senior Pastor steve@sjlcknox.org Amy Figg Pastor of Faith Formation & Leadership Development amy@sjlcknox.org John Tirro Pastor of Campus Ministry John@sjlcknox.org Deborah Dunne-Sousa Minister of Music steve@sjlcknox.org

Phone:: 865.523.3330

Christopher Clay Ministry Coordinator & Director of Communications chris@sjlcknox.org

Isaac Taylor Youth Ministry Associate isaac@sjlcknox.org

Toni Denton Administrative Assistant toni@sjlcknox.org

Thea Petersen Kids Hope USA Director Mary Elizabeth Petersen & Lisa Minton Nursery Assistants Lisa Foxwell Facility Staff facility@sjlcknox.org Darrell Murrell Facility Staff facility@sjlcknox.org

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