ANCHOR NEWS Springfield Lutheran Church, ELCA, Newsletter May 2020

Post Scripts

"He is Risen. He is Risen indeed. Alleluia!"

So it has been said for some thousands of years. We have said that too, this year, although for these weeks we will have to be "creative" in how that is ac- claimed, since we can't say it together. There is so much to say; since I can't say all of it here at once, let this be a start, okay?

Even though we cannot do so now as a group in one place, we can, and dare I say we must say it anyway, whether we are together or apart. Certainly, we are in good company for that: all the odds against the Resurrection have been in place and haven't gone away, not now in the 21st century, or certainly in the 1st century when Jesus' first disciples went against the odds and, with their very lives, not only said those words but lived into them. We may all have come This is our time to do the same. We are up to that, even if sometimes it still feels like Good Friday and not Easter. "I hereby command you: Be strong and coura- in different ships, but geous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9) So said God to Joshua...the biblical witness is we’re in the same boat consistent and clear. Can we hear that same word to us? I think so! now. In this regard, for starters, I want to thank those who in these past weeks have not only said "Happy Easter"/"He is Risen" to me. This is a weird time--that —Martin Luther King, Jr. seems to be one common theme among many--while we adjust to being the Church without attending a church gathering. You need to know that when you have greeted me with words like those, it makes a difference in my own outlook and "energy" in the midst of all this stuff. Thank you. I intend to keep passing that along to you, too. As I have spoken with you on the phone, and as your comments indicate after viewing our Facebook worship services, our announcing "He is Risen..." (and "Join in the Journey", "Help each other with Hope") makes a great positive difference for all of us, too. Let's be grateful about that, and keep it In This Issue going, OK?

Another way people have said those Easter greetings includes their generosity  Post Scripts to others in our area, by encouraging us all to keep up our regular offerings (thanks, and please), by those who can do so regularly "tuning in" for the weekly Springfield Facebook/website sermons and devotionals (and shared/streamed  Charitable Giv- worship services at 10 a.m. with our Emerald Cluster churches on welcometo- central.org). ing

And as we move forward, together-though-apart, we will be "Easter People" as so many have said over the years, most recently, my colleague Pastor Lorie  Bonus Post Jones at her Easter Sunday sermon a couple weeks ago. It may take some fits and starts, but so what? Know that God is with us wherever we go; that Jesus is Scripts! Risen and leads the way; that we have all we need to hold back the darkness and walk into His Resurrection Life. We began talking about that specifically last year, so let's continue: look for signs of the resurrection. Let's tell each other  Poem about that.

He is Risen indeed. Alleluia!  Histories Pastor Erik We are now a tobacco-free campus (includes vapes)!

The food pantry in Dexter still needs our help! The address is: PO Box 65; Dexter, OR 97431. Anything and everything helps!

McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center Employees Sewing Masks to Help with PPE Shortage (KVAL)

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – Due to the national shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) used by Giving to the Church healthcare workers and in an effort to conserve masks for healthcare workers caring for isolation patients lo- cally, a group of McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center If you would like to give to employees are sewing masks that can be used by healthcare workers in non-isolation situations. the church, you may go to CDC guidelines, found on their website, state if all other tithe.ly and donate safely supplies are exhausted and in a state of emergency, homemade masks that meet certain criteria are accepta- and securely online. You ble.

may also continue to mail "Historically, fabric masks were the standard in hospitals prior to the modern disposable mask," the hospital said. your collection envelopes All fabric masks will be sterilized and used repeatedly by to the office; mail is staff caring for non-isolation patients, until the national shortage of PPE is over. checked several times a "If the public is interested in donating handmade masks week. Thank you for your McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center will gladly accept the masks that are made of 100% non-stretch cotton or cotton/poly blend," the hospital said. "Many variations continued support during of mask patterns can be found on the internet." Masks that are donated will be sterilized and distributed these strange times! to healthcare providers caring for non-isolation pa- tients.

A yellow donation barrel for the masks is located at the main entrance of McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center.

2 Here is how Julie has remained occupied dur- ing “stay-at-home” Trees I don’t know about you, but I am feeling this quarantine hard right now. As an introvert, I By Joyce Kilmer was able to put off cabin fever for quite some I think that I shall never see time, but it is getting to me now. Three of us are A poem as lovely as a tree. home, two of us are working remotely, one of us is homeschooling. The thing that is saving A tree whose hungry mouth is prest me is the library. The digital services available Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast; have kept me in new books for weeks. I checked the Springfield Library and they offer A tree that looks at God all day, many of the same things: Libby, Library2Go, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; Tumblebooks, KANOPY, and Freegal. I set a goal of 100 books this year and I hit 75 this A tree that may in Summer wear morning. Many of those books were checked A nest of robin’s in her hair; out via Libby. I highly recommend checking out Upon whose bosom snow has lain; your library to see what kinds of things you can Who intimately lives with rain. access from home. And you can always send me a message if you need help with the library, Poems are made by fools like me, or if you just want to chat! But only God can make a tree. Www.wheremindsgrow.org - Springfield Pub- lic Library

BONUS POST SCRIPTS!

“How Long, O God?” the psalmist cries, a cry we make our own, For we are lost, alone, afraid, and we are far from home.” (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, #698. V.1)

I hear this lament from anxious folks, who ask, “When will we be getting back to church, Pastor?” Pretty common sentiment I hear/we all are hearing, as people of faith, pastor(s) and people, during these weeks. It must be said, too, that for many people who have a “variable” connec- tion to church, it’s not that big of deal, staying away from worship. An inconvenience, maybe, but if their regular attendance pattern is to be at church for or five times (or less) a year, it must be a pretty manageable question to answer. They might be anxious about other things in the world of we are dealing with now, and rightly so, but my guess is that if church attendance wasn’t much of an option before the pandemic, then.... I pray that they can have an appreciation and perhaps a revival of connecting more frequently when we do get together again in on spot, truly. Or join us in our virtual presentations (which will continue even when we get back at 1542 I Street on a regular basis). They don’t know what they’ve been missing.

Now, back to those who are hungering and thirsting to be together again. March 8 was the last time we met together as a group, in one place. Seems like a long time ago, eh? Frankly, we do not know any of a timeline yet; I would be foolish to venture a guess in answer to that ques- tion. As we do get together, from what I see, hear, and read, this will be a phased-in, step-by-step process. That seems reasonable to me, and to our Oregon Synod partners who are providing mutual guidance and support for all of our ELCA churches and other ministries in this state. Please pray for our Bishop and her staff in this regard. And, as of this writing, May 4, the Oregon Health Authority reports a 40% decline in COVID hospitalizations since April 8. Let’s hope and pray and continue the face mask/distancing/stay home routines that apparently are work- ing, strange and awkward as that appears to be

My concern here, gratefully, is primarily with those who, like me, ache to be together again regularly! I miss you! In the meantime we occupy an in-between (“liminal”) waiting time that is trying to be managed with worship on social media, ZOOM meetings, telephone calls, and good ol‘ Postal Service cards and letters. I am grateful for the response to our amateur-yet-faithful Facebook devotional presentations; and, a ZOOM “coffee hour” is in the works, among other things. And please, Facebook faithful, before you forward and share things, use the following guide- line: ask yourself, “does this opinion/article/visual build us up, help us with insight or humor or encouragement? Or does it tear us apart or add to fear.” Let’s be about the things that bring us together, okay?

“How long, O God?” the psalmist cries, a cry we make our own,

Though we are lost, alone, afraid, our God will lead us home.” (ELW v. 5)

God is with us now; take that to heart in all the ways that bring us home. The Constitution of was signed at Eidsvoll on May 17 in the year 1814. The constitution declared Norway to be an independent kingdom in an attempt to avoid being ceded to Sweden after Denmark–Norway's devastat- ing defeat in the .

The celebration of this day began spontaneously among students and others from early on. However, Norway was at that time in a union with Sweden (following the Convention of Moss in August 1814) and for some years the King of Sweden and Norway was reluctant to allow the celebrations. For a few years during the 1820s, King Karl Johan actually banned it, believing that celebrations like this were, in fact, a kind of protest and disre- gard — even revolt — against the union. The king's attitude changed after the Battle of the Square in 1829, an incident which resulted in such a commotion that the king had to allow commemorations on the day. It was, how- ever, not until 1833 that public addresses were held, and official celebration was initiated near the monument of former government minister Christian Krohg, who had spent much of his political life curbing the personal power of the monarch. The address was held by , thoroughly witnessed and accounted for by an informant dispatched by the king himself.

After 1864 the day became more established when the first children's parade was launched in Christiania, at first consisting only of boys. This initiative was taken by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, although Wergeland made the first known children's parade at Eidsvoll around 1820. It was only in 1899 that girls were allowed to join in the parade for the first time. In 1905, the union with Sweden was dissolved and Prince Carl of Denmark was chosen to be King of an independent Norway, under the name Haakon VII. Obviously, this ended any Swedish concern for the activities of the National Day.

By historical coincidence, the Second World War ended in Norway nine days before that year's Constitution Day, on May 8, 1945, when the occupying German forces surrendered. Even if The Liberation Day is an official flag day in Norway, the day is not an official holiday and is not widely celebrated. Instead, a new and broader meaning has been added to the celebration of Norwegian Constitution Day on May 17. (Thanks, Wikipedia!) THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEMORIAL DAY AND VETERANS DAY

Originally posted on May 20, 2019

| By Teresa Verity

Memorial Day and Veterans Day are both patriotic holidays honoring the military, but there is a significant difference between the two aside from when they land on the calendar.

Memorial Day, which falls on the last Monday in May, honors the men and women who died while serving in the military. This solemn occasion is a time to reflect on these Ameri- can patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting and defending the country they deeply loved. Veterans Day, observed every November 11, recognizes all who have served in the Armed Forces.

You may wonder: What is the proper way to acknowledge each holiday? On Memorial Day you can honor the fallen by attending memorial services within your community or laying flowers and planting flags on graves at your local Veterans cemetery. Veterans Day is an opportunity to do the same, but it is also an appropriate time to show your appreciation to Veteran friends and family. You can also recognize Veterans Day by flying the American flag outside your home, visiting or volunteering at a Veteran facility, attending a local event, and, of course, thanking Veterans and their families for their service.

A photo of the mellophone section of the Commandant’s Own Drum & Bugle Corps, France, May 2011. Julie is third from the right. Contact Us

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Springfield Lutheran Church, ELCA, Newsletter

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