Timothy's Epistle

TIMOTHY’S EPISTLE AUGUST 2020

DATES TO REMEMBER

Aug. 7 & 10 9 AM—Noon ECE Staff Orientation Aug. 10 6:30 PM Council Meeting Aug. 12 6—7 PM Confirmation Mtg. Parents/Students Aug 15 7 AM ECE Outdoor Work Day Aug. 16 11 AM Installation of ECE Staff Aug. 17 9 AM First Day of ECE Classes Aug. 29 9 AM All Things Motorcycle

Sunday’s 8:30 & 11 AM SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES Sunday’s 9:45 AM Adult Bible Classes (No children’s SS) Wednesday’s 11 AM Bible Study / Pastor

Watch our services live or On Demand at www.tlcwoodstock.org,

Timothy Lutheran Church Church Office—770 928-2812 556 Arnold Mill Road Preschool—770 924-7995 Woodstock, GA 30188 Timothy’s Cupboard—770 591-5515 www.tlcwoodstock.org email: [email protected] 2

Pastor’s Corner

Rev. Daniel PATIENCE Brammeier

4 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love. Ephesians 4:1-2 8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient to ward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9 You’re all packed up and ready for your road trip. The children are secured safely in their cars seats. You get about five minutes into your trip when you hear those immortal words from the back seat, “Are we there yet?” It doesn’t matter if your trip is only an hour, or ten hours, that question will be asked over and over again. In many ways we are like children. “Are we there yet?” We impatiently want to be at the end of the journey through the coronavirus pandemic. We want all the consequences we’ve had to live with to be over. We want to hug each other. We don’t want to worry about keeping six feet apart. As I mentioned in the last newsletter article “endurance” is difficult for us, patiently enduring something is even more difficult. In our “get it now” culture the very idea of having to wait for something is foreign. Why should we have to wait for something? Why can’t Amazon ship me a product sooner? Again, like children we want whatever it is NOW and don’t make me have to wait. It would be really sad if God was impatient. But God is the zenith of patience when it comes to dealing with sinful mortals. The New Testament Greek word for “patience” is a compound word meaning “large passion.” It really means “long-suffering,” or “to put up with for a long time.” God has put up with his sinful rebellious creation for a long time. He even went so far as to send his only-begotten Son to put up with life as we know it. As we know Jesus went the way of the cross to satisfy the Father’s anger over sin. Jesus rose from the dead and secured for us our eternal home. Our Lord “puts up with us,” is “long-suffering” with us, he is “patient” with us, because he wants people to come to repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ. Knowing how patient God is with us helps us be patient with each other and with the circumstances we are in. We can relax knowing that the Lord is ultimately in control and we can patiently endure what life throws at us, even if it’s a pandemic. Our eternal home is secure through Jesus Christ. “Are we there yet?” Not quite, but we know that what we’re going through now will eventually pass and ultimately we will have our heavenly home as John describes in Revelation: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” Revelation 21:1-4

Pastor Brammeier 3 Preschool News

Greetings from the Preschool,

Kristin Freeman, Wow! What a roller coaster of an adventure 2020 has taken all of us on, including Timothy Lutheran Preschool! We are excited to announce that our first day of school Preschool will be Monday, August 17th. Our staff and families are thrilled to return to the pro- Director gram and to grow and learn in God’s word with the little ones each day. We will be making some necessary changes to our program to ensure we are handling each day in the best and safest way possible for staff and students during this COVID-19 pandemic, though we aren’t changing the amount of love that grows here! We have ECE Mission and the joy to serve 92 students this year in the Preschool and we have just a few re- Ministry State- maining spots in our younger 3’s classroom. God continues to bless our preschool ministry during this uncertain time. We are grateful to be a part of the community ment and for our families to return to us for the 2020-21 school year.

At Timothy Lu- We have a staff of 15 amazing women serving our Lord and these precious little theran Preschool, ones each day and I invite you to meet them at our Staff Dedication service on Sun- day, August 16th at 11 a.m. Also check out the new updates to the Education wing we believe that with new paint on the walls and bathrooms and a gorgeous new mural, painted by “children are a our lovely Suzanne Forman, co-chair of the ECE Board. The inspiration behind the gift from God; “View of the Serengeti” is our new school mascot, Timothy’s Lion Cubs (TLC). Thank you to Pastor B for that awesome suggestion for our preschool! they are His re- ward.” (Psalm Our preschool would not run as smoothly without the wonderful help from so many 127:3) church members especially during this time of uncertainty. Thank you to our ECE Board members for all that they do to provide leadership and support to me as I Timothy Lutheran navigate these unchartered waters in leading a preschool program during a pan- Preschool is a demic. To our Trustees that help patch, repair, mulch, weed and paint all the things! To Jack Basler and John Hornberger for all of their computer and tech work. To Don ministry of Timo- Snyder for his leadership and willingness to make small but wonderful changes to thy Lutheran the building and to our program. To Pastor B for all of his spiritual guidance and manual labor he has put in to the school over the summer months. And thank you to Church. Its mis- each of the congregation members that support our preschool ministry financially sion is to serve and prayerfully. We were so blessed by your willingness to allow us to expand into one more classroom space this year. I am pleased to say that with that additional children and fami- space we have maxed out our Tykes’ classroom at full capacity! God is good in lies by sharing Je- providing all that we need. sus’ love with them through an Please continue to keep our preschool ministry, staff and students in your prayers academically ex- as we safely open our doors for the 2020-21 school year. I look forward to serving Him and this preschool in the school year ahead and I can’t wait to see how He cellent Christian walks with us as we continue to share how “love grows here” in the Woodstock Education in a community. safe, loving envi- ronment. Grace and Peace, Ms. Kristin

T L I I M O O N T H C Y’ U S B S 5

AUGUST 2020

Remember your Secret Sister!! LWML ladies:

Watch your home mail (yes, old fashioned mail!) for our August LWML kickoff “Meeting by Mail”. We will not meet in person due to the ongoing COVID-19 transmission in Cherokee County, but have fun stuff coming your way! If you’d like to receive the “Meeting by Mail” pack- age and didn’t attend an LWML meeting last year, please call Teresa Jarmick @ 425.274.5247 or the church office and let us know that you’d like to be added to our mailing list. We’d love to include you.

We have exciting news to share. While our LWML district grant request for Habitat for Humanity was declined, our request for preschool playground equipment is moving on to the next step in the approval process, voting by district delegates.

Our preschool staff returns on Friday, 8/7/20, and we are providing them a warm ‘welcome back’ again this year. Like so many other things this year, it will be a bit different to protect both the staff and all of us. On behalf of all the LWML ladies the officers will coordinate and set up the event.

If you’d like to serve as an LWML officer in the upcoming year, please call Teresa Jarmick @ 425.274.5247 or speak with any of the current officers to have your name added to a bal- lot. We’d like to wait and have the election in person, in September if possible, but wish to be prepared for a vote via mail if necessary. All of the officers from last year have agreed to remain until we are able to have an election.

Also, stay tuned for an update on the secret sister reveal!

Thank You, Teresa

Elected Officers Co-Presidents: Teresa Jarmick & Patti Kastens Secretary: Gail Trimble Treasurer: KC Colburn Historian: Kristen Blackwell

STEWARDSHIP – August 2020

Timothy 4.0 … the refreshing

Living Our Faith Through Discipleship 2020 Stewardship Initiative

On YouTube there is a sermon entitled FINISH You’re Not Done Until You’re Done. According to Wikipe- dia, the speaker, Dr. David Jeremiah, “is an American conservative evangelical Christian author … and senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church, a Southern Baptist megachurch”. No, he’s not Lutheran, yet he made some valid points about our stewardship of service and godly calling. His sermon was primarily addressing “retirement”, but the points raised apply to any stage of life. He stated we never retire from the Christian life or drop out of God’s will for us. Dr. Jeremiah went on to discuss some of the difficulties we encounter in completing our godly calling. That calling remains ours until we meet our caller, irrevocable. Simply put, the point was, “If you’re not dead, God’s not done”. (Turns out that phrase is all over the internet, but then I really do lead a sheltered life, especially these days.)

Five challenges to completing our calling were noted as:

1. Staying focused – we are called to finish our work (not all work). It is easy to be distracted from the main thing.

2. Staying resilient about retirement – let God structure your day; only retire to rest, then get up to do God’s will again the next day.

3. Staying connected to your calling – it can give your life incredible value, a sense of responsibility, happy engagement in daily life and makes each day important. A Christian’s sense of the ongoing worth of their work is in sharp contrast to the “over the hill” mindset of secular society.

4. Staying vigilant after victories – most mistakes are made after a successful “mission”. Don’t rest on your laurels or sit out the rest of life. It reminded me of our congregation recently celebrating our 40th anniversary. We can’t just stop there. With Pastor Brammeier now with us and the long range planning taking place we are looking to the future. God has more plans for us and things for us to do!

5. Staying ready for redeployment – here is where the “If you’re not dead, God’s not done” com- ment fits. We may be surprised where he leads us!

Of course these are only the highlights of that sermon, but here are the scripture references:

Colossians 4:17 17 And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”

1 Chronicles 28:20 20 Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dis- mayed, for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.

Numbers 8:24-26 (supposedly this is the only reference to retirement in the Bible, and they are not to stop doing everything, but are to assist the younger men) 24 “This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they[a] shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting. 25 And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no 26 more. They minister[b] to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties.”

Romans 11:29 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

1 Corinthians 10:12 12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

Psalms 92: 12-14 12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree

and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 They are planted in the house of the Lord;

they flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They still bear fruit in old age;

they are ever full of sap and green,

Isaiah 46:4 4 even to your old age I am he,

and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear;

I will carry and will save.

Psalms 71:18 18 So even to old age and gray hairs,

O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation,

your power to all those to come.

Hymn Translator of the Month: Catherine Winkworth

Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878) was born the youngest of four daughters in an Anglican manufacturing family. She was never married, never formally educated, and died suddenly when she was only 50, yet her work translating hymns from German to English is indispensable in the Lutheran tradition of hymn singing today.

Biography

Born in London, Winkworth began studying German in her late teens and, molded by her parents’ involvement in her and her sisters’ spiritual upbringing and by private tutors, her study of the German language led her to begin translating German chorale hymns into English.

By the mid-19th century, Winkworth’s translations began appearing in English hymnals. She translated nearly 400 German hymns written by more than 170 authors in her lifetime. Lutheranism in America has relied heavily on her work; 73 of her translations appear in The Lutheran Hymnal and 51 appear in Lutheran Service Book.

Aside from translating hymns from German to English, Winkworth spent her life advocating for women’s rights and education, uplifting the poor and impoverished, and writing histories and biographies on German hymnody and hymnwriters.

Winkworth’s Lasting Impression on Lutheran Hymnody

Although she was Anglican all her life, Winkworth’s work in bringing German Lutheran hymns to English- speaking Christians went beyond simply translating from one language to another. Having studied the histories and biographies of German hymns and hymnwriters, Winkworth’s work demanded she translate in a way faithful to the original authors.

Although Lutherans in America rightly attribute the historic German Lutheran hymns to their original authors, the work of translating shouldn’t go unnoticed. Writing hymns in one’s own language is important work for the Church and certainly a poetic and spiritual gift. Translating hymns to another language while maintaining theolog- ical meaning, but also tweaking words and phrases to fit the new language’s meter and rhyme structure, is another work that requires patience, humility, and thoughtfulness.

Winkworth is one of many English-speaking hymn translators who make it possible for the Church today to retain the treasures its fathers gifted it hundreds of years ago. That all English-language Lutheran hymnals in America feature more translations by Winkworth than anyone else speaks to the volume and importance of her work as one of thousands of writers, theologians, and pastors who have worked to preserve the tradition and treasures from which the Church benefits.

ECE NEEDS YOUR HELP

The Preschool needs some additional help on Saturday, August 15th to help beautify the ECE playground. We will be receiving new mulch and need assistance in spreading it out. A pitchfork and a wheelbarrow are handy tools to help make the work go fast! Please arrive before the heat at 7 AM with any tools to help. 9

30 Hidden Books of the Bible

There are 30 books of the Bible in this paragraph. Can you find them? This is a most remarkable puzzle. It was found by a gentleman in an airplane seat pocket, on a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu, keeping him occupied for hours. He enjoyed it so much, he passed it on to some friends...One friend from Illinois worked on this while fishing from his john boat. Another friend studied it while playing his banjo, Elaine Taylor, a columnist friend, was so intrigued by it she mentioned it in her weekly newspaper column. Another friend judges the job of solving this puzzle so involv- ing, she brews a cup of tea to help her nerves. There will be some names that are really easy to spot. That's a fact. Some people, however, will soon find themselves in a jam, especially since the book names are not necessarily capi- talized. Truthfully, from answers we get, we are forced to admit it usually takes a minister or a scholar to see some of them at the worst. Research has shown that something in our genes is responsible for the difficulty we have in seeing the books in this paragraph. During a recent fund raising event, which featured this puzzle, the Alpha Delta Phi lemonade booth set a new record. The local paper, The Chronicle, surveyed over 200 patrons who reported that this puzzle was one of the most difficult they had ever seen. As Daniel Humana humbly puts it, "The books are all right here in plain view hidden from sight." Those able to find all of them will hear great lamentations from those who have to be shown. One revelation that may help is that books like Timothy and Samuel may occur without their numbers. Also, keep in mind, that punctuation and spaces in the middle are normal. A chipper attitude will help you compete really well against those who claim to know the answers. Remember, there is no need for a mad exodus, there really are 30 books of the Bible lurking somewhere in this paragraph waiting to be found. God Bless.

(Editor’s Note—I have the answers, but have a question about one book that they have listed. Think it would take a Minister of Religion to find it! I would say that if you find 29 books, you are a winner!)

A start date for Children’s Sunday School has not been set at this time. Watch for future announcements.

Confirmation students and parents will have a meeting with Pastor Brammeier on Wednesday, August 12, 6 PM. If you have a confirmation age child, and have not been contacted, please call the church office at 770 928-2812 and plan to attend this meeting. 10

Jake Bowler Aug. 2 Jerry & Doreen Erbe Aug. 1 Elfrieda Allen Aug. 3 Markham & Kim Peykoff Aug. 15 Don & Marlene Snyder Aug. 26 Gail Trimble Aug. 4 Rich & LaFaye Wiese Aug. 27 Raye Miller Aug. 6 Lee & Emily Clark Aug. 28 Coriander Pins Aug. 6 Frank & Susan Plunkett Aug. 29 Susie Bishop Aug. 8 Lynn Knox Aug. 8 Margaret Cehanovich Aug. 9 Tim Furnish Aug. 10 Linda Basler Aug. 13

Don Snyder Aug. 17 Connie Williams Aug. 17 Catherine Flinchum Aug. 18 Nancy Samosky Aug. 19 Jaxsen Eyrich-Krogh Aug. 20 Carol Beene Aug. 22

Ken Goeddeke Aug. 24 Jeannie Bernerth Aug. 25 Suzanne Kastens Aug. 29 David Miller Aug. 30 Ethan Young Aug. 30 Paul Fostvedt Aug. 31 11

KID”S CORNER 12