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Home , Calvary (sanctuary), Crucifixion of Jesus, Easter egg, Egg hunt, Lent

“For we not preach ourselves, but ” 2 Cor. 4:5

March 2017 Newsletter

3701 Cleary Ave., Metairie, 70002 504-455-5562

Praise the Lord, He Is Risen!

If we are able to change our path and put God in the forefront, it can also renew our is upon us and the previous five commitment. We can better understand our own we’ve dedicated the time to Repentance and role in shaping the world into the image God . may be considered a season of solemn intends. The more we put God in the center of observance but we can always feel the embrace of our lives, the more He can do His work within us. God’s promises. When we embarked on the holy season of Lent, we’ve decided to devote more of our Next is the celebration of the energy toward God. Or perhaps we have chosen to of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. give up an indugence. While some of us wanted to The resurrection is the triumphant and glorious quiet our lives so we can study more of His Word. victory for every believer. It proves who Jesus is. Whatever the might be, we yearn for God’s It demonstrates that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice presence. on our behalf. It shows that God has the power to raise us from the dead. It guarantees that the The Greek word translated in the English New bodies of those who believe in Christ will not Testament as repentance is “metanoia.” It means, remain dead but will be resurrected unto eternal life. literally, a change of course. This is a decision to turn away from the path we’ve been on and walk on After Christ ascended, he was able to send the another path. Just as when Jesus was sent into the promised to continue his work on wilderness after being baptized, so might we move earth. This means that Christ’s earthly ministry into a different place. One that is separate from the continues today through his people, in whom he things of this world where we can encounter the dwells by the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ will help Divine more honestly than before. “Repent, therefore, his people by the Spirit, strengthening, guiding, and turn again,” the Apostle Peter says in his sermon teaching and leading them into the life that God at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple in . desires. He’s calling on you. Remain available. The Lenten Season Lent (: Quadragesima: Fortieth) is a solemn religious observance in the Christian liturgical calendar followed in the early part of . It was first Holy Week is the week preceding Easter and the final developed by the at Rome during the Council of week of Lent, when commemorate the Nicea in A.D. 325, when Emperor Constantine officially Passion of Christ. recognized that church as the ’s . Originally, Lent was the time of is a Christian that falls a preparation for those who were to be baptized, a time Palm week before the Resurrection. The feast commemorates of concentrated study and prayer before their at Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the back of a the , the celebration of the Resurrection of donkey, an animal symbolic of peace. This day represents the Lord early on Easter Sunday. But since these new the palm branches the crowd scattered in front of Jesus as members were to be received into a living community of he rode into Jerusalem. The King has arrived! Faith, the entire community was called to preparation.

Lent has since become traditionally described as Thursday is the Christian holy day falling lasting for forty days (without Sundays), in on the Thursday before Easter. It commemorates the of the forty days Jesus spent in the Maundy, or washing of the feet, and of wilderness preparing for His ministry by facing Jesus Christ with as described in the the temptations that could lead him to abandon his Canonical . Maundy is derived from the first few Latin words sung at the ceremony of the washing of mission and calling. This observance begins on Ash the feet. (“I give you a , That ye love and ends approximately six weeks one another as I have loved you”). We should later, before Easter Sunday. The purpose of Lent is the imitate His loving humility as in the washing of preparation of the believer through prayer, doing the feet. The Last Supper is the final meal that , mortifying the flesh, repentance of , Jesus shared with his Apostles in Jerusalem before his almsgiving, self-denial or charitable deeds. God’s people . This event provides the scriptural basis humble themselves through these acts in order to draw for the , also known as “Holy ”. closer to Him—so that they can learn to think and act like Him—so that they can live His way of life in all things. Good is a Christian holiday commemorat- ing the Christ and his death at Colors and Symbols of Lent . According to the accounts in the Gospels, the Temple Guards, guided by Jesus’ , The color used in the sanctuary for most of Lentis arrested Jesus in the Garden of during the , red , or dark violet. These colors early morning hours. Jesus was questioned by the symbolize both the pain and suffering leading up to the Jewish high priest and by the Roman governor of his crucifixion of Jesus as well as the suffering of humanity validity as . After a few chanches to declare and the world under . But purple is also the color His innocence, Pilate handed Jesus over to be of royalty, and so anticipates through the suffering and crucified. The Son of God agonized on the death of Jesus the coming resurrection and hope of for six hours and toward the end asked His Father, newness that will be celebrated in the Resurrection on “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Easter Sunday. is the name given to the day between and Easter Sunday. Some Christians recognize this day on which Jesus “rested” from His work of providing . As Jesus died, Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross/ Way He called out, “It is finished!” There was no further of Sorrows, refers to a series of images depicting price to pay; sin had been atoned for. It is a day of both Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion and the sadness and joy among Christians in many cultures. accompanying . The stations grew out of imitations of , a street within the Easter Sunday is a festival and holiday celebrating of Jerusalem which is believed to be the actual path the from the dead, described in the Jesus walked to Mount Calvary. The object of the as having occurred on the third day of stations is to help the Christian faithful to make a his burial after his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary spiritual through contemplation of the c. 30 AD. It is the culmination of the , Passion of Christ. preceded by Lent, a forty-day period of , prayer, and penance. Undoubtedly, the early Christians held the sites of The resurrection, a foundation of the Christian faith, Christ’s sorrowful journey to the cross in highest established Jesus as the powerful Son of God and esteem. These early Christians knew well the is cited as proof that God will judge the world in various stops along the way. They regularly saw . For those who trust in Jesus’ the stairs and praetorium where Christ was tried by death and resurrection, “death is swallowed up in . For some years, there would still be victory.” Any person who chooses to follow Jesus those who walked the steps with Him and who stood receives “ a new birth into a living hope through the at the foot of His cross -- including the Blessed resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”. Mary and St. (who lived much later). Through faith in the working of God those who follow Jesus are spiritually resurrected with him so that they may walk in a new way of life and receive eternal 1. Jesus is condemned to death salvation. 2. Jesus carries His cross 3. Jesus falls the first time 4. Jesus meets his mother Personal Ways to Put Others First 5. helps Jesus to carry his cross 6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus during Holy Week 7. Jesus falls the second time 8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem Make their Monday - Pray for someone that stays 9. Jesus falls the third time on your mind. Lift up their life to God. 10. Jesus’s clothes stripped off 11. Jesus is nailed to the cross Treat - Pay for someone’s meal. Show them 12. Jesus dies on the cross how much their presence means in your life. 13. The body of Jesus is taken down from the cross 14. Jesus is laid in the Wake Up Wednesday - Buy someone a cup of coffee. Offer them your personal help.

Thankful Thursday - Write a Thank You note to someone that has done something great lately.

Freestyle Friday - Bless someone in your own way. Be creative. Surprise them. Don’t tell them. Prayer Requests

As you’ve noticed, we have a prayer request box both in the of Worship Schedule: the church and also at the foot of the driveway to our parking lot. The Sunday Mornings beautifully crafted wooden box in the narthex is placed there for the benefit of Worship with Holy Communion our congregation so we can pray for our individual needs and, more important- ly, for others in time of suffering or guidance. The prayer request box outside is Traditional Worship Service placed for the Lutheran High Students next door and for our community. We 9:00 a.m. hope that it will be a place everyone can use in hope to lift the world up to God. Contemporary Praise Service 11:00 a.m. Easter Hunt Adult Study: Our Sunday School will be having their Annual Easter following the 9:00 am service. All children are welcome! Sunday between Services 10:00 a.m. Easter Sunday Goods Wednesdays 10:30 a.m. The youth will be having a bake sale here at First English. All donations of baked goods are welcome.

Plant Sale

Lift’s Annual Plant Sale will be held on Saturday, April 22nd from 9 am til 2 pm. Lunch will be available. Come out to support a very active group!

Also: Please contact Dena Charlet for any Pastoral Care needs. Call her at 831- 0820 or 427-8943. Email is [email protected]

Contact Us:

Pastor Calvin “CJ” Luttinen Church Office#: 504-455-5562 Email: [email protected] Office Hours: Mon. thru Thurs. 9 a.m to 2 p.m. Cell#: 734-904-8294 Email for Announcements: ’s Office Hours [email protected] Tuesday: 11 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. FELC Website, Google: Wednesday: 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. FirstEnglishMetairie.com

FIRST ENGLISH LUTHERAN CHURCH MISSION STATEMENT

First English Lutheran Church is a Lutheran Church-Missouri Christ centered, Bible based community promoting faith development and on-going Christian Education.

We foster a community of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving with warmth and hospitality. We are committed to Christian Stewardship as our way of life, offering our gifts of time, talent, and treasure in the service of God and our neighbor. We plan to become a dynamic evangelizing church, as we prayerfully participate in the sacramental life of Christ, our Lord, and we strengthen family life.