January 2010
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The Lutheran Light “ As the Body of Christ, St. Mary’s Evangelical Lutheran Church is called by the Father through the Holy Spirit to worship God and witness to others.” Vol. 32 No. 01, January 2010 The Pastor’s Prism “Considering a New Perspective” regard these things and creatures as has created as being precious and Now that we are entering the last merely interfering or blighting our lead us towards better care of one year of the first decade of the 21st effluent life style, like the dandelions another and the world so that we century most of us have settled in our yards and the insects that fulfill our role as caretakers for His ourselves into the new millennium. sometimes come into our houses! creation so that we render Him our praise. This millenium has already brought In caring for God’s earth, we need it’s own changing relationships that to be more tolerant of some parts of “Make a joyful noise to the we have experienced with one the environment that we have learned LORD, all the earth; break forth another and the environment all over to accept as interfering with our life into joyous song and sing the world. More and more of us are style and our aesthetics. praises...Let the sea roar and all drawing from the same finite pool of that fills it; the world and those resources, and we are realizing that Albert Schweitzer had a revelation about the human-environment who live in it.” there are more connections then ever -Psalm 98:1a,7 between everyone and everything. interaction as he was traveling on the Whatever happens impacts everyone river to his hospital at Gabon. He and everything and often in ways that said it suddenly came to him that + “ Pr. Lee” we don’t realize. “reverence for life” became a way of seeing all life that God had put in the This was brought into perspective world. Reverence for life became a for me recently on one of those kind of credo for him as he dealt not mornings as I jogged on the highway just with the African environment but Almighty God, we thank in the darkness as a light rain was with those whom he served there, and You for calling us to be a part falling. The air carried a distinct elsewhere as well. He saw all living of Your creation for this time. smell. It smelled of earthworms that creatures as connected with one We marvel at the way You had perished under the wheels of cars another and that each had a right to have made creation and all the that went over them by drivers who living in this world. Thus, he would connections that exists had no idea what was happening. not wantonly or inadvertently destroy between everything. In this The earthworms had crawled from any life, be it a fly, ant, cockroach, new year, sensitize us to all their holes in soil that had become mosquito, or other creature simply Your creation and saturated with water in order to find because it caused him personal lead us to have a dry place on the highway. Their discomfort. All life was to be honored greater respect and situation reminded me of all the ways because life revealed the creating care for that which our lives and technology impact each Lord. He saw and respected the You have made. other and the world in ways we connections between everyone, every Help us find ways of don’t even realize. Of course, the creature, and everything in the world. living that will have lessen our death of the earthworms is just one It was all a part of God’s world. impact on the creation so that more consequence added to the As a new year begins we have the those who follow us will growing list of human disruptions to continue to give You thanks the environment caused by us opportunity to examine our connections with others, the and praise for Your creation. humans in sometimes unwitting ways Hear us, for we ask these but damaging nonetheless. creatures, and all else that is in the world. Such reflection may lead us things through Jesus Christ We tolerate these disruptions into a new appreciation and respect our Lord. AMEN because we don’t see any permanent for each other, the flora and fauna, harm or damage resulting from such and the wholeness of God’s creation. “accidents.” Most of the time we We might learn to see all that God The Lutheran Light - January 2010 Offering Envelopes World Vision - India Gulbarga Area Development Program #170182 2010 Offering Envelopes are available for pick-up in the overflow room of the Dear Sponsor, church. Please note, if you did not pick- up your envelopes the past two (2) years, Wish you a very Happy Christmas! 2010 envelopes were not automatically issued. You can request a box for 2010 Warm greetings from Gulburga Ara Development Programme. It by contacting the church office. gives me immense pleasure to write you once again on behalf of children, families and communities of our target areas. I hope and pray that this letter finds you all well. I am deeply motivated and News Around the Parish impressed to express gratitude for your generous contribution even Copies of “Stories of Faith in Action” are available during the global economic crises. on the rear register of the sanctuary. This magazine gives something of the scope of ELCA’s mission It is too hard to tolerate and adjust with the change scenario of work at home and abroad. many people across the world who lost their jobs, reduced cost of living, and reduced salaries and so on. I appreciate you for your Two Cd’s, “Thy Way Illumine”, by the Schola firm decision and continuos support to address the root cause of Cantorum of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg the poverty during your troubled time. I feel it is my prime duty Seminary Motet Choir, accompanied at times by the to express our hearty thanks and gratitude for your sponsorship Boston Shawm and Sackbut Ensemble available for and assistance to the children and community of [Manatesh borrowing. Works by Frank, Schein, Wesley, Babarao] Gulburga Block. Stanford, Rosenfeld, Schütz, and Folkemer are included along with the texts and translations. The Your generous sponsorship was useful to your sponsored child as CD’s are a gift to us from our Theological Seminary well as many other children and families in the community. at Gettysburg. To borrow one of the CD’s simply fill Standard of living of poor families improved. Your commitment out the card on the back of the CD and give it to is bringing a meaningful change in the lives of children and Pastor Lee. families. Because of your support we were able to ensure protection of children, good health and education. Farmers were The National Lutheran Home News Fall/Winter 2009 assisted by irrigation facilities, converted waste land in to edition is available for pick-up from the rear literature cultivable land, income generating activities to build resilience racks of the church. among poor and marginal farmers. The youths have been trained Special Synod Assembly for January 15 - 16, 2010 to in appropriate skill for opportunities. We are enhancing the elect a New Bishop has been cancelled because of communities’ leadership qualities and empowering Self Help some technical difficulties. Election of a new bishop Groups of poor women and men for sustainable development will occur at the Synod Assembly, June 10 - 12 2010, programmes. at the Eisenhower Center, Gettysburg. Without your held we could have not done so much. Your faithfulness to God and commitment to the World Vision is a blessing to many families. We pray that God will bless you abundantly to bless others. We are grateful to you for your Sunday School Schedule goodness and concern. We will surely pray for you and your dear January 2010 ones. Thank you once again for partnering with us to crate lasting January 3rd Sunday School / Conf. Class change in life of children and community of Gulburga. January 10th Sunday School / Conf. Class January 17th Sunday School / Conf. Class Wish you a Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year 2010. January 24th Sunday School / Conf. Class January 31st Game Day - Treasure Hunt With Warm Regards, Benny K.J. -2- The Lutheran Light - January 2010 Notes & Thank Yous November 20, 2009 St. Mary’s Evangelical Lutheran Church 3978 Littlestown Pike November, 2009 Westminster, MD 21158-1541 St. Mary’s ELC Dear Friends of RCIS: 3978 Littlestown Pike Westminster, MD 21158-1541 Thank you very much for you $825.39 donation to Rape Crisis Intervention To the people of St. Mary’s: Service of Carroll County. On behalf of the men and women of the Your donation will be used to assist us in Community of St. Dysmas, I wish to thank you for servicing our clients who range in age your gift of $35.00. My experiences is that from their teens to their 60's. inmates in prisons across the county are certainly Throughout the year, we provide services marginalized and mostly forgotton. And the to people who never expected to need our inmates we see through the Community of St. help. With continued support from Dysmas are very thankful and grateful for being generous service organizations such as remembered. It reminds them their lives and yours we can continue to provide these healthy choices do matter in the long run. services free of charge.