The light shines in the darkness… John 1:5 OHLC Staff Home Phone Pastor: Jeffrey Spencer (360) 279-0413 Pastor of Care Ministries Marc Stroud (360) 632-4243 Preschool Director: Sara Harbaugh (360) 941-1484 Volume 64, Issue 4 April 2017 Parish Secretary: Rekann Brannon (360) 969-0775 OAK HARBOR LUTHERAN CHURCH Newsletter Editor: a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Martha Ellis (360) 678-2264 1253 NW 2nd Avenue 360-678-2264 Custodian: Oak Harbor, WA 98277 [email protected] Salvador Carvallo (360) 675-3957 www.oakharborlutheran.org Church Fax (360) 679-9795 Church Phone (360) 679-1561 IN THIS ISSUE: The theology of the cross, pg. 2 Click on these links for the April newsletter inserts: See you at the pig roast! pg. 3 The ELCA’s monthly Prayer Ventures: http://www.elca.org/en/Resources/Prayer-Ventures Schedule for Holy Week and Easter, The Northwest Washington Synod’s insert, The Spirit: pg. 5 http://www.lutheransnw.org/files/publications/spirit/april_2017_spirit.pdf Still time to register for the Women’s Retreat, pg. 6 OHLC’s website: www.oakharborlutheran.org Silent auction benefits mission partnership, This issue was snail-mailed March 30, 2017 pg. 7 1 presence as he looked to Christ on the cross, which told him God was Pastor’s Page: The Theology of the Cross present even in his suffering and death. The cross alone is our theology. “When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I had a friend in seminary who went to the Pine Ridge reserva- I did not come to you proclaiming the tion in South Dakota as part of our seminary curriculum. He spent mystery of God in lofty words or wisdom. several days with the Lakota people, hearing their stories. They weren’t For I decided to know nothing among you easy to listen to. He heard of Indian children being beaten by their white except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” teachers for speaking their native language. He heard of massacres and 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 atrocities and broken promises. Some of these horrible events were REFORMATION 500 aided and abetted by Christian missionaries. This friend was at the Pine “The cross alone is our theology.” A year-long series of Ridge Lutheran Retreat Center, an organization led and supported by Martin Luther, The Heidelberg articles celebrating 500 years of Lutheran many Lakota people. He asked them how, given this painful history, Disputation, 1518 Christianity they could possibly come to be Christians themselves. One of the Lakota elders pointed to the large cross on the wall and said, “We all e sometimes think of the concept of bleed. In Christ we find one who bleeds with us, holding us all and “self-help” as something modern, ushered into popular culture by making us one.” The cross alone is our theology. W the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Phil. But the truth is, the idea of self-help has been around for a long time. Martin Luther labored long A central aspect of Lutheran Christianity is the theology of the and hard under the idea that self-help was the way to make oneself cross. This isn’t a theology which is explained through treatises or acceptable to God. As a young monk he threw himself into the self-help systematic treatments of the subject. Rather, the theology of the cross disciplines of the monastery, hoping desperately that they would ease his reveals itself in the lived experiences of actual human beings, all of troubled conscience and make him feel closer to God. They didn’t. whom are vulnerable, all of whom suffer, all of whom bleed, all of whom Luther’s relief came only through his study of scripture, where he die. There is no way to escape this stark reality of human existence. learned in Paul’s letter to the Romans that Christ died for the ungodly One can only look to the cross and see that in Christ, God has wrapped (Romans 5:6), and that salvation is a gift of grace given through Christ’s his arms around even this part of our lives, assuring us that he is present. “sacrifice of atonement by his blood” (Romans 3:24-25). Luther came to The cross alone is our theology. see that he would never be saved by self-help. Instead, he needed On the cross, Christ has saved us from our sin. Christ’s help, which he freely offered as he gave himself up on the cross There is a place for self-help in our lives, but never as a as a sacrifice for sin. Luther replaced self-help with a tenacious clinging way to conquer sin. Only the cross can do that. On to the cross. By the time he attended the Heidelberg Disputation, a the cross, Christ has shown us that God is hidden in debate held about a year after his posting of the Ninety-five Theses, suffering, present with us even when he seems the Luther would state: “The cross alone is our theology.” most absent. Healing and life are precious gifts to be In his book Pastoral Care Under the Cross, Pastor Richard Eyer prayed for and celebrated, but when they don’t come tells the story of a parishioner who was nearing the end of his life. His we can make the sign of the cross, trusting in Christ’s well-meaning daughter came to his bedside with relentless optimism, loving presence even as we die with him. On the assuring her sick father that God would heal him through the power of cross, Christ has reconciled us both to God and to each prayer. They just needed to have enough faith. This loving father other. We see Christ’s arms stretched out to embrace appreciated his daughter’s hopeful prayers and sympathized with her the oppressed and the oppressor, both of whom bleed the same, and both anxieties, but he wasn’t comforted by her words. When she left, he of whom are saved by Christ’s own blood, shed for all. The cross alone would turn to his pastor and make the sign of the cross. He knew God’s is our theology. Pastor Jeffrey R. Spencer 2 JOIN US FOR A Sabbatical News - Skip Lycksell, team member Sabbatical: a time of rejuvenation and prevention of burn out t is with great pleasure and honor that I am part of the sabbatical team which will help to ensure the smooth running of Oak Harbor Lutheran I Church while Pastor Spencer and family are rejuvenating this summer. In our congregation on a daily basis he deals with birth and baptism as well as death and funerals. The sabbatical will be a time when he can be more engaged in worship, education and filling his heart with God’s plan for OHLC. Our congregation has had pastors who have suddenly gone to a less-demanding call as a result of “burn out.” Pastor Spencer is still full of youth, the Gospel and creativity, as well as a love for his congrega- tion. He is enthusiastic and anxious to learn more to keep our congre- gation growing and spreading God’s Word. This will be a time of growth for us all. Let us provide the tools Sunday, April 2 - Noon and funds for a Sabbatical experience which will allow Pastor Spencer to Chicken and sides will also be provided. begin the fall Church year exuding energy, God’s Word and creative programs. You are invited to bring a dessert. Come to the Sabbatical BBQ following the 10:30 AM worship service on April 2. Mark your calendars – the Anglums are barbecuing a whole pig! All funds raised will go to Pastor Spencer for his Sabbatical A TALENT SHOW WILL BE HELD AFTER LUNCH! expenses (and feeding three growing boys). Learn more about the upcoming 2- month Sabbatical, and enjoy the talent show afterwards. The Team feels we should raise an additional $2,000 for expenses for the Spencer family while on Sabbatical. We are grateful for your generosity and look forward to seeing you at the BBQ. Don’t miss it! Respectfully, Robert “Skip” Lycksell This event is being sponsored by the Sabbatical Team. (Included in this newsletter are Prayer Ventures and The Spirit for April. ) A FREE- WILL offering will go towards The deadline for articles for the May newsletter is Wednesday, April 19. Pastor Spencer’s sabbatical travel expenses. 3 Growing & Learning BookMarks Adult education opportunities in April he Coupeville Book Group will meet at Gaye Rodriguey’s home, T 228 Rhodena Drive, at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, April 4. Jean Congdon This is an exciting month for adult education at OHLC. Here’s will lead the discussion of the book The Girl on the Train, by Paula what we have in store: Hawkins: April 2: Baptized, We Live, book study (final session) April 9: Ken Grigsby, speaking on his recent trip to visit our A debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way sister congregation in Kazan, Russia you look at other people’s lives. April 16: EASTER SUNDAY – NO CLASS Every day the same... Rachel takes the same commuter train April 23: Bible Study – 1 Peter 1:3-9 every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, April 30: Bible Study – 1 Peter 1:17-23 flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the Join us in the library on Sunday mornings from 9:15 to10:15 for signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple some great opportunities to learn and grow in faith! breakfasting on their deck.