Summer is a time of coming and going in most churches and communities, but especially here in Florida where we have many seasonal friends as well as year-round friends who head off to different parts of the country or the world during the summer. As the summer comes to a close and as we enter the fall it is a joy to be here and welcome back all who have been on adventures over the summer (cross-country road trips); who have traveled to see family (as far off as Germany or Norway); or who have been at their ―up north‖ home. Welcome back!
It is our prayer that in your leave-takings and home-comings you went out in joy and were led back in peace. I mentioned in a sermon this summer that verse from Isaiah and how it aptly describes the worshipping life, the praying life, and the Christian life. For you shall go out in joy and be led back in peace.
And as you are being led back in peace, there is much getting underway here at Our Savior Lutheran. If you were not around for much of the summer you will see some wonderful changes underway as our 50th Anniversary renovation project progresses. As I write this walls are being torn down. When you read it new walls will be going up. It has been exciting to watch this all unfold and see God making new some of our church building here.
Amid the construction and renovation, activities continue as normal. Sunday School Registration Night will be August 31st at 6:00pm for ages 3 to 12th grade. And Sunday School for both children and adults will start up September 11th, the Sunday after labor day. We have some surprises underfoot for Sunday School this year and once again have a strong and faithful team of Sunday School teachers with at least two teachers in each classroom. It is through relationship that we come to know God. So we are grateful for this wonderful group of teachers who share their faith with our children through Sunday School.
In the Christian life we do much coming and going in all sorts of different ways, may you come and go in the joy and peace of Christ,
Pastor Shelly
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
As I write this, fences and temporary walls are going up and in the next few days old walls will be coming down. It is exciting to watch this process get started, and it will be neat to watch it unfold over the next months. When you come to worship this weekend, the signs and walkways will be clearly marked to make your way to the side entrance doors, volunteers in red vests will be there for anyone needing assistance, and you will get to see the changes as you make your way in toward the church building.
As the construction gets going, Wednesday Bible Study, Prayer and Meditation, Wednesday Night Beth Moore Bible Study, Dancing with the Lutherans, and all other activities continue as normal (we are thankful for this!). Youth Group has been on break for a few weeks due to our various camps, but will resume again tomorrow night at 6:30pm in the Youth Room. All youth 6th to 12th grade youth are invited!
We heard in worship last weekend Jesus’ parable of the Sower and the seed and how God is a Sower like no other—he knows that the rocks and thorns can be penetrated. And he is a Sower who has made cracks in the hardest of hearts and brought forth fruit in the thorniest of lives. Come again this weekend to hear another of Jesus’ parables from Matthew 13, and let God’s word grow in you and bear fruit in your life!
See you in church! Pastor Shelly Satran
As the construction gets going, Wednesday Bible Study, Prayer and Meditation, Wednesday Night Beth Moore Bible Study, Dancing with the Lutherans, and all other activities continue as normal (we are thankful for this!). Youth Group has been on break for a few weeks due to our various camps, but will resume again tomorrow night at 6:30pm in the Youth Room. All youth 6th to 12th grade youth are invited!
We heard in worship last weekend Jesus’ parable of the Sower and the seed and how God is a Sower like no other—he knows that the rocks and thorns can be penetrated. And he is a Sower who has made cracks in the hardest of hearts and brought forth fruit in the thorniest of lives. Come again this weekend to hear another of Jesus’ parables from Matthew 13, and let God’s word grow in you and bear fruit in your life!
See you in church! Pastor Shelly Satran
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
50 Years of God's Grace
Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise.. Psalm 84:4
This is an exciting year at Our Savior as we celebrate 50 years since the church was established. It has been neat to see pictures and clippings that people have brought in on the congregation from the past. It is fun to recognize familiar faces in the photos, especially the ones that were the faces of children who are now grown with children of their own. What’s most striking about all these photos and bits of history is the reminder of how God has been at work in the lives of His people. Sometimes that is most evident when you stand back and look at the big picture over time, or said in another way, sometimes that is most evident when you stand back and look at all of the pictures spread out before you.
Many of you know that Zac Barringer, a member of our congregation, is putting together a memory and history book on the church for his Eagle Scout project. As part of this he has been and will be collecting memories and stories that people have shared about the church. We would like to share some of those stories in the newsletter too.
So think about your time here at Our Savior Lutheran Church, maybe you have only been here a few years or maybe you have been here fifteen years, but what stands out in your mind as some of your most significant memories. Was it your wedding here? Your child’s baptism? The way you were surrounded by love at a time of loss? Is it a specific moment of encountering God’s presence? Was it a memory of going to camp with other kids from the church? Is it a memory of something unexpected or funny that happened here?
I have only been here four years and yet many memories fill my mind when I stop and think about it. Here are a few: Our son’s baptism; our daughter being an angel in the Christmas program the first time and belting out “Go Tell it on the Mountain” with all her heart; mourning the death of dear members of the congregation here; singing Holden Evening Prayer each Wednesday in Lent and walking out of the service filled with peace each and every time.
We know God is present in all of these things, our joy, our sorrow, our laughter, and our tears. Let’s share our stories with one another about how God has been present to us in and through this church. Write down your memories, whatever comes to mind, a paragraph or two, then bring it in to the church office, or email it in, and we will share them over the coming months in the newsletter. It will be one more way to share and tell God’s story with one another.
Grateful to be living out God’s story with you here at Our Savior,
Pastor Shelly
This is an exciting year at Our Savior as we celebrate 50 years since the church was established. It has been neat to see pictures and clippings that people have brought in on the congregation from the past. It is fun to recognize familiar faces in the photos, especially the ones that were the faces of children who are now grown with children of their own. What’s most striking about all these photos and bits of history is the reminder of how God has been at work in the lives of His people. Sometimes that is most evident when you stand back and look at the big picture over time, or said in another way, sometimes that is most evident when you stand back and look at all of the pictures spread out before you.
Many of you know that Zac Barringer, a member of our congregation, is putting together a memory and history book on the church for his Eagle Scout project. As part of this he has been and will be collecting memories and stories that people have shared about the church. We would like to share some of those stories in the newsletter too.
So think about your time here at Our Savior Lutheran Church, maybe you have only been here a few years or maybe you have been here fifteen years, but what stands out in your mind as some of your most significant memories. Was it your wedding here? Your child’s baptism? The way you were surrounded by love at a time of loss? Is it a specific moment of encountering God’s presence? Was it a memory of going to camp with other kids from the church? Is it a memory of something unexpected or funny that happened here?
I have only been here four years and yet many memories fill my mind when I stop and think about it. Here are a few: Our son’s baptism; our daughter being an angel in the Christmas program the first time and belting out “Go Tell it on the Mountain” with all her heart; mourning the death of dear members of the congregation here; singing Holden Evening Prayer each Wednesday in Lent and walking out of the service filled with peace each and every time.
We know God is present in all of these things, our joy, our sorrow, our laughter, and our tears. Let’s share our stories with one another about how God has been present to us in and through this church. Write down your memories, whatever comes to mind, a paragraph or two, then bring it in to the church office, or email it in, and we will share them over the coming months in the newsletter. It will be one more way to share and tell God’s story with one another.
Grateful to be living out God’s story with you here at Our Savior,
Pastor Shelly
Monday, November 29, 2010
“How is it with your Soul?”
John Wesley, the 18th century pastor and theologian, used to tell his parishioners to ask each other the question, “How is it with your Soul?” That can seem a fairly probing question, but also a pretty profound one. Nobody has asked me that exact question lately. But being in a community of faith, we do ask each other that kind of question in various ways. We might ask, “What is God doing in your life lately?” “Where is God in all of this?” “What do you think God is calling you to do in this situation?” These kinds of things might come up as part of conversation between friends, at a Bible study, around a Wednesday night dinner, following worship, or in one of the many groups that are a part of the ministry of Our Savior.
It is important to be engaged in these kinds of conversations. Dr. Paul Hill and his colleagues through much study and research have identified these kinds of caring conversations to be one of the four keys to a vibrant faith. So we as your pastors and as your church, seek to provide as many opportunities as possible for you to find ways to be a part of these kind of conversations—the kind of conversations that aren’t just surface small talk, but get to the heart of what is going on in our lives and what God is doing with us.
Here are some of the many opportunities to find this kind of a setting and this kind of conversation here at Our Savior:
Sunday morning adult education: 9:45-10:45am, two classes are currently offered.
A Bible Study, “They Met Jesus,” and A Discussion Series,
“How Lutherans Interpret the Bible.”
ChristCare Groups: These are groups of up to 12 people who gather on a regular basis in homes or at the church and spend time together in Bible Study, Fellowship, and service.
Wednesday Morning Bible Study: 10:00-11:00am, currently studying Luke. Meets in Room 4, facilitated by Pastor Clark.
Wednesday God Pause Lectio Divina or Prayer and Meditation: Noon on Wednesdays, meeting in Room 4, alternates week to week with traditional methods of prayer and contemplation. Lectio Divina Bible Study alternating with guided Christian prayer and meditation.
WELCA circles: Ruth Circle second Friday of the month.
Men in Mission: 7:00pm on the first Wednesday of the month, room 4. Put yourself in places where God can strengthen you through the fellowship and conversation and learning together with those around you!
Grace and Peace, Pr. Shelly
It is important to be engaged in these kinds of conversations. Dr. Paul Hill and his colleagues through much study and research have identified these kinds of caring conversations to be one of the four keys to a vibrant faith. So we as your pastors and as your church, seek to provide as many opportunities as possible for you to find ways to be a part of these kind of conversations—the kind of conversations that aren’t just surface small talk, but get to the heart of what is going on in our lives and what God is doing with us.
Here are some of the many opportunities to find this kind of a setting and this kind of conversation here at Our Savior:
Sunday morning adult education: 9:45-10:45am, two classes are currently offered.
A Bible Study, “They Met Jesus,” and A Discussion Series,
“How Lutherans Interpret the Bible.”
ChristCare Groups: These are groups of up to 12 people who gather on a regular basis in homes or at the church and spend time together in Bible Study, Fellowship, and service.
Wednesday Morning Bible Study: 10:00-11:00am, currently studying Luke. Meets in Room 4, facilitated by Pastor Clark.
Wednesday God Pause Lectio Divina or Prayer and Meditation: Noon on Wednesdays, meeting in Room 4, alternates week to week with traditional methods of prayer and contemplation. Lectio Divina Bible Study alternating with guided Christian prayer and meditation.
WELCA circles: Ruth Circle second Friday of the month.
Men in Mission: 7:00pm on the first Wednesday of the month, room 4. Put yourself in places where God can strengthen you through the fellowship and conversation and learning together with those around you!
Grace and Peace, Pr. Shelly
Monday, October 4, 2010
Bless This House
We gather together each week for worship in God’s house. I always feel a sense of calm and peace just walking in the doors of the sanctuary and I would never want to miss out on coming to worship each weekend. In fact I feel fortunate that as a pastor I get to worship three times each weekend. And yet the experts say that the place where faith is really taught or rather caught, is in the home. For this reason we have for a year now included in the bulletin the “Taking Faith Home” inserts. Take these home! These inserts give a list of weekly scripture readings, a weekly prayer focus, and ideas for devotions and activities that can be done on your own, or as a family or couple. Use these ideas to take your faith home and let us know what results!
On another note of faith in the home, when families move to a new home they often ask us to come and lead a small House Blessing service. This is a really wonderful way to acknowledge the importance of this very thing—faith in our home. For the House Blessing service the individual, family or couple may invite friends or family or neighbors to gather in their home and then the group makes their way through the house. Someone carries a large candle and lights a smaller candle in each room as a reminder of Christ’s light shining in every part of our lives, every room of our house. As the group walks through each room, a prayer is offered asking God to bless the activity that takes place in that room. Moving to a new house or place of living often marks a transition in our lives and it is a wonderful thing to surround that transition with prayer. Also if our homes are the place our faith is taught and caught, if our homes are one of the primary places that our faith is lived out, then how wonderful to ask God’s presence to fill every corner of our lives and our homes.
May God visit with peace all that takes place in your home.
Pastor Shelly
On another note of faith in the home, when families move to a new home they often ask us to come and lead a small House Blessing service. This is a really wonderful way to acknowledge the importance of this very thing—faith in our home. For the House Blessing service the individual, family or couple may invite friends or family or neighbors to gather in their home and then the group makes their way through the house. Someone carries a large candle and lights a smaller candle in each room as a reminder of Christ’s light shining in every part of our lives, every room of our house. As the group walks through each room, a prayer is offered asking God to bless the activity that takes place in that room. Moving to a new house or place of living often marks a transition in our lives and it is a wonderful thing to surround that transition with prayer. Also if our homes are the place our faith is taught and caught, if our homes are one of the primary places that our faith is lived out, then how wonderful to ask God’s presence to fill every corner of our lives and our homes.
May God visit with peace all that takes place in your home.
Pastor Shelly
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Attention Grandparents!
On a regular basis we have members of the church call and ask to borrow cribs, high chairs, or pack-n-plays from the church nursery for visiting grandchildren. Other times grandparents or parents have called with items to donate to the church or to others who can use them. I have also seen in several of the stores in town that grandparents can rent such items for visiting grandchildren. It seems a waste to have to buy or rent what others have sitting in storage, and so we are starting a small "grandparents closet" to help out.
As you may know, we have long had a medical supply closet here at the church from which anyone can borrow medical equipment that might be needed for a temporary time, things such as walkers, canes, and wheelchairs. The "grandparents closet" will work along the same lines. We are limited on space (in fact someone is donating space in their home, because we have hardly a cupboard of unused storage space at the church), so the grandparent’s closet will include not anything and everything, but several basic items that grandparents often find themselves needing to borrow, rent, or buy when their grandchildren come to visit. Items such as pack-n-plays, booster seats, umbrella stroller, and bouncy seats or exersaucers. If you need to borrow any of these items contact the church office. If you would like to donate any of these items contact the church office. We are church family and this is one way we can help each other receive and welcome family. It is good to be church family!
Grateful to be part of the family of God with you,
Pastor Shelly
As you may know, we have long had a medical supply closet here at the church from which anyone can borrow medical equipment that might be needed for a temporary time, things such as walkers, canes, and wheelchairs. The "grandparents closet" will work along the same lines. We are limited on space (in fact someone is donating space in their home, because we have hardly a cupboard of unused storage space at the church), so the grandparent’s closet will include not anything and everything, but several basic items that grandparents often find themselves needing to borrow, rent, or buy when their grandchildren come to visit. Items such as pack-n-plays, booster seats, umbrella stroller, and bouncy seats or exersaucers. If you need to borrow any of these items contact the church office. If you would like to donate any of these items contact the church office. We are church family and this is one way we can help each other receive and welcome family. It is good to be church family!
Grateful to be part of the family of God with you,
Pastor Shelly
Saturday, May 1, 2010
PENTECOST: Wind, Fire, and a New Deacon!
First of all, what is Pentecost? The actual word “pentecost” means 50th day. At the time of Jesus, Pentecost was a harvest festival that was celebrated fifty days after Passover. In Acts we learn that the disciples all gathered in Jerusalem in one place on the day of Pentecost. And ever since that Pentecost, Christians have celebrated Pentecost as the day when the church was born. Pentecost in the Christian church has since taken place on the 50th day of Easter. And on this 50th day we celebrate the Holy Spirit descending upon the disciples empowering them to speak the Gospel (in multiple languages), and through this event initiating the beginning of the church. Up until Pentecost the disciples mostly were afraid and uncertain, meeting behind locked doors. With Pentecost, the wind of the Spirit blew open those doors and began the spread of Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the world.
In worship on Pentecost Weekend, we celebrate in many ways. On the weekend of Pentecost everyone is invited to wear red to worship as a symbol of the fire of the Spirit and of the flames that descended upon the disciples. At the Sunday services the children will also help us visualize this wind and flame as they wave red and orange streamers. We hear the Pentecost story from Acts 2 read to us in multiple languages. (If you speak fluently in another language than English, let us know!) Hearing this Scripture read in multiple languages reminds us of that first Pentecost and also of the thousands of languages in which Christian faith is professed all throughout the world.
This year we also have an extra special and very fitting addition to Pentecost. Allan Klotsche will be onsecrated as a Deacon at the 8:30am service. Allan completed an intensive 2 year study program called Diakonia in May of 2009. Since then he has been fulfilling the additional Synodical requirements to become a Deacon. As a Deacon Allan will continue the social ministry work he has already been doing and you will see him “deacon-ing” in many other ways as well (come to the 8:30am service on May 23rd to learn more!).
May the Spirit descend upon you and refresh you
and lead you anew each day,
Pastor Shelly
In worship on Pentecost Weekend, we celebrate in many ways. On the weekend of Pentecost everyone is invited to wear red to worship as a symbol of the fire of the Spirit and of the flames that descended upon the disciples. At the Sunday services the children will also help us visualize this wind and flame as they wave red and orange streamers. We hear the Pentecost story from Acts 2 read to us in multiple languages. (If you speak fluently in another language than English, let us know!) Hearing this Scripture read in multiple languages reminds us of that first Pentecost and also of the thousands of languages in which Christian faith is professed all throughout the world.
This year we also have an extra special and very fitting addition to Pentecost. Allan Klotsche will be onsecrated as a Deacon at the 8:30am service. Allan completed an intensive 2 year study program called Diakonia in May of 2009. Since then he has been fulfilling the additional Synodical requirements to become a Deacon. As a Deacon Allan will continue the social ministry work he has already been doing and you will see him “deacon-ing” in many other ways as well (come to the 8:30am service on May 23rd to learn more!).
May the Spirit descend upon you and refresh you
and lead you anew each day,
Pastor Shelly
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