Fire Fighter Reunited with the Baby he Saved 40 yrs Later

Hey everyone,

This past Sunday I used this story as a sermon illustration, reflecting on the ways we give of our lives to answer Jesus' call of service. So many were touched by the very moving story, that I'm linking the video for you hear and attaching the amazing picture that the Boston Globe captured. I still think it's a serendipitous God-incidence that the now grown baby's name is "Evangeline," as she indeed evangelizes good news of hope so beautifully... have a great week! Remember that we are having Palm Sunday Pot-luck at 8:00am Sunday morning, followed by a procession into worship with palms! Also remember to RSVP for the Messianic Seder Supper on Maundy Thursday at 6pm! You can email me princess_vicki@hotmail.com or call the office 898-5333! Blessings!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/29893384#29893384

April Newsletter and Worship Helpers

THE DEILY NEWS-
GLORIA DEI LUTHERAN CHURCH
NEWSLETTER APRIL 2009
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Dear Friends,
I have a good minister friend, who has a great tradition on Ash Wednesday. He gathers the palm branches saved from the previous year and burns them outside of the church to create ashes for the Ash Wednesday service.
The whole experience for him is an exquisite sensory pleasure. The smell of the palms burning is a sweet, earthy smell, and if the wind is blowing the right way, its plumes fill even the church and its corridors.
The experience is an auditory for him as well, because he likes to listen to a sacred and holy song – by Kansas. You remember the one, right?! “Dust in the wind”
I close my eyes
Only for a moment, then the moment's gone
All my dreams
Pass before my eyes, a curiosity
Dust in the wind
All they are is dust in the wind…
Same old song
Just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do
Crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind…
Now, don't hang on
Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away
And all your money won't another minute buy
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind
Everything is dust in the wind
Then, for him, there is that profound moment of touch, as he brushes again the ashes across the forehead of his parishioners, his staff, his family, and as the ashes are brushed across his forehead “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Or “All we are is dust in the wind…”
Yes, we begin Lent with that great reality check once again, from the rituals, from the words, from the way it engages our senses to remind us, our greatest pains and pleasures in this life are so fleeting.
And yet, while so much of life is dust in the wind, the season of Lent forces us to ask again – what holds fast, stands true, lingers constant beyond all that grows, withers, dies?
That’s where our Lenten journey gets interesting.
We begin to see ourselves again, as God sees us. On one hand, dust, yes. Stardust, atoms, particles, gathered that one day will return to dust in the earth. On another hand, more than dust – infused with the breath of the Spirit; claimed by Christ in our baptism; beloved by God our great creator who chooses and calls us to a particular time and task; to use our gifts by that God’s grace to share our love.
“What lasts?” we ask again during our Lenten time? We journey again to discover, the love of God lasts; and the love we share in the name of that God.
Throughout this Lenten time, we’ve explored some of the gifts we have as individuals and as a congregation. We’ve shined the light on some of the ways we’re called to shine – in ways we might not have expected or called holy. We’ve striven to cherish a little bit more the tears we shed, the laughter we share, the friendships we form, the prayers we offer, the chores we do and the blessings we impart – and how these gifts, so often given without thought or notice, give voice to the meaning of grace our lives have in Jesus.
The point of all this is to empower us to arrive at Easter once again with the answer to the question we ask on Ash Wednesday – “Who am I but dust in the wind?!” Our God shows us the answer through the Lenten journey again, and the story of the crucifixion during Holy Week and the triumph of life in the resurrection, “More than dust; in Christ, you are Mine.”
Blessings in Christ’s Easter hope! Pastor Vicki
CALENDAR OF EVENTS : APRIL
APR 1 Worship 9:00AM
Lenten Soup Supper 5:30PM
Choir Rehearsal 6:00PM
Worship 7:00PM
APR 2 Bible Study Terre Verde 6:30AM
APR 5 Palm Sunday Breakfast 8:00AM
Worship 9:00AM
Rotation Sunday School 10:15AM
APR 6 Non-Fiction Book Club 6:00PM
1491 by Charles C. Mann
APR 7 Gloria Dei Book Club 7:00PM
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
APR 8 Worship 7:00PM
APR 9 Bible Study Terra Verde 6:30AM
Exec. Council Meeting 8:00AM
Seder Supper 6:00PM
APR 10 Ecumenical Good Friday 7:00PM
Gloria Dei Hosts
APR 12 Easter Worship 9:00AM
No Rotation Sunday School
APR 14 Church Council 7:00PM
APR 15 Stewardship 7:00PM
APR 15 Worship 7:00PM
APR 16 Bible Study Terre Verde 6:30AM
APR 19 Worship 9:00AM
Rotation Sunday School 10:15AM
PV leaves for NC
APR 22 Worship 7:00PM
APR 23 Bible Study Terre Verde 6:30AM
APR 26 Worship 9:00AM
Rotation Sunday School 10:15AM
First Communion Instruction 11:15AM
APR 29 Confirmation Class 5:30PM
Worship 7:00PM

Gloria Dei Book Clubs
The Gloria Dei Fiction Book Club is discussing Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Saffron Foer on Tuesday, April 7 at 7pm. The Nonfiction Book Club will be discussing 1491 : New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann. Reviewing the latest, not widely reported research, Mann zestfully demonstrates that long before any European explorers set foot in the New World, Native American cultures were flourishing with a high degree of sophistication. Please join us!

***When You Desire a Hospital Visit***
Please read this!!! Because of the new changes in privacy laws, Pastor Vicki must be called by you or a family member if you desire a hospital visit. Even if the hospital asks you for your information, it is not always delivered, and when delivered, not always in a timely manner. Please call Gloria Dei’s office 920-898-5333 or Pastor Vicki’s cell phone 920-716-0661

Lent, Holy Week and Easter Activities
Please join us for our final Lenten soup supper on Wednesday April 1 at 5:30pm and join us for worship at 7pm. Join us Sunday, April 5th at 8am for a Palm Sunday Pot-luck! Sign up on the kiosk to bring a egg bake or side dish! We will process into church with our palms at 9:00am for worship. Our Holy Week schedule includes a final Lenten worship on Wednesday, April 8 (no soup supper) with a healing service. Join us Maundy Thursday, April 9, at 6pm for a Messianic Seder Supper. An RSVP is necessary for this event; please sign up on the kiosk or call Blanche Brenwall, 894-4940. Gloria Dei is hosting the area ecumenical Good Friday worship at 7pm. The service will be a Tenabrae service and feature our Gloria Dei choir. Finally, join us Easter Sunday for worship at 9am!

Electronic Giving or Simply GivingPlease consider using "Simply Giving," or automatic cash withdrawal/deposit as your method of giving. Since January we've been in a cash flow crunch with our current expenses and the building fund. Simply Giving allows a somewhat more stable cash flow picture. Contact Colleen Allee for the "Simply Giving" info. 920-889-1187’Barb Spiegel, Church Treasurer

Wednesday Worship Service
We now offer two worship services. In addition to our Sunday morning 9:00am service we celebrate worship on Wednesdays at 7pm. Holy Communion is served weekly at both services.

Counters for April
5- Roxann Ruechel, 12- Al/Jenny Krebsbach, 19- Allen Fett, 26- Julie Schaefer

President’s Thoughts
On Saturday, March 21st the Gloria Dei Church Council went on a Retreat to the Ledgeview Nature Center from 9am to 3:30pm.

Our plan was to connect with each member by learning about their individual Meyer’s Briggs personality profile. This hopefully will bring a closer relationship between members and improve our council communication. We were required to take a personality test before we came and give it to Pastor to analyze.

Each member then read aloud their personality traits to the rest of the group. It indicated what each member naturally brings to the team, their teamwork style, potential blind spots, and how the rest of us can best help each council member to succeed.

Pastor had the council members make something out of play dough that would tell something about us. Everyone went around the circle and told what they thought the sculpture represented and the artist revealed what they were intending to share. We found out a lot about each other in this exercise.

We enjoyed a walk in Ledgeview Nature Center led by naturalist and church member Jean Haack that took us into the Bat Cave and we were able to have individual discussions to learn more about each other.

We enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by Blanche Brenwall, Jean Haack and PV. Thanks - we all appreciate it!

We ended this session with our monthly meeting.

I thought this was a worthwhile retreat to help us work together during the coming year. Pastor, thank you for your presentations and arrangements! Michael Field

Church Cleaning
We rely on church volunteers cleaning. A list of jobs will be posted on the kiosk. If you or your family is able to clean during the week, please sign up! Al Fett, Facilities and Events


Prayer Chain
Remy Field, cancer.
Payton Lenhardt, brain injury
Pastor Tim Routh, serving in Iraq
Steffi Sabel, recurring illness
Private Tina Checkie, basic training
Ashley Rickert, serving in an orphanage in Mozambique
Please e-mail prayer requests to princess_vicki@hotmail.com if you would like them to be shared with the prayer chain. Please indicate if you would also like them to be shared with the Sunday morning prayers. If you would like to be added to the prayer chain, please send an e-mail to the address above as well. Thanks!

A Bunch of Thanks
To Mike Stephany and the youth and their adult helpers who donated items or worked to make the spaghetti supper a success!
To Mike Stephany and his adult chaperones for planning and leading the youth lock in!
To the Gloria Dei Council for taking a Saturday for our council retreat!
To Jean Haack who arranged for us to use Ledgeview Nature Center for our council retreat and who came in on her day off to give us a walking and caving tour!
To Jean Haack, Blanche Brenwall and PV for making the food for the council retreat!
To Coleen Allee for doing our financial secretary work and sending our statements this month!
To Doug Everson and the choir for the beautiful music during this Lenten season!
To Dianne Fett, Chris Klein, Jayne Meyer and Ruth Camomilli for cleaning the church this month!
To Tara Leithold for heading up our cookie dough sale!
To Kris Stephany for her leadership in bulletin creating/printing/folding!

From Your Financial Secretary
To save resources, financial statements will now be distributed bi-annually instead of quarterly. You may request a statement if you need one at any time.
Coleen Allee

Prairie Burn
Burning the prairie every 3-5 years helps control weeds and trees from establishing in the prairie. The growing points of native prairie plants are below the soil in early spring, the growing points of non-native weeds are generally above the soil. So, when a fire goes through the prairie the prairie plants are insulated by the soil, and the weed are toasted.

I am planning a burn on April 30th at 5:30 p.m. This will require cooperation from the weather --no rain, little wind. Shouldn’t take much more than an hour. Bring an old broom. You can just show up but if you would lie or let me know ahead and I will get a hold of you if the date needs to be changed. jeanlhaack@charter.net 920-483-0333

WORSHIP HELPERS
It is difficult to conduct a service without these needed helpers. If you cannot fulfill your obligation on your appointed Sunday please make arrangements to switch with someone.

WORSHIP HELPERS
It is difficult to conduct a service without these needed helpers. If you cannot fulfill your obligation on your appointed Sunday please make arrangements to switch with someone.

April May
Altar Set Up: Katherine Allee Altar Set Up: Carol Field
Laurie Argall Rachel Barrett
April 5: May 3:
Greeters: Argall Family Greeters: Barrett Family
Acolytes: Max Kornetzke Acolytes: Haleigh Stephany
RJ Leithold Abby Sabel
Lector: Jayne Meyer Lector: Coleen Allee
Ushers: Laurie Argall Ushers: Scott Rickert
Tim Argall Adam Ruechel
Communion Assist: Sherry Wilberscheid Communion Assist: Don Allee

April 12: May 10:
Greeters: Barb Spiegel Greeters: Blanche Brenwall
Acolytes: Jenna Pleshek Acolytes: Emily Anderson
Dana VanDyke Emily Kolberg
Lector: Angie Roth Lector: Miki Wise
Ushers: Dean Meyer Ushers: Al Fett
Jayne Meyer Dianne Fett
Communion Assist: adam ruechel Communion Assist: Rachel Barrett

April 19: May 17:
Greeters: Jensen Family Greeters: Stephany Family
Acolytes: Ellen Kildsig Acolytes: Christopher Jacobs
Mariah Barrett Trever Agnew
Lector: Mike Hetazner Lector: Tim Argall
Ushers: Craig Heller Ushers: Dick Welsch
Cheryl Heller Kathy Welsch
Communion Assist: Carol Field Communion Assist: Gene Telschow

April 26: May 24:
Greeters: David & Laura Hoban Greeters: Pleshek Family
Acolytes: Nate Kornetzke Acolytes: Austin Barrett
Marcus Wise RJ Leithold
Lector: Rachel Barrett Lector: Jeremiah Schaefer
Ushers: Jaremy Cobble Ushers: Bill Craig
Karren Cobble Wayne Zwart
Communion Assist: Cheryl Heller Communion Assist: Roxie Ruechel

May 31:
Greeters: Heller Family
Acolytes: Jenny Kolberg
Jenna Pleshek
Lector: Brodrick Barrett
Ushers: Dave Leithold
Tara Leithold
Communion Assist: Jayne Meyer


A big thank you to all who volunteer their time and talent to assist with worship service.

What is the Sound of One Voice Laughing & Powerful Prayers of Compassion

Hi Friends,

Two new things at Gloria Dei have been receiving a lot of feedback this past week!

First, the "laughing meditation" we did during last week's Lenten worship. It's not often that I have an inter-active experiential sermon, and I think I probably made a few of you Lutherans a little nervous when commanding you to "laugh out loud," but privately a lot of you have come forward to tell me how good you felt when going home last Wednesday evening!

Not to worry - I won't be commanding you to laugh in worship again - the rest of the Lenten sermons are not experiential - but - if you would be interested in practicing some laughing for no reason with me, please join me in the Sunday school classroom at 5:15pm before Lenten Soup Supper begins. We'll laugh for 15 minutes and work up a hearty appetite! If you have a friend or family member who needs a good laugh, invite them along - they need not be Lutheran! :) You'll be doing your pastor a favor since I have to work up to laughing for 2 hours straight by synod assembly!

Second, thank you for your feedback also on the style of prayers we are trying out during the Lenten season! So many people stopped me after worship and four people called me Sunday afternoon to tell me how moved they were by that time of powerful prayers of compassion we shared together! For those of you that missed it last week, I had visited my friend's church the last Sunday I was off and saw the amazing way they were able to care and connect with one another during the prayer time. People had checked in with him before worship or during the week with their prayer requests, which they asked to be shared, and he was able to share them with the community during that time, inviting them to ask for prayers. Other people came forward with their prayer needs at that time as well, and then they had a time of silent reflection and prayer uplifting. The neat thing I discovered, and others gave feedback about, was that instead of with eyes closed and heads bowed, with the prayers fleeting by us, people were able to claim their prayer needs while looking in compassion at each other. After worship, I heard people checking in with one another about the things they had shared - whether it was a sadness or worry in their lives, or something they were celebrating, and several people shared with me that it really helped them to realize they are not the only ones going through things, and some healing was brought by engaging one another!

Thanks for your laughter, your powerful prayers of compassion and the ways you uplift each other and your minister during these anxious times!

Blessings in Christ,

PV

Spring Ahead, Laughter and Farewell Tina!!!

Hi Everyone!!! I hope you are enjoying these warmer temps (while they last) and are preparing to SPRING AHEAD tonight! Daylight Savings Time begins in the middle of the night, so worship will feel like it's at 8:00am tomorrow (well - 8:05 =), while it's actually 9:00 (9:05)! I hope to see you there! It looks like ol' man winter will try to play a trick on us tomorrow afternoon, as they're forcasting Thunder snow (?!), but we are heading towards mid-March - Spring CAN'T be far away!

I was finally able to take my lil dog Patches for a walk today. Do you know what I found amazing?! As the earth warms up, lots of things are thawing out of the ice. I saw a flower popping out of a snow patch, a picture wrapped in plastic, plastic roses, no doubt tossed from someone's decorative porch bouquet when the high winds of winter took us by surprise last November, a worn out Walmart Scrip card, so faded you could barely make out the signature smiley face and other assorted treasures. I couldn't help but smile and think - all those things frozen so suddenly by the ice and snow are finding their ways back to us as the sun melts the snow! ..

Our hearts are waking up to spring too as we plod through these Lenten days. Thanks so much to all the folks who made soups, breads and desserts for us at last weeks soup supper - it was quite the feast! Please join us any Wednesday beginning at 5:30pm and stay for worship at 7pm! We are using the lovely Holden Evening Prayer to quiet ourselves at the end of the day and reflecting about the spiritual gifts we share as a church.

We talked about laughter this week in our Lenten worship reflection time. I even tried out some "laughing yoga" with the group assembled - do you know once we started laughing, it was so contagious and very hard to stop?! Even if we were "faking it" at first, waves of real laughter began to burst forth, lifting all of our spirits! Laughter is one of the spiritual gifts I have cherished from the people of Gloria Dei and so many people commented following worship that while struggling to get through bad cases of the "Februaries" and "Marchies," it felt SO GOOD to laugh and to NAME that simple thing we can do and share every day, as a GIFT of the Spirit that transforms lives!! The synod has invited me to lead some laughing yoga workshops for this year's synod assembly, so I'll be on the look out for more opportunities to laugh with you soon!

One final note from the week - I had a chance to have lunch with Tina Checkie before she took off for National Guards basic training this past Tuesday. Tina shared with me that one of the things she cherishes most about the people of Gloria Dei, who have been such good friends to her, is the sound of your laughter. It has helped her to face life decisions and situations with strength and "a reason to smile no matter what!" I would say that's a pretty incredible gift you've given! To make you smile, we took some silly pictures together I'm attaching here!

Also, the other picture is of a sign I saw when driving to Appleton on the way to meet Tina and then go to some other work appointments. The funny think about it is, I've been listening to Jewel's song "Hands" a lot as inspiration to use my spiritual gift of laughter with people during these ever anxious times. One of my favorite lines from the song is "Poverty stole your golden shoes, it didn't steal your laughter; heartache came to visit me, but I knew it wasn't ever after..." then the song resounds and concludes with an antiphonal refrain of "In the end only kindness matters...." - and as I'm listening to this, THERE IS THE SIGN in someone's driveway! What wondrous serendipity - dare I say it's even "a sign?!" I know, I know - you're so cheesy PV (as evidenced by the cheese head pic above!)

Many blessings of kindness and laughter,

PV