Happenings September 13, 2019

Last Sunday, the gospel lesson in which Jesus said, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26 NRSV) demanded attention.  A comment as strong as that needs to be addressed.  It needs to be unpacked.  It needs to be talked about.  I was tempted to preach on one of the other scriptures but chose to accept the challenge of addressing Jesus’ potentially problematic words. 

And I am glad I did, because on the way out someone told me they attended another church the night before and heard another pastor/priest preach on the same scripture and very quickly commented on the similarities in our messages.  I was pleased, because it suggests that we both did our homework and were likely faithful to the intended message of the scripture.  Preachers engage in the process of exegesis which is the process of trying to extract the proper and intended message of the scripture.  This is opposed to eisegesis which is the imparting of a meaning into the scripture or using the scripture to say what we want it to say. 

Now the reason I offer this is because I get a little excited when folks compare the worship and sermons of different preachers and Churches.  This is one of the reasons why I use the lectionary as the scriptural guide for our worship.  I think it is neat when pastors from different churches around town all preach on the same lesson(s).  It makes for interesting conversations. 

And so, I would invite you to listen to Rev. John Dorhauer’s latest installment of the “Into the Mystic,” his weekly podcast.  Rev. Dorhauer is the President and General Minister of the United Church of Christ.  Most recently he was in Lancaster, PA at the seminary I attended and, in his podcast, speaks about the Mercersburg Movement and the ways in which United Church of Christ congregation’s worship.  Here is a link to the short podcast.

https://www.ucc.org/into_the_mystic_mercersburg

If you did not already know, there are great variations and a wide variety of liturgical traditions within our denomination.  Worship, and theology, from one congregation to the next are seldom identical.  Rev. Dorhauer’s podcast puts this in a wonderful perspective.  Please take a moment and listen to his thoughts. 

Scripture

     Exodus 32:7-14

     I Timothy 1:12-17

     Luke 15:1-10

Pastor Dale

THIS SUNDAY’S LEADERSHIP TEAM:

Presiding:  The Rev. Dale Krotee

Music Director and Organist: J. Curtis White

Immanuel Church Chancel Choir

Pianist:   Lynne Breil, Tina Lyte        

Acolyte:  Elizabeth Krotee

Ushers:  Bill & Kim Bair, Carole Segar, Ashton Elzey

Nursery Staff:  Stephanie Dixon

Nursery Assistant: Diana Krotee

Sound System:  Jack Breil, Keith Malkus, Tom Wilkison

This Week at Immanuel:  (Office hours  M-F, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.)

    Today           9:00am                   Sunday School

                         9:15-11:30am         Nursery Care

                         10:00am                 Worship 

                         11:15am                 Welcome Back from Summer lunch

     Tuesday      12-1 pm                  Bible Study   

     Thursday      6:30pm                  Choir Practice

     Friday         4:30-7pm                 Spaghetti Dinner

BIBLE STUDY:  We will be discussing the book “Faith Is The Answer, But What Are The Questions?” by James Moore.  Come join us for soup and study starting Tuesday, September 10 – December 17, 2019 from 12noon to 1pm.  Books are available from the office at Immanuel.  Please RSVP Donna Campbell 443-521-0112 or luth4502@gmail.com or Claudia McDonald 410-463-4055 or mcgingermud@aol.com.

WELCOME BACK LUNCHEON: Summer, vacations with family and friends are all coming to a close.  Take a break from the rush of getting the kids settled back into the school year and enjoy a “welcome back” covered dish luncheon following worship on Sunday, September 15th in Fellowship Hall.  The Hospitality Committee will provide the meat/main course for the lunch—just bring either a side dish or dessert to share with others.  You can enjoy both good fellowship and learn about the trips and fun enjoyed by others during lunch.  You’ll have plenty of time to enjoy lunch and still get to see the “kick-off” of your favorite football team.

CHRISTMAS IN SEPTEMBER:  We will again enjoy our “Christmas in September Snowman Pre-Sale” on September 15th (third Sunday of the month).  Diane Murphy will bring a few of her new “snowmen” for your viewing and advance ordering.  These items, will also be available for sale at the Holiday Bazaar on November 23rd (4th Saturday of the month and the Saturday prior to Thanksgiving).  As has been the practice for the past several years, she will take orders for the items on display and they will be delivered prior to the Bazaar.  Since she only makes a limited number of each “snowman” for the Bazaar, this allows you to order as many as you want of any given item.  All sales from the “pre-sale” and “Bazaar” will be donated to the Church needs.

SPAGHETTI DINNER:  Friday, September 20, 4:30-7:00pm. Desserts will be needed.  Sign-up sheet is available in the Narthex.

PRE-PAID FUEL 2019-2020: This is just a reminder that cold weather is just around the corner and the need to keep our church building warm this winter is always a challenge.   Getting help with this expense via our pre-paid fuel account is a big help in meeting our financial obligations.  Our goal this year is $10,000.  Can you help?

COLD WEATHER SHELTER Pit Beef Lunch – Thursday, Sept. 19th from 11am until about 2pm (or until sold out).  Westbound Rt. 50 at Maryland Avenue.  Cost: $8.00 (sandwich, chips & drink).

Janice Haller, Church Secretary