Week of March 7 eNews -- Emmanuel Lutheran Church

Week of March 7, 2021

Third Sunday in Lent

In this week's eNews...

March 9 @ 10am: Torah Tuesdays w/Donna Batchelor
March 10 @ 10am: Crafting with Jadynne via Zoom
March 10 @ 5pm: Wednesday Lenten Service
March 11 @ 10am: Thursdays Together with Pastor Hall
March 11 @ 1pm: Revelation Bible Study
March 22: Easter Flower order due
Signup is now open for Altar Flowers and Eternal Candle dedication for March-June of 2021 through the links below or contact the church office.

Registration Information

You may also register for this coming weekend as well as next weekend through our website www.emmanuel-elca.org.
When you register for worship and find your preferred service is full, please contact the office. Note: The 11am worship always has room for more!!
If you need to edit or cancel your registration, use the links provided in the email confirmation you receive when registering.

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During Lent we hear that wonderful hymn “In the Cross of Christ I Glory”. The hymn was written by John Bowing in the 1800’s and tradition states that he was governor of Hong Kong and visited nearby Macao to see the ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral which was gutted by fire in 1835. Above the ruins the church’s cross was still standing. This hymn seems fitting for our journey this Lent as we continue to navigate through the pandemic, we can know that no matter what happens the cross of Christ will still stand as a reminder of hope.

Even as much as we all would love to sing that hymn together God knows the song from our heart and hears our praise. The fourth verse reminds us in these words, “Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure, by the cross are sanctified.” The word “bane” means “a cause of great distress.” In the middle of distress, we are blessed and in the middle of pain we are given pleasure. There is so much power in the cross that reminds us of sadness, but the cross also always leads us to the joy of new life. God gives us the church to give God the glory through difficult times and in good times.

In my office I have a wall of crosses and each one of them has a unique story behind their shape and size. All the crosses were gifts to me and point to the way God gives us crosses and different meanings that tell a story and comfort us. My favorite cross is the one that is a quilt in the shape of a cross that hangs on the wall directly across from my desk. The colors are a brilliant Floridian aqua blue, and each shape reminds me of how the church gathers individually to give God the glory for all the things that God has done. May God bless your Lenten journey to the cross of Christ!

Pastor Rob

Stewardship encompasses so much more than money. It is a way of life. It calls for integration between our faith and the way that we live our lives — we are a church that is energized by lively engagement in our faith and life. Stewardship is a mindset, a culture and a discipline that can never be contained in an annual three-week financial response. According to Clarence Stoughton, former president of Wittenberg University, stewardship is everything we do after we say “I believe.” It is the way in which we use all of the resources that God has entrusted to our care so that we can love God and our neighbor. Stewardship is about love.

Shared from ELCA Stewards of Gods Love Resource

Christa Sweeney, Stewardship Chair

Vaccines for Homebound delivered by Venice Fire Dept. & New Executive Order from Gov. DeSantis

A new executive order issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis has expanded vaccine availability for people under age 65 who have prior conditions that put them at risk to the coronavirus.

The order says that physicians, advance practice registered nurses, and pharmacists can vaccinate a person deemed extremely vulnerable by their physician. With approval from a physician, people under age 65 with certain medical conditions may be able to get vaccines at pharmacies. It was not immediately clear what conditions might apply or what locations would be participating. Contact your physician if you feel you may qualify.

The City of Venice Fire Department is participating in a program to deliver COVID vaccines to individuals who cannot get to a vaccination site because of health related issues. People over 65 are getting priority but each person is evaluated by the department individually. Call 941.480.3030 to be considered for the vaccination program.

Thursdays Together with Pastor Hall

March 11th at 10am

Join via Zoom this Thursday @ 10am

March Events

March 10 @10am on Zoom

CRAFTING WITH JADYNNE

Presented by the Fellowship Committee

Jadynne Berg will teach us how to make an adorable

Lollipop Easter Bunny!

If you plan on attending, pick up a packet this weekend in the Narthex or at the church office (M-Th 8:30-12noon)

Join using the link below.

Here comes Peter Cottontail - Join us for crafting!

See the Torah Tuesday Video Showcase - Click Here

Offerings from Lenten services will help support the

Center of Christian Education in Slovakia and

Emmanuel's Children's Closet

Since we cannot have "soup suppers", pick up a new recipe card as you exit each Wednesday Lenten worship

Being the Family of God

Barb's Medical Minute

An easy stretching routine increases the ability of arteries to relax and expand—a sign of cardiovascular health by 8-30%. Doing 5 stretches for hips, knees, and ankles 5x week for 12 weeks decreased arterial stiffness in legs and arms. Benefits for people at risk of heart disease who can’t do other exercise because of mobility problems. There you go—ANYONE can do this (and should)!

In Our Prayers...

Marlys Huselid, Bill Pitman (Debi Hammett's father), and Tom Wyneken

The family and friends of Peggy Olson who mourn her passing on February 28th.

Also the family and friends of Joy Lundhal as they mourn the sudden passing of Joy's mother.

NOTE: We would appreciate if any members who have NOT returned to Florida this winter to let us know so we can be sure we have your correct address in our database. Also, those who are seasonal and here, please notify us when you return up north. Thanks.

Easter Flower Order Form

March thru June Now Available!

Click the links below to reserve your date to remember or honor a loved one or a special event by sponsoring the Altar Flowers or Eternal Candle for March-June. Please submit your dedication with payment no later than 2 weeks prior to your reserved date. If you have any questions or are unable to sign-up online, contact the office.

Eternal Candle March-June

Altar Flowers March-June

Readings for This Week

March 7th

Third Sunday of Lent

Exodus 20:1-17

Psalm 19

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

John 2:13-22

March 10th

Wednesday Lenten Service

"Mother & Brothers"

Luke 8:19-21

Jason Kozee

March 14th

Fourth Sunday of Lent

Numbers 21:4-9

Psalm 107:1-3;17-22

Ephesians 2:1-10

John 3:14-21

Remember these guidelines when coming to worship:

6 feet social distancing requirements - do not crowd pews.
Remember to wear a mask with nose and mouth covered and use the hand sanitizer available in the narthex or pews.
Please do not stop in the narthex or inside the sanctuary.
Wait for the ushers to dismiss your row. They start at the back of the sanctuary. For everyone’s safety and proper distancing, follow the ushers instructions.

Reminder: Please wear your Name Badges when attending worship so we know who you are while wearing your face masks!!! Also, please silence your cell phone out of consideration for all worshippers.

For your information...

If you are the host of a Zoom meeting, it is very important that after you "End the Meeting" you Log Out of Zoom. Click on the picture of the church in the upper right or left corner and click Log Out at the bottom of the drop down menu.

By failing to do this, you are creating problems for the next person wishing to login and host their meeting. Thanks.

As a gentle reminder to everyone, if you have been exposed to COVID in any way or are not feeling well, please follow self-management steps to ensure you are not exposing other members of our congregation. Your cooperation is very much appreciated by everyone. In addition, should you contract COVID, please notify the church office for contact tracing.

Emmanuel is currently in Stage 2 of our Reopening Roadmap. Stage 2 does allow limited activities on our Church campus; if you decide you would like to resume an allowed ministry, see Reopening Roadmap; you need to contact the Executive Committee to confirm the protocols you will be following; conforming to the Reopening Roadmap.

Want to know more about some of the items in eNews? When viewing the eNews online or on your mobile device and you see the pointing finger when running your mouse over a graphic or text, you will be able to link to more information such as a flyer, website, etc. Try it with the top picture of the church!!

Devotional/worship: Sunday Worship is posted after 8:30am to the website and the 10am service is live-streamed on FaceBook. Thursdays Together with Pastor Hall is accessible through the Zoom link above. All previous worship services are also available through our website by clicking on the Vimeo logo in the upper left corner of the posted video on the website.

Check out Emmanuel's website on the Events page to view upcoming events, Sunday's announcement PowerPoint, and pictures of recent activities as available.