CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH

Your Weekly E-Newsletter -- Thursday, December 8, 2022

Special Musical Guest Joins Us For Worship this Weekend!


Wisconsin-based touring artist, professional singer/song-writer, and worship leader Wendysue Fluegge will be joining us for worship on Saturday and Sunday, December 10-11, presenting "Reflections of Mary".

 

Wendysue is a pianist, guitarist and gifted vocalist with an energetic personality that will entertain and inspire you. Her contemporary songs includes touches of pop, rock, jazz, and country, and even spoken word.

  

Shehas been traveling all over the U.S. full time for over 20 years, has sung our national anthem for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks, led music for the Lutheran Women's Missionary League's national and district conventions, snagged a cover story in the women's Quarterly magazine, sung to Southwest passengers while flying over Kansas, and had her country rendition of 'How Great Thou Art' air on her local country station 106.1FM. Wendysue has recorded CD's of hymns, modern praise, and her own original songs about the challenges and triumphs of living her faith boldly as an "everyday Christian."  

Peter Thomas, electric cellist, gave a wonderful concert on Thursday, December 1st. Guests who attended the concert were treated to a wide variety of music, performed by Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra cellist Peter Thomas. Peter played classical, Christmas and soft rock music during his 90-minute concert, highlighting how he could add to the music with different technical enhancements. Who knew a cello could sound like that?!? It was a great way to start the holiday season.

Pastor Ken's Pondering This Week ....

And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.”  

Luke 2:8 RSV      




“Stille Nacht … Heilege Nacht

Silent Night, Holy Night”  



Most of you know the origins of the song “Silent Night” – perhaps the most sung Christmas carol of all.  Its words and tune convey the peace of the night – a gentle lullaby to the Savior of the world, the forgiver of its sins, “love's pure light”. Yet he was the Lord of Creation from which “glories stream from heaven afar and the heavenly hosts sing alleluia.”  The author of this poem, Father Joseph Mohr, captured the mystery of the Word made flesh testified to by John 1:14, even as he conveyed so sweetly the image of the virgin mother and child together in an embrace of mutual, almost unfathomable love.  You can probably sing this one from memory, and that is a good thing.    

 

Moreover, the setting cast by both Luke and Father Mohr expresses well the theme of light entering the darkness of our world. This is again articulated in the gospel of John 1:5, which says “the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” (NIV)   This song, Silent Night, as they say, “has it all.”    I wanted, therefore, to share with you a message I received recently from Stephanie Moser. Stephanie and her mother Patricia were the local guides for the trip some Calvary members took to Oberammergau, Germany and the Tyrol region of Austria.  I have been corresponding with Stephanie a bit of late, thanking her for her wonderful work. In one of her messages she said her village of Reith in Alpbach was preparing for Advent.  It is a predominantly Catholic region, so I asked her if the “Stille Nacht” was as popular in her area as it is in America.  This is her response … a nice hymn history, too. Stephanie wrote… 

 

"Oh yes! The song „Stille Nacht“ is quite closely related to Austria and the Tyrol and the one real Christmas carol to us:  It was the Christmas time of 1818 when in a

village of the Austrian federal state of Salzburg the organ had broken down and needed repair. So the priest, Joseph Mohr, asked the village teacher Franz Xaver Gruber to compose some music that might be played by guitar instead. The lyrics came from a poem the priest had written himself some years before. The piece was sung as a duet by the two of them on Christmas eve in the church „St.Nikola“ in Oberndorf and greatly admired by the people.

 

Now the song might never have become so popular worldwide if not for this coincidence: The man who repaired the organ was Karl Mauracher from the Ziller Valley (neighboring valley to the Alpbachtal). While repairing the organ he came across the notes to this fine

piece of music lying around and he asked if he might take it along home, where people were always eager to come across a new song. The people of the Ziller Valley were known as travelling merchants and workmen (related to the fact that the homeland and farming did not supply sufficiently). They used to visit fairs far abroad and as a kind of sales promotion they liked to add a song, a joke or a dance and of course they were neatly dressed in their traditional costumes.

 

  It so came that ordinary people of the Zillertal, like the poor Strasser family, brought the song into the world

where it quickly became famous. To America it was brought by the Rainer Singers, who travelled far abroad on their concerts after becoming famous for a performance in their home village they were asked to do as the local choir for the tsar of Russia, who was travelling through our country. 1839 they travelled to the states and sang the carol there for the first time next to the Hamilton

Monument. The translation into English followed in the 1850s.

 

  The people of the Alps have always felt very close to the Christmas story. Some say because the poor shepherds, people just like them, were the first to be guided to see the new born Savior. In the Tyrol for most people this is the most important time of the Christian

year. Its hard to believe that it will be the first Advent Sunday this week and still so much left to organize 😉

 

My mother was fond of saying “the Lord works in mysterious ways.”   How wonderful that a poem hastily cast to a guitar tune - planned as a “stop gap/one and done” song in a tiny Austrian village in 1818 - would become the most famous of all Christmas anthems.   The Lord does indeed work in mysterious ways.


I wish you a blessed Advent,


Because of a manger.



Pastor Ken Nelson

Worship Resources
Calvary's Website
Live Stream Link
NALC Daily Devotion

This Week's Reflection from Martin Luther

Beware of aspiring to such purity that you will not wish to be looked upon as a sinner, or to be one. For Christ dwells only in sinners. On this account he descended from heaven, where he dwelt among the righteous, to dwell among sinners. . . Besides, you will learn from him that just as he has received you so he has made your sins his own and has made his righteousness yours.


- Martin Luther -

(Letter to George Spenlein)

Online Resources
Note: If you give online to the Mission of the Month, your funds will be applied to the MOM recipient at the time of your gift.

See the monthly calendar by clicking on the image below.

Financial Pledges for 2023 and Year-end 2022 Contributions


If you haven't had a chance to turn in your pledge card for 2023, please drop it in the offering basket, US Mail or in the church office. If you need a pledge card or other stewardship materials, there is a supply on the table in the Narthex.


As a reminder, contributions for 2022 will need to be made by the end of the year. Any questions can be directed to Cindy Rooks, finance@calvarylc.com or (262) 786-4010.

Christmas Poinsettia Orders are due Sunday!


We invite you to help us decorate our altar this Christmas with the purchase of a poinsettia or two. Thankfully the price has remained the same as last year - $25 for a 7-1/2" pot with two plants - available in red, white or "jingle bell" (a mix of red/white with gold speckles).


Order forms can be found on the Opportunities Kiosk in the narthex or via the link below. Forms are due no later than Sunday, December 11. You can place your order in the Offering baskets or drop it off in church office.


You can also access and print a form HERE.


Advent

Holden Evening Prayer

Midweek Worship


Please join us for our Wednesday night Advent services

at 7:00 p.m. on the following dates.


December 14, December 21


 Light refreshments will be available in Fellowship Hall following the service.


We invite you to bring treats for this fellowship time - a tray of cookies, cheese and crackers, etc. Pastor Ken and Marcella will provide the beverages. The sign-up sheet is on the OPPORTUNITIES kiosk in the narthex. There are two open spots for each week.


Wendysue Fluegge

"Reflections of Mary"

December 10-11, 2022

PRESIDING MINISTER: Pastor Ken Nelson

ASSISTING MINISTER: Scott Langelin

DEACONS:

  • Saturday: Terry Bzdusek
  • Sunday: Diane Grundman, George Sedivec, Linda Thorpe

ACOLYTES:

  • Addie Meyer and Ava Morris

USHERS:

  • Keith and Karen Pierce

GREETERS:

  • Bill and Lenny Graffin, Maxine Weisbrodt, Linda Thorpe

LECTORS:

  • None needed

CHILDREN'S MESSAGE:

  • Wendysue Fluegge will incorporate this into her program

ALTAR GUILD:

  • RoJean Holler

MUSICIANS: Wendysue Fluegge

FELLOWSHIP TREATS:

  • Connor, Natalie and Madelyn Voss

ALTAR FLOWERS:

  • Schatz family in celebration of one-year cancer free

POWERPOINT TECH:

  • Saturday:  Cindy Rooks
  • Sunday:  Sue Meyer

LIVESTREAM TECH:

  • Kyle Jones

UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENTS

Harpist Janelle Lake to play on

Christmas Eve at the 10pm service


Janelle Lake plays harp professionally throughout Chicagoland and the United States. Her days are filled performing, teaching, and traveling. Performances include her positions as principal harpist of the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra since 2005 and the Southwest Symphony Orchestra since 2007 working under many batons including Dr. Alltop, David Crane, Jay Friedman, Ricardo Muti, and Cliff Colnot (Civic Orchestra). 

Memorable experiences include performing with Van Dyke Parks (song writer for the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson), playing the daily tea and demitasse at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island (audience included Rudy Guillani and Mitt Romney), and regular performances at Julius Meinl, and the Drake Hotel in Chicago (audience included President Obama).


Janelle Lake served as the Artistic Director at the Venus Harp Factory for eight years where she tested each new harp before it was sent around the world. Liz Cifani, retired Lyric Opera harpist, taught Janelle Lake at Northwestern University during her course work for Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Music Performance. Janelle recently released her first CD of French and Czech harp music titled Moonlight in a Pool.

Faith Formation

Adult Bible Study

Hark the Glad Sound - the Songs of Luke

A new adult Bible Study continues this weekend with a course facilitated by Pastor Ken Nelson. There are two opportunities during the week to participate in this study, which is described below.


Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 11, 18


Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. Dec. 14 and 21


Music has always been a part of the Advent and Christmas seasons, but you may be surprised to learn that tradition goes all the way back, thousands of years before Christ was even born. The people of God were singing the praises of God long before Christ came on the scene. The Children of Israel sang when they had safely crossed the Red Sea on dry land, escaping the approaching Egyptians. King David sang songs that would become part of the Book of Psalms. But in the time right before the birth of Christ, the number of melodies increases as the chosen participants involved in the coming of Christ prepared for his arrival.


During these seasons of Advent and Christmas, you will have the opportunity to "hard the glad sound" with Zechariah, Mary, the angels and the Church. You can join with them in singing the praises of God who sent his Son to earth to save us, echoing their melodies of repentance, remembrance, rejoicing and reconciliation. Won't you join us and sing along?

December Mission of the Month

In December we raise up a vital Mission of the Month supporting the training of pastors for service in the North American Lutheran Churches. We have been blessed to have Ben Blobaum with us this year as a pastoral intern. Ben is a graduate of the North American Lutheran Seminary in Ambridge, PA.


Why is this important? The NALC is growing and the need for pastors trained for our Synod is crucial to us and congregations like ours in the NALC. Current pastors in other Synod traditions have received training in preparation for serving in NALC congregations; however, many of those pastors are nearing retirement. The NALC has grown from 17 congregations at inception to over 500. Initially there was only one seminary in Ambridge, PA; however, due to growth and demand, the Lutheran Institute of Technology (ILT) in Brookings, SD also trains pastors for the NALC. The ILT is an online institute with undergraduate, graduate and seminary programs.


Please consider supporting NALS/ILT seminaries n their godly work. Click here to be directed to their website for more information. To support this important Mission of the Month, you may include it in your weekly offering envelope or designate the donation as "Mission of the Month" in your online giving.

Mission and Outreach


The "Mitten Trees" are in the Narthex and ready for your donations of new and gently-used mittens, gloves, scarves and hats.


All donations will be distributed to our outreach partners in the Milwaukee area.


Winter Clothing Collection


Cleaning out your closet as we transition to winter? Calvary's Mission and Outreach Committee is collecting winter coats, sweatshirts and sweaters, caps, gloves and scarves for all ages. Please put your items in the tub in the narthex. Items can be new or gently-used condition.


Thanks for helping those who are without winter clothing in the Milwaukee area.

Our Church Family

Nadine Schuelke, 12/11

Caleb Liu, 12/14

Brian Kretschmann, 12/15

Amanda Olstinski, 12/15

Bob Smith, 12/15

Ray Chesner, 12/17

Donnie Dentice, 12/17

Pat Treutelaar, 12/18

Ingrid Nelson, 12/19

Judy Sayas, 12/19

Ron Holman, 12/20

Carol Rooney, 12/20

Elton and Joanne Juno, 12/4 (36 years)

Al and Rhonda Rodriguez, 12/23 (50 years)

Ron and Jean Holman, 12/26 (69 years)

Bob and Donna Siderits, 12/26 (62 years)

Jeremy and Nicole Nowicki, 12/28 (12 years)

Ben and Amy Blobaum, 12/29 (2 years)

Rick and Carol Treadwell, 12/29 (49 years)

Ken and Amando Olstinski, 12/31 (1 year)


Ongoing short-term prayer requests:  Grace Gunnlaugsson; Jonni Roush; Doug Keddie (friend of Janet Zastrow); Susie Barnhart (friend of Megan Sayas); Pastor Tim Peterson (friend of Ken and Marcella Nelson); Torrie and her unborn daughter (cousin's daughter of Lisa Grossman); Elizabeth Stem (niece of Evelyn Ceci); Dennis Heimdahl (son-in-law of Marilyn Hermann); Julie Niederbaumer (friend of many Calvary members); Sarah Green (sister of Andy Schatz); Laura Lynn (friend of Pastor Jerry and Nancy Wittmus); Gerry Fosdal (friend of Linda Thorpe)


Serving in the Military: Dan Berger (serving in the U.S. Marines); Kevin Butler (son of Heidi Powers, serving in the U.S. Army); Ben DeYoung (son-in-law of George and Kay Sedivec, serving in the U.S. Air Force); Alex Olson (U.S. Air Force, grandchild of Ardath Olson); Kyle Pierce (son of Karen and Keith Pierce, serving in the U.S. Army); Karmen Thomas (friend of Tony and Krista Dentice serving in the U.S. Army); Nicole Wahlgren (serving in the U.S. Army National Guard); all military chaplains; and all veterans suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

 

For All Men and Women Serving: Police Officers, Firefighters, EMT's; Health Care workers and First Responders.   


Serving in the mission field: Our NALC missionaries and missionaries everywhere bringing the gospel to the ends of the Earth.


Long-term prayer list:

Calvary members:  Pat Corcoran; Ron Foster; Tom Kurtz; Beverly Lawson; Shirley Mahn; Myrna Mavroff; Donna Schroeder; Nadine Schuelke; Gloria Strei; Pat Treutelaar; Ruth Young; Janet Zastrow


Non-membersTom Bruns (brother of Carol Rooney); Lauren (granddaughter of Scott and Peggy Langelin); Isabelle George (wife of Judy Sayas' cousin); Joe Dentice (father of Tony Dentice); Mike Andrae (husband of former Calvary member Luisa Andrae); Nicole Sayas (daughter in law of Judy Sayas); Dennis Reich (friend of John and Mary Lau); Curt (friend of Larry Bonier); Pastor Mark Gehrke (son of Lois Gehrke); Barb Anderson (friend of Lisa Grossman); Gareth George (cousin of Judy Sayas); Joseph Franko (friend of Judy Sayas); Rose Luther (friend of Nicole Moritz); Judy Grospitz; Monica Barchus (niece of Ernie Kretschmann); Michael Rossa (Lucy Dallman's son); Karen (friend of Lydia Trudell); John Nielson (brother of Judy Kestly); Susan Petropoulos (sister of Wayne Johnson); Tom Dallman (husband of Lucy Dallman); Delores Seel (mother of Keith Pierce)


If you have any new prayer requests, please contact the church office at 262.786.4010 or via email to office@calvarylc.com.

Worship Attendance - December 3-4

Women's Ministry

Women’s Christmas Open House

THIS WEEKEND!


Saturday, December 10, 1:00 - 4:00 PM

Marcella Nelson’s Home

19245 McAllister Lane Unit A, Brookfield

 


Come and bring your daughters or a friend

(Non-Calvary women are also welcome)

Come when you can, leave when you must

      Stop in and have some cider or coffee with our Calvary sisters.


If you have questions or need directions,

call Marcella at 701-833-5157

nelskog@juno.com

 

A few reminders ....

Severe Weather Announcements


With winter coming, we are reminded that weather can definitely impact traveling to church. And with that, inclement weather could necessitate the cancelling of worship.


In the event this should happen, you will receive an e-mail stating that the church is closed. We will also be sharing this with WISN-TV 12 and FOX6 so that it will be included in their scrolling list and on their website of closures.


Live Stream Attendance Link

If you watch our services via the Live Stream, please take a minute to let us know. There is now a link called "Online Worship Attendance" on the page where you access each week's service.


We appreciate you taking the time to complete this each week. It helps us know that our Live Stream is being viewed and by whom. 


Thank you!

Online giving provides options! 


While cash and checks are always welcome, the “Give Online” button on the Calvary Lutheran Church website provides another option. And, with the expansion of our vendor’s software, the options are now expanded and customized. In addition to giving to the General Operating Fund, Building Fund and Mission of the Month, you can now specify contributions for Altar Flowers, Sunday Morning Fellowship Treats, etc. 

We can also include other limited-time event payments such as the Disaster Response Training and the WI & Upper MI Mission District Convocation being held at Calvary on October 28 and 29. 


Please note that contributions to the Mission of the Month are allocated to the organization for the month in which the donation is made


If you have any questions, please contact Cindy Rooks, Finance Secretary, via email at finance@calvarylc.com or (262) 786-4010.  


Online Giving Link

Hospitality Treat Sponsors

Are Needed!

We invite you to stay after worship on Sunday mornings and enjoy fellowship time and a treat/cup of coffee in Fellowship Hall.


If you'd like to provide treats (donuts, bagels, etc.) for Sunday hospitality time, there is a sheet on the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall. You may bring the treats (six dozen) and drop them off in the kitchen, or simply add a “P” behind your name, pay $30 to the church office and the treats will be purchased for you. 


The sign up sheet for 2023 has been posted on the bulletin board.  Thank you for your support!

Weekly Men's Breakfast Wednesdays at 7 a.m.
Maxim's Restaurant
18025 W. Capitol Drive
Brookfield

The restaurant seating has been reconfigured in compliance with social distancing requirements.

All men are invited to attend!

Monthly Men's Gathering 


Thursday, December 15

6 p.m.

Fellowship Hall


If you have any questions, please reach out to Mark Trudell at mtrudell@reagan.com.


Church Directory Is Available

The Calvary Church Directory is available electronically or in paper format. If you'd like an electronic copy, please send an email to communications@calvarylc.com requesting it.

There are also printed copies available in the church office.


Any corrections or updates should be submitted to

Cindy Zilske at office@calvarylc.com.

Facing tough times? Need a Christian Friend?
Stephen Ministry is here to help. Free, just like God's love.

Stephen Ministers are congregation members trained by Stephen Leaders to offer high-quality, one-to-one Christian care to people going through tough times. A Stephen Minister usually provides care to one person at a time, meeting with that person once a week for about an hour. 

If you, or someone you know, could benefit from this important ministry, please contact Scott or Peggy Langelin at 262.853.0018.


Sunday mornings at 9 a.m.


The link to the Live Stream is available on the home page at www.calvarylc.com


If you watch the livestream service, please take a moment to log your presence via the link that is available above the livestream link.

Sanctuary Flowers


We invite you to sign up for flowers to beautify our altar each weekend.


The sign-up sheet for 2023 is now posted on the bulletin board in the Narthex.



Flowers are $35 and you may take them home following the 9 a.m. worship on Sunday morning. If you'd prefer, you can leave the flowers at church to be enjoyed by the office staff.

The right side of the Sanctuary (as you face the altar) is equipped with a hearing loop system which transmits an audio signal directly into a hearing aid via a magnetic field. This greatly reduces background noise, competing sounds, reverberation and other acoustic distortions that reduce clarity of sound.

Most hearing aids are equipped with a t-coil and connecting to this system is an easy switch on the hearing aid. If you need assistance during worship with this system, please reach out to an usher or any staff member.
The church office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until noon. The door that is closest to the office (NW corner) will be open during those hours.

Please check in with the office staff so we know you are in the building.


The office phone number is (262) 786-4010. Feel free to leave a message if you call after hours and we will contact you the next day.
CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH www.calvarylc.com
Regular office hours are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - noon 262.786.4010
Questions or comments? Email Sue Rowe at communications@calvarylc.com