From the Pastor:

Here at Gloria Dei we’ve been using the following Prayer of the Day since last August in our Sunday morning service:

Blessed Lord, you speak to us through the Holy Scriptures. Grant that we may hear, read, respect, learn, and make them our own in such a way that the enduring benefits and comfort of the word will help us grasp and hold the blessed hope of everlasting life, given us through our Savior Jesus Christ.

There's a method to my madness, you see. Ever since Ann and I left Colorado 43 years ago, my attention, indeed my passion, has been focused on the Word of God. I reveled in our study at the Lutheran Bible Institute in Seattle as I earned my bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies. I thanked God for those years of study during my seminary years for the underpinning of my faith that the Word provided me as it was challenged regularly. In 21 years within a former church body, which will remain unnamed, I chafed at the cavalier ways in which it was used, abused, and ignored, finally leading to a transition into what I not only came to believe, but felt great refreshment in finding out, a national church body which agreed with my understanding of the authority of the Scriptures, the LCMC, Lutheran Churches in Ministry for Christ.

It has been my express desire and passion to place the Word of God in the hands of the people of God in order to equip them for the work of the saints to which you, individually, and we collectively have been called and equipped. And now you know, as if you hadn’t heard it before, why I am working at concluding my active ministry with an overview of the Bible – because I want with all of my heart, mind, will, and strength to transfer to you this love for and familiarity with God’s message to you, God’s treasured children and my beloved brothers and sisters.

So, it has been my goal in the past year to place before you God’s Word in a number of ways. In small groups and Sunday morning services we have undertaken the study of the Bible, and will continue over the next months as well.

The current sermon series through the Bible began on August 7, 2022 and continues into June as well. In it we have made our way through the entire Old Testament and we are currently finishing up the Gospels before moving into the Epistles.

Paul wrote to Timothy, discipling him in his role as a young pastor to the church in Ephesus, and he said this about the Scriptures:

…as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, 15 and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14–17)

And that, my friends, is my charge to you. Continue in what you have learned, growing and maturing in the knowledge of our God, his work and his ways through your study of

the Word. Allow the washing in the water of the Word (Ephesians 5:26) to flow over and through you as you are taught, reproved, corrected and trained in the ways of God. In that way, become proficient and equipped for every good work that has been put before you by our Lord.

Ann and I love you all!

Power to you!

Pastor Pat

Current Prayers

New Prayers:

• Joe (friend of Dick and Libby) had heart valve replacement surgery and is doing well
• Amelia with knee replacement surgery and starting chemo treatments for cancer
• Be with Lacey, Grayson and Alex as they prepare to move to Southern California
• Susan Olsen recovering with covid
• Margarita and Giovanni dealing with housing issues. Keep their spirits up
• Give David peace and guidance as he awaits response to lengthy negotiations for a patented app his team has created
• Be very close to Jennie Garcia in this time of trial in her life
• Therese having a procedure done on March 20th

Grieving Families: 

Peace and comfort to the following families for the loss of their loved ones:

• Give peace and comfort to all the families that have lost loved ones in Turkey,Syria,Ukraine,Russia and other places throughout the world
• Donna and family after the passing of her sister Neita. Be especially close to her husband Glenn
• Family of Patsy Gilgreth who passed away after having lung transplant
• Passing of Claudia Gonzalez's (IMDC) mother-in-law

Prayers for those with ongoing issues:

• Irene is recovering at home after being hospitalized with pneumonia and heart issues
• Continue to be with Jeff’s friend Lisa as she struggles with mental health issues
• We lift prayers for Rosemary suffering with PMR and other arthritis issues
• Give peace and comfort to Don and Rosanna as Don is dealing with health issues
• Liz is still having cognitive problems after reaction to covid vaccine
• Give Ken and Kathy Miller direction and provision as Ken looks for a new position
• Sue (friend of Livesays) diagnosed with alzheimer’s
• Ray Heckman in rehab center
• Grace’s son Richard is back on transplant list

Prayers for continued healing after surgery:

• Jessica recovering after having mastectomy surgery
• Keep LoAnne in prayer after successful back surgery

Ongoing Empowering Prayers:

• Continue to keep the prayer thread partners, call and transition teams in prayer as the call process continues. Lift prayers for the Lord’s guidance as the call team continues in their interview process.
• Pray for our candidate Mike Thorburn who will be here to preach on March 5th

† Thank you Lord for the young and old who have been ignited by the fire of revival. May it continue to touch people around the world

To submit a prayer request:

Please contact Joyce Boddie, Gail Castle, or Pastor Pat. You may also email the church office to add people to the Prayer List.

We Pray for many whose names are not published

Then Sings My Soul: Book 2

By Robert J. Morgan

Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken

If you visit England in the future, plan to stop in quaint little Olney, home of John Newton and William Cowper. An excellent museum is dedicated to them, housed in Orchard Side, Cowper’s home on Olney’s triangular marketplace. Cowper had moved to Olney to be under the ministry of John Newton, who preached in the village church. The two became friends and would often meet in the garden between their houses for long talks. Out of their friendship came one of history’s most famous books – the Olney Hymns, first published in 1779.

Prior to his conversion, Newton had been a slave trader on the high seas, and a very wicked man. After his conversion, he became a powerful preacher, a leader in the fight against slavery, and a renowned hymnist. His most famous hymn, “Amazing Grace,” is an expression of his testimony.

This song, “Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken,” Number 60 in the Olney hymnal, is a powerful hymn about the church, which is metaphorically described here as “Zion.” It originally had five verses, built around seven biblical passages, which Newton footnoted in the original hymnal.

———————

If you hear this hymn being played in Germany, you’d better stand on your feet for you’ll be hearing the German national anthem. Franz Joseph Haydn’s majestic composition, AUSTRIA, was played for the first time on February 12, 1797, to honor the Austrian Emperor Franz Josef on his birthday. It was an immediate hit, and was almost instantly adopted as the Austrian national anthem. Thus it remained until Adolf Hitler rose to power. In 1938, when Austria was annexed into the German Third Reich during the Anschluss, Hitler not only seized Austria, but he seized AUSTRIA, adapting Haydn’s musical score as the Nazi national anthem.

After the War, the Austrian people, feeling they could no longer use Haydn’s tune as their national song because of its association with the Nazis, chose another melody. THe Germans, however, kept Haydn’s tune, AUSTRIA, as their own anthem.

As far back as 1802, however, Christians in America and Britain were using Haydn’s AUSTRIA as a hymn accompaniment, and this majestic composition is best known today as the melody for John Newton’s famous hymn about the church of Jesus Christ, “Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken.”

Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God!

PSALM 87:3

Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken

Music: Franz Joseph Haydn

Lyrics: John Newton

Glorious things of Thee are spoken,

Zion, city of our God;

He whose word cannot be broken

formed thee for His own abode;

On the Rock of Ages founded,

what can shake thy sure repose?

With salvation’s walls surrounded,

thou mayst smile at all thy foes.

See, the streams of living waters,

springing from eternal Love,

Well supply thy sons and daughters,

and all fear of want remove

Who can faint while such a river

ever flows their thirst assuage?

Grace which, like the Lord, the Giver,

never fails from age to age!

Round each habitation hovering,

see the cloud and fire appear

For a glory and a covering,

showing that the Lord is near!

Thus deriving from our banner

light by night and shade by day;

Safe they feed upon the manna

which He gives them when they pray.

Thoughts from David:

The rationale behind using this hymn in March is to represent music as a mechanism for memories. The vision of my beautiful bride that I hold dear is “Getting Started,” by Jeremy Camp. She always embraced the myriad of ideas I had in my head at all times.



Songs trigger happiness, sadness, fear, and victory. This melody by one of my favorite composers, Haydn, shows Jesus in His ultimate victory over death and the grave. As we ponder the sacrifices that are made around the world for the sake of our Savior, let us continue to share His name far and wide by word and deed. Jesus sacrificed Himself for our sake. Grace. A free gift. The ultimate price. May you be blessed this Lenten season.

Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days;

let me know how fleeting my life is.

Psalm 39:4

None of us know the exact number of our days.

Those that have bleeding disorders may know even less.

The information below came from the website:

Bleeding Disorders Awareness

Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month has been observed each March since 2016

. . . . after being designated as a national health observance by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. BDAM aims to increase awareness of inheritable blood and bleeding disorders among the public, as well as bring them to the attention of policymakers, public authorities, industry representatives, scientists, and health professionals.

Prior to BDAM, March was known “Hemophilia Awareness Month”

– a designation confirmed by President Ronald Reagan in March 1986.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, there are about 3 million people nationwide who are affected by bleeding disorders.

These disorders share the inability to form a proper blood clot. The body produces 13 clotting factors. If any of them are defective or deficient, blood clotting is affected; a mild, moderate, or severe bleeding disorder can result.

Between 30,000 and 33,000 people in the U.S. are thought to live with hemophilia. The most common bleeding disorder is von Willebrand disease (VWD), which affects about 1 in every 100 people. Both hemophilia and VWD are classified as rare diseases.

Symptoms can include extended bleeding after injury, surgery, trauma, or menstruation. Sometimes the bleeding is spontaneous, without a known or identifiable cause. Improper clotting can be caused by defects in blood components such as platelets and/or clotting proteins, also called clotting factors. Symptoms of a disorder may include:

• Frequent or prolonged bleeding
• Excessive bruising
• Prolonged, heavy menstrual periods (menorrhagia)
• Unexplained nosebleeds
• Extended bleeding after minor cuts, blood draws or vaccinations, minor surgery, or dental procedures

Donna

This year the month of March offers these health topic observances:

Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month • Juvenile Arthritis Month • Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month • National Brain Injury Awareness Month • National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Montn • National Kidney Month • National Endometriosis Awareness Month • National Nutrition Month • Save Your Vision Month

The Leadership Team met on February 21, 2023

The Holidays are Upon Us

As we enter the season of Lent, we continue to actively seek God’s vision for our Church

Here are some of the highlights of the current activities around campus:

ELC– Every day, the ELC continues daily activities of fun and learning for its young students. An “Easter Basket” fundraiser is being planned for April. More news to come.

The ELC will also be having an Easter event on Wednesday of Holy Week. Watch your weekly bulletin for details.

Lord’s Pantry– Activity is high at the Pantry, as we continue to supply food to more of our neighbors. Donation items are needed for our Homeless Program. We are in need of canned goods with pop-tops, individual sized snack bars, small bottles of hand sanitizer, single toothbrushes, travel size toothpaste, shampoos and lotions. These may be dropped off at the Pantry during business hours, or brought in on Sunday to the bins in the back by the entrance doors. Please keep the Pantry in your prayers.

Care Ministry– Our Care Team continues to be very active. Nearly 90 clients were served in January. Each month, the Team reaches out to our members and the community through informal visits at church, home visits, Hospital and Convalescent home visits and assistance with transportation. Donna continues to create Health Ministry Corner articles, which are sent out by Constant Contact each week and a monthly Messenger article.

Worship Activities– Attendance at worship on Sundays at 9:30 AM continues growing and we’re starting to see some new faces, too. Online worship, either by live-streaming the service at 9:30 am Sunday, or later by Facebook or You Tube from the church’s website. Is going strong, too. We continue to do bi-monthly communion (in person) on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month.

Announcement of Upcoming Activities: Ash Wednesday- [was] 2/22 7pm | Preschool Event- Wednesday 4/5/ TBD | Maundy Thursday- 4/6 7pm (with communion) | Good Friday- 4/7 7pm | Easter Sunday (brunch to follow) 9:30am

“Coffee Hour” continues each week. Coffee is always available but individuals provide the cookies, coffeecake, donuts, etc. If no one signs up, things get a little sparse. Please sign up to host a Sunday on the list next to the coffee center. Flowers really brighten up our service. Please consider bringing flowers (you take them home after the service) and sign up on the Flower Chart in the Narthex.

GDLC Finances/Budget– Contributions in January are strong, and we thank you for your continuing support. Our goal for 2023 is to pay off our Forward in Faith loan by June. We have a current balance of $32,000. If you are able to help us reduce this amount, please send your check and mark it for Forward in Faith. Our Treasurer, Barbara McCalment can answer any questions on the best way to give online. As always, members are encouraged to use the “digital” platforms to make their tithes and offerings. If you need help with any of the plans, feel free to contact Ernie Moore, who can help. A QR code is now available to make online giving easier.

Call and Transition Team Activities– Again this month, the Call Team and Transition are busy with activities in preparation for Pastor Pat’s retirement.

Pastor Mike Thornburn, our second candidate will be onsite here in San Jose to meet with us, answer questions and lead Sunday worship on March 5th.

More Appreciation Activities will be held in the next few months to thank all who work so hard for God’s glory at Gloria Dei.

A Retirement Party is being planned for Pat and Ann in mid June.

A “Save the Date” has gone out. Keep WATCH for future emails with greater detail.

Watch your bulletin, Messenger and Constant Contact messages for upcoming events.