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CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH

Your Weekly E-Newsletter -- Thursday, March 10, 2022

Pastor Ken's Pondering "Learning Childlike Faith Part 3"

At a recent pastor’s conference I was presented an article from an author named Patrick Borders. Mr. Borders penned an article entitled “Who is the Greatest” based on reflections on Matthew 18:3 and his two young children. Lessons of the faith at the intersection of being members of God’s household of faith and our own households. Whether or not you’ve ever had the experience of raising a child, I think Mr. Border’s insights are intuitive and helpful in assessing who we are through baptism…children of the same heavenly Father and workers with each other in the kingdom of God. For the last two weeks I’ve included portions of his article. This is the last installment. I hoped you’ve enjoyed these articles.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

This is part of Jesus's “farewell discourse” or in other words those things Jesus, according to John, said to his disciples “in the night in which he was betrayed.” Whether at the supper table that night or elsewhere does not matter – Jesus has important things to tell his followers. This passage suggests that they will not do well as his disciples (and perhaps as well in life) if they do not “remain in him” and try to be “do it all on my own/do it yourselfers.” Children are not, at least in their early years, “do it yourselfers’. They live for the moment, but they live so very dependent on what they entrust to their parents and others.

Children learn, and many cases need, to become more “adult like” because they will be adults, because that is the natural progression of human development, and because … one day their kids may rely on them. But we can learn much from our Lord’s words, and those of Mr. Borders, about the mystery and joy of simply “abiding” for a change – and therefore, I suppose, not “controlling.”

Please enjoy this last reflection from the writings of Mr. Borders:

Little children love easily. "...Let us love one another, for love comes from God." - 1 John 4:7

After her friend went home, Lauren came inside. While I sat on our recliner, she snuck up, wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek.

Lauren and Jared love their family and show affection easily. They shower Tonya and me with hugs and kisses every day. They even bounce back quickly after times of discipline or disappointment and are ready to give and receive a hearty embrace. Many adults, however, withhold affection out of fear of rejection or looking foolish. Consequently, they rob themselves and others of much-needed expressions of love.

Little children like rest. "...On the seventh day, he rested from all his work." -- Genesis 2:2

Around 3:00 p.m., Jared lay on the sofa and fell asleep. He's a big napper. Lauren has never liked napping, but she loves a long night's sleep. Neither of them desires to forego rest in order to accomplish more. But grown-ups often view down-time as unproductive and brag about how little they need. Exhaustion can interfere with their productivity, attitude and relationships. Further more, fatigue can lower resistance to temptation, and can hinder fellowship with the Lord.

Little children don't harbor anger. "'In your anger do not sin': Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry."

-- Ephesians 4:26

Later, Lauren asked, "Can I watch TV?"

"No", I said, "Jared's sleeping."

She stomped her feet. "That's not fair!" she cried, waking Jared.

After I put her into time-out, she gradually relaxed and apologized. Within a few minutes, she was skipping around and singing.

I often avoid my anger - neither facing it nor getting past it. Little children release anger and move on. They don't hold grudges. And when they are wronged, they are quick to forgive - genuinely, without keeping a record. (1 Corinthians 13:5) Adults stand to learn a lot from little ones' ready attitude of pardon and reconciliation.

Little children are easily awed. "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good."

-- Genesis 1:31

After his nap, Jared spotted four cardinals eating from our birdfeeders. Studying them, he was mesmerized by t heir colors and movements.

Because of my adult preoccupations, I frequently ignore the simple miracles around me. But God's creations - like thunderstorms and caterpillars - enthrall Jared. In fact, when I'm with him, my sense of wonder is renewed and his excitement allows me to rediscover the marvels of nature through his eyes, as if I am seeing them for the first time.

I want to be more mature in my faith. But Jesus said to become like little children - somehow this "unlearning" has to be part of the maturing process. Instead of striving to make ourselves more spiritual and more respectable in our faith, we must step back and reconsider what it truly means to follow in Jesus' footsteps. Becoming great in God's kingdom is an otherworldly process - as we get rid of our grown-up preoccupations and self-trust, we'll begin to learn true, vibrant faith.

I wish you a very pleasant day,

Pastor Ken Nelson

Source: "In Touch", February 2005.

Don't forget to set your clocks AHEAD one hour on Saturday night!

Midweek Lenten Services & Prayer Group

Wednesday Midweek Lenten services will be held at 7:00 p.m. beginning on March 9th. The focus for each of the five Wednesday services will be on the Ten Commandments. We hope you will join us for these reflective and meaningful midweek services as we prepare for Easter.

Join Marcella Nelson on Thursdays at 8:45 a.m. in Fellowship Hall for a short time of Lenten Prayer. All are welcome!

Click Here for a Daily Lenten Devotional from the NALC

First Sunday in Lent

March 12 & 13, 2022

PRESIDING MINISTER: Pastor Ken Nelson

ASSISTING MINISTER: Larry Bonier

DEACONS:

Saturday: Terry Bzdusek
Sunday: Diane Grundman, Sue Rowe, Linda Thorpe

ACOLYTES:

Addie Meyer and Mallory Zipp

USHERS:

George and Kay Sedivec

LECTOR:

Chuck Lukasik

CHILDREN'S MESSAGE:

Megan Schatz

FELLOWSHIP TREATS:

Schatz Family

ALTAR FLOWERS:

Evelyn Ceci

ALTAR GUILD:

Jonni Roush

POWERPOINT TECH:

Saturday: Jeanette Kalupa
Sunday: Grace Gunnlaugsson

LIVESTREAM TECH:

Kyle Jones

Altar Guild Help Needed

Altar Guild is looking for members to join their team. It's an easy way to serve our congregation.

What does the Altar Guild do? They set up the elements (filling the wine cups, getting the bread from the refrigerator and placing into the basket) for weekend services and then clean up the elements after services have ended. The set-up can be done on Friday or Saturday. Deacons take care of re-setting the altar for Sunday services, and clean up can take place on Sunday afternoon or even Monday morning. Guild members serve approximately two times during a three-month period.

We can assign you to work with a partner if you prefer, or you can serve alone. If you have any questions please reach out to Jan Lukasik (clukasik@wi.rr.com) or Norene Giuliani (norenegiuliani@gmail.com). We'd love to have you join us!

Our Church Family

Malorie Harder, 3/10

Sue Rowe, 3/10

Gil Thompson, 3/11

Lucy Dallman, 3/12

Chris Morris, 3/12

Pat Corcoran, 3/15

Sue Dindorf, 3/20

Chet Elliott, 3/20

Shirley Jordan, 3/22

Ellie Sayas, 3/23

Kay Sedivec, 3/23

Kevin Wahlgren, 3/23

Ava Schlieve, 3/27

Nancy Wittmus, 3/27

Richard Kressin, 3/28

Rick Brostowitz, 3/29

Sandy Moths, 3/30

Lauren Beeson and Kyle Jones, 3/11 (10 years)

Chris and Rick Spangenberger, 3/16 (23 years)

Michele and Craig Schmidt, 3/28 (52 years)

Pat and Wayne Dieck, 3/30 (59 years)

New prayer requests: Bob Smith; Joe Dentice (father of Tony Dentice); Dick Girnau (friend of Mary Ellen Thiede)

Ongoing short-term prayer requests: Mark Trudell, Donna Schroeder; Janice Stem (sister of Evelyn Ceci); Barb Hasselbine (friend of Marcella Nelson); Jim Trainor (former Calvary member); Dwayne Hanon (BroomTree Ministries); Dennis Reich (friend of John and Mary Lau); Ray Anderson (friend of the Grossman's); Curt (friend of Larry Bonier); Pastor Mark Gehrke (son of Lois Gehrke); Barb Anderson (friend of Lisa Grossman)

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, 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: Ginny Cox; Don Heyen; Eloise Kurth; Shirley Mahn; Myrna Mavroff; Donna Polizzi; Nadine Schuelke; Ruth Young; Janet Zastrow

Non-members: Lisa Haggadone (daughter of Sallie Schulz); Taylor Czerwinski (granddaughter of Bill and Lenny Graffin); Gareth George (cousin of Judy Sayas); Joseph Franko (friend of Judy Sayas); Tom Frank (brother of Mary Ellen Thiede); Nancy Myers (friend of Judy Sayas); Paige Yeager (friend of Sallie Schulz's family); Rose Luther (friend of Nicole Moritz); Judy Grospitz; Jan Janchan (friend of Jonni Roush); 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); Marie Traxler (mother of Sue Meyer); Eric (friend of Larry Bonier); Delores Seel (mother of Keith Pierce); Larry Waldhart Jr. (Ed Ramthun's sister's stepson)

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 and Financials - March 5-6, 2022

(Does not include those who watched the livestream remotely)

Special Music Events!

We have two very special concerts coming up! We hope you can join us - bring a friend or family member!

SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2022

3:00 P.M.

"Gela and Friends Contemporary Worship Concert & Singspiration"

Returning to Calvary is the very talented Gela Ashcroft on keyboard and vocals. Accompanying her will be her daughter Anatalia on violin, saxophone, bass and acoustic guitars and percussion.

Free Concert - come and praise the Lord!

SUNDAY, APRIL 3, 2022

3:00 P.M.

"The Rescue Tour" featuring

Dave Anderson & Roger Walck

Come and hear the fantastic vocals of Dave Anderson and Roger Walck, who are representing Shepherds Canyon Retreat, one of our Mission of the Month partners.

You will be inspired by their music and stories. This concert is free to all who attend. Dave & Roger's music ministry benefits Shepherd's Canyon Retreat. A free will offering will be available.

Women's Book Group - March 14 at 12:30 p.m.

Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet seems to have the perfect life with her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. When the Nazis march into the city, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal.

Montana, 1983: Lily is a lonely teenager looking for adventure in small-town Montana. Her interest is piqued by her solitary, elderly neighbor. As Lily uncovers more about her neighbor’s mysterious past, she finds that they share a love of language, the same longings, and the same intense jealousy, never suspecting that a dark secret from the past connects them.

“A love letter to Paris, the power of books, and the beauty of intergenerational friendship” (Booklist), The Paris Library shows that extraordinary heroism can sometimes be found in the quietest places.

Monday Afternoon Movie - March 21 at 1 p.m. Media Room

Anything can happen during a weekend at New York's Waldorf-Astoria: a glamorous movie star (Ginger Rogers) meets a world-weary war correspondent (Walter Pidgeon) and mistakes him for a jewel thief; a soldier (Van Johnson) learns that without an operation he'll die and so looks for one last romance with a beautiful but ambitious stenographer (Lana Turner); a cub reporter tries to get the goods on a shady man's dealing with a foreign potentate. And it all happens in the opulent, grandiose New York landmark hotel as a sort of tongue-in-cheek take-off on the classic movie Grand Hotel. (This one is much more fun!)

This film fits right in with our book this month. It was made in 1945 and has drama, humor, romance, intrigue – and (spoiler alert) a happy ending.

Come to the media room for fellowship, snacks, and a good old black-and- white, star-studded film on Monday, March 21 at 1:00 pm.

Faith Formation

Sunday Morning Adult Study Continues

“Jesus in Me - Experiencing the Holy Spirit as a Constant Companion"

Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m.

in the Sanctuary

We are very excited to offer this opportunity to learn (or re-learn) things about the Holy Spirit, who lives in each of us – not just on Sunday mornings, but every minute of every day – “24/7” as the catch phrase of the ‘90’s would say.

We may come to realize that we have been missing some pretty powerful gifts. Have we been settling all these years for a 2/3 God? Oh, what an adventure awaits. We hope you can join us for at least a few of these sessions!

This video-based Bible study is facilitated by Pastor Ken and will be held in the Sanctuary. You do not need to sign up to attend. Copies of the study guide that accompanies this Study (while supplies last, at no cost to you) are available on the table in the Nathex. Copies of the companion book are also available in the office.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Grace Gunnlaugsson (gracemc@mac.com) or Pastor Ken (pastor@calvarylc.com).

High School Youth Night!

High School Youth Sign Up Link

Middle School Youth Sign Up Link

Pastor Ken's Weekly Bible Study

Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall

Pastor Ken's weekly Bible study is held each Wednesday from 12:30 -1:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. He will lead discussion around the Scripture lessons that will be read in worship the following weekend.

Please bring your Bibles - other materials will be provided. Copies of the text study sheets will be available on the table in the Narthex if you can't attend the Bible study, but would like to refer to it for the weekend worship.

March Mission of the Month

As you know, Calvary Lutheran Church is a congregation of the North American Lutheran Church. The NALC Disaster Response Fund provides resources for natural disaster victims in the United States.

When a disaster occurs funds are used to:

alleviate human suffering;
provide transitional assistance; and
enable those affected to begin the rebuilding process

In addition to funds received, the NALC Disaster Response team collects and distributes items that can be given out to disaster victims. To support this important Mission for the Month, you may include it in your weekly offering envelope or designate the donation for Mission of the Month in your online giving.

Men's Ministry

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

Fellowship Hall

Thursday, March 24

6:00 p.m.

Come for fellowship, food and devotion time. Dinner will be provided. Invite a friend. Social distancing will be respected and practiced; face coverings are required.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Ernie Kretschmann at kretschmann@att.net.

A few reminders ....

Hospitality Treats NEEDED!

We invite you to stay after worship on Sunday mornings and enjoy fellowship time and a treat/cup of coffee in Fellowship Hall. We are taking great care to provide safe food items for you (poured cups of coffee and plated breakfast snacks).

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 (3-4 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.

For the time being, we are asking that any donated food be something that can be easily cut and placed on individual plates for serving.

Sunday mornings at 9 a.m.

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

Sanctuary Flowers

We invite you to sign up for flowers to beautify our altar each weekend. The sign-up sheet for 2022 is 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.

Severe Weather Announcements

With winter here, 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.

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.

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.