St. John Lutheran Church Newsletter

16 Great Rd., Sudbury, Ma 01776 978-443-8350

www.stjohnsudburyma.org

February 8, 2024

Sharing Our Blessings Through Service

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WEEKLY READINGS

CHURCH CALENDAR

With Gratitude and Appreciation

It is with deep gratitude and appreciation and sadness that we bid farewell and Godspeed to John Pearson and Pat Brown on January 21st as they have moved to Venice, Florida. We were truly blessed as a congregation when John and Pat joined St John nearly 20 years ago.

John served on the council with finance, and as Chair of Stewardship and then Outreach. His contributions were invaluable and his steady, calm, and knowledgeable voice is a model for dedication and caring. John also sang tenor in the choir and will be sorely missed by choir members.

Pat served on the council as a Member at Large and then as Secretary Her timely and accurate minutes were exemplary. Pat served on worship and music for many years and was a extraordinary altar guild chair. There are many tasks behind the scenes of managing the altar guild including the care for altar linens and the altar area, making certain that all supplies are available, ordering and managing flowers, and coordinating the members of the altar guild so that each service is assigned. Altar guild members greatly appreciated Pat's organizational skills and her support for altar guild members. We have very much missed her leadership as the altar guild chair. Pat also was a member of the bell choir, and her position will be challenging to fill. In addition to her St John responsibilities, Pat served the town of Sudbury as a Selectperson for several years.

As a congregation we are so blessed that they chose St John as their home congregation and served alongside us for so many years. We WILL MISS THEM but wish them well as they venture forward.

You may contact the office if you would like their new address.

From the Pastor

Dreams & Visions

The band Lost & Found was a mainstay of Lutheran youth ministry events for over thirty years. Songs like Lions, Post-Serial Christmas Song, and Baby (which got actual radio play) were influential in my own faith and discernment of what it means to follow Jesus. Their song Reflection even made its way into our contemporary service at my first congregation.

CHORUS

Let my life be a reflection

Of the love that you have shown

Let your love be my direction

And my heart be your home.

Until the trumpet sounds and the heavens part

Til the moon is red and the sky is dark

Til the heavens shake and the mountains quake

And the stones cry out your name

Till the hills are sweet and filled with cream

And 'til young ones see and the old ones dream

The angel flies, the sleeping rise,

and the mysteries are plain.

CHORUS

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things unseen, to paraphrase Hebrews 11. While assurance and conviction are important pillars of faith, this song brings up another important model of faith, openness to God’s present calling. Aside from being a great song with a folksy beat and strong roots in the witness of scripture, it captures the fact that faith is an aspirational practice much more than it is an intellectual or confessional assent. Faith is what we strive for, and lean into for support. Faith is what we seek out when times are tough. Faith is aspirational by its very nature, ambitious by virtue of the fact that we’re attempting to live out the fulness of our own calling as a community and as individuals.

These last few years, my most precise definition of faith is a posture of openness to God and God’s possibilities. This posture of openness permeates Scripture. The bush burned for Moses’ benefit, but Moses might have walked by if his heart was as hard as Pharaoh’s. Matthew 19’s Rich Young Ruler received essentially the same invitation as Peter and Andrew, or James and John. Yet because he was comfortable in his postures of privilege and being somewhat combative, it wasn’t possible for him to achieve their openness.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which is February 14 this year. I love that it falls on Valentine’s Day because it outlines one of the most fundamental cultural struggles throughout scripture. God invites us into loving relationship with God, ourselves, and each other. This is the strongest biblical narrative, coupled with the fact that our response is defined by our willingness to settle for the happiness of the moment rather than strive towards joy in our hearts.

This year as we ponder our Lenten devotion, I encourage us to think carefully about what God’s call means for St. John. Think about what this calling means for the ministries you care about and the people you know. Think about how approaching them with a posture of openness to God’s possibilities might transform our efforts together and as individuals.

Ponder with me, what does it mean to be open to God?

Grace & Peace,

PEW

Staff Appreciation to St. John Members

Events and Opportunities at St. John

Thank you for filling all our squares! You helped us raise $1,000 for our local food pantries, which St. John’s Outreach will match for a total of $2,000!

St. John will once again be celebrating Girl Scout Sunday on Sunday, March 10^th. Girl Scouts will assist with worship and connect their faith with the Girl Scout Promise.

““The motivating force in Girl Scouting is spiritual.” - Preamble, Constitution of Girl Scouts of the USA.

Girl Scout Sunday celebrates the powerful ties between Girl Scouting and faith. Girl Scouts are encouraged to connect their faith to the Girl Scout Law and earn the religious recognitions of their faith. Let’s honor the Girl Scouts and adult volunteers who give their time and talents in service of others!”

- Girl Scouts Celebrate Faith, girlscouts.org/faith

We would love to have current and former Girl Scouts serve as worship assistants during the service. Please contact Laura Kennedy at Kennedy.LKK@gmail.com if you would like to participate. Thank you!

It’s time to sign up for Easter flowers!

The sanctuary looks and smells so lovely on Easter morning thanks to these special offerings. As always, you may designate whether you want to dedicate your flowers in memory or in honor of a loved one.

The cost for the flowers this year will be $15.00 per plant. You are welcome to take them home and plant the bulbs in your home garden after Easter! Please make a note on your payment “Easter Flowers.”

¨ You may complete your sponsorship by using the special blue envelopes in the pews and place it in the offering plate. Please indicate how many plants and include your dedication as well.
¨ You may also complete the bottom portion of this announcement, attach a check, and leave it in Tracy’s mailbox.

Please be sure to provide your family name as well on your dedication. The deadline is March 26th.

In honor of: ______________________________

In memory of:______________________________

Given by:__________________________________ Phone________________

Please print clearly.

Outreach Update and Opportunities

Adopt a Devotional Book for McLean Hospital

Pastor Angelika Zollfrank, McLean Hospital chaplain, is asking if we at St. John can help out her clients with devotional books:

“As you can imagine, the people we serve are mostly unable to process what is happening in the world right now. We all are to an extent! That makes our patients particularly vulnerable. Devotionals and daily reflections help center folks.”

Here are the books Angelika requested, along with prices as of 2/2/24:

The Book Of Awakening (Mark Nepo). On Amazon. $14.89
The Language of Letting Go (Melanie Beattie). On Amazon. $13.59
Prayers for Healing (Maggie Oman Shannon). On Amazon. $13.29
Prayer Journal for Women. 52 Week Scripture, Devotional & Guided Prayer Journal (Shannon Roberts). On Amazon. $9.95
Spirituality of Imperfection (Ernest Kurtz). On Amazon. $12.39
Glad Day Daily Affirmations: Daily Meditations for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender People (Joan Larkin). On Amazon. $14.13

If you can help out, please use the Sign-up Genius as Angelika could use multiple copies of each and that will help us to keep track of which books have been bought and which are still needed. Click here for Sign-up Genius link.

Books can be sent directly to St. John from Amazon, or folks can bring books in and drop them in the box in the lounge area. Thank you!

DIAPER DRIVE

The Diaper Drive is continuing, and we share the best pricing found so far. Parents find these recurring costs overwhelming. If you are on the hunt for diapers to donate to our shelters and want to stretch your dollars, consider the retailers and their unit costs, on selected sizes, below:

Walmart (Parent’s Choice private brand)

#3: 13.9¢ per diaper in boxes costing about $18

#4: 15.1¢

#5: 18.2¢

Costco (Kirkland private brand)

#3: 20.3¢ per diaper in boxes costing about $45

#4: 22.7¢

#5: 26.8¢

Smaller and larger diaper sizes will follow these trends. Some sizes 1 and 2, and many size #6’s are also needed.

Name brands such as Pampers, Huggies and other higher cost retail locations were not priced but are universally more expensive. So, if you are considering a contribution, look in these places. So far, we have found Walmart to be the best value. Should you find better values, perhaps at other warehouse clubs or discount outlets, please inform any member of Outreach so that we may communicate these bargains to all.

Outreach Opportunity at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Acton

St. John members will be assisting is serving supper at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Acton on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. We are in need of 6-8 volunteers (16 years old + unless a parent or supervisor is involved) to serve the meals to guests. There are no setup or cleanup duties. The time is 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Guests are seated around 4:15 pm. All volunteers and guests are required to be fully vaccinated. Masks are at the discretion of the servers. Please email Christine Barilone at rbarilone@hotmail.com if you’re interested in volunteering or have questions.

Thank you!

Housing Crises Around Us

Our Ministry to the community is influenced by the housing crisis in our area and beyond. Ascentria (formerly Lutheran Social Services) is focused on relocation of immigrants in Worcester, Springfield and Concord, NH. Additionally, St. John has long supported Family Promise in Metrowest which provides transitional housing assistance to family groups in temporary need. CLICK HERE for the full article.

Youth and Family Ministries

FAMILIES,

On SATURDAY, MARCH 16TH, 3-5 PM

we will turn Heritage Hall into a Beach—of sorts. We will turn up the heat and enjoy sand and water tables, beach crafts and games, & summertime food. Wear your favorite beach clothes or bathing suits and bring a beach towel. If you have a favorite beach snack you would like to share, please let Michelle know.

PLAN TO JOIN THE FUN!

AND BRING A FRIEND!

RSVP to Michelle Rose at mrose@stjohnsudbury.org or 508-320-7245.

LENTEN CARDS FOR FAMILIES

Lenten cards sets will be available to families starting on February 11th in the narthex. The cards provide a daily devotional activity for each day of Lent that will take just a few minutes with the goal of preparing our hearts and minds for the resurrection of Jesus on Easter.

CONFIRMATION CONNECTION

We finished up our study of what is means to be Lutheran with a focus on the Apostles’ Creed. We discussed when it was written, who was involved, and why it was written. And, we tested our familiarity with the Creed, and we know every single word!

We also explored each article of the Creed. We considered Martin Luther’s thoughts and shared bible verses that related to each article. With Pastor Eric’s guidance, we identified a verb for each “person” of God: God the Father creates, God the Son invites, and God the Holy Spirit inspires.

We also worked a round of Telestrations into our lessons and a snowball distance throwing contest. Ethan had the biggest arm—even beating out all the grown-ups!

Next up: How does my Lutheran faith compare with other Christian faiths?

Senior Ministry

SENIORS POTLUCK LUNCH

FEBRUARY 13, 2024, AT NOON

ST. JOHN HERITAGE HALL

Please join us for our February Seniors potluck lunch as we gather together to share the blessings of food and fellowship.

We would like to have some people bring salads or main dishes to balance out our usual good supply of desserts.

Please contact Royce Fuller at 978-897-8397 or royceaf11@gmail.com, to let us know you are coming and what you plan to bring. Beverages will be provided.

Special Birthdays

Senior Ministry has a long-standing practice of honoring our members when they reach certain milestone ages. We celebrate and recognize people, starting with their 80th birthday, and every 5 years thereafter. The recognition is usually a brief overview of the individual's life with St. John, followed by the congregation singing happy birthday and finally a cake in the lounge after the service. A recent birthday celebration was for Bob May, on January 21, in honor of his 80th birthday.

Seniorcise

Our Flamingo Flock warmed up a chilly New England day with a Beach Party Seniorcise class this past Monday. We were sure we could hear the tropical breeze blowing through our palm tree and the waves lapping at the shore while we added some beachy moves to our workout!

Social Justice

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

February is Black History month. This month-long observance was first recognized by President Gerald Ford in 1976.

It originally began in 1926 when historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) declared the second week of February as “Negro History Week”. The week was chosen because of the close proximity of Abraham Lincoln (2/12) and Frederick Douglass’ (2/14) birthdays. Carter G. Woodson believed that the teaching of Black History was essential to ensure the intellectual and physical survival of Blacks in US society. Read full article here .

DIVERSITY LIBRARY DEBUTS

This month we are debuting our diversity library aimed at our more mature readers. These books provide a more in depth look at the diverse communities among us and some of the challenges and social justice issues that confront us. We are starting with a handful of books that have been donated by members of the congregation.

With this additional library we work to fulfil a part of our welcoming

statement:

“We trust that God intends to enrich our community through a deepening embrace of diversity and a unifying faith that transcends our differences. As we are freely loved and accepted by God, we will offer love and acceptance to all.”

Social Justice Ministry

Join Calumet and the synod's AntiRacism Advisory Board for our next book discussion February 27 or 28.

The book is readily available for purchase in a variety of formats, hard and soft cover, audio and ebook versions (as well as at your local library). You may sign by following the link below.

Click Here for Link

Worship and Music

PURPOSE OF WORSHIP

Worship is our adoring response to the eternal God; it is the central and unique act of the church. Without it there would be no church. Worship is what identifies the church as the church.

To worship is to stand in awe in the presence of the Almighty—it is to “be still, and know that I am God,” and it is also to sing with profound reverence “Glory to God in the highest!” Worship is what identifies us as the church. In worship we celebrate the saving acts of God. We gather in church to remember all that our God has done for His people.

Since the fourth century when the Emperor Constantine built basilicas in Bethlehem and Jerusalem, Christians have constructed church buildings as meeting paces between God and man. While God is everywhere and always present, He is present most fully and most powerfully in worship.

In the presence of the almighty God, we feel reverence, a deep feeling of awe and respect and thanksgiving. Our reverence is expressed in the way we speak and act, in how we handle the things of worship and care for the altar, in our attitude toward our fellow servants of the liturgy, and in our worship and prayer.

Excerpt from the Altar Guild Instruction Manual created by former Altar Guild Chair, Virginia Soderling as a personal act of faith.

Liturgical Space

Church buildings usually have three main divisions of liturgical space: narthex, nave, and chancel. To see full article click below.

Full Article Here

Sunday Morning Altar Flowers

The altar flower schedule is up for 2024. Please consider adorning the altar in honor of a loved one or in celebration of a special event. You are welcome to take the flowers with you after the worship service. The cost of the flowers is $55.00. Please make a note “flowers” on your check. Thank you!

ALL SAINTS' CHAPEL

All Saints' Chapel is available as a place of prayer, meditation, and worship. Click here for the full article.

COFFEE HOUR HELP NEEDED!

Please consider signing up to host coffee hour. We are always in need of goodies and people who are willing to make coffee. It would be a huge help to have a few new faces providing this much enjoyed fellowship! The sign up is on the rolling white board with the worship assistant sign-up, or you may call the church office (978-443-8350). Contact Carol Leighton for more information.

WORSHIP ASSISTANTS NEEDED!

An important and meaningful way to serve our church is by assisting with the weekly service. You can sign up on the board outside Heritage Hall.

If you would like to be on the email distribution list for requests for signups, please let the office know at office@stjohnsudbury.org. By joining this list, you will have access to the online signup as well!

Weekly/Monthly Opportunities

Seniors Monthly

Pot Luck Lunches

Watch the weekly news for upcoming dates!

Seniors on the Go book club

Meet Tuesdays at 11 am via Zoom. Watch the weekly news for details each week.

Seniorcise

2/19/24 class will be held via Zoom as the office is closed.

LEARN MORE

ZOOM Meeting to Discuss Race, Racism, and Antiracism.

Our group meets the second and fourth Thursdays of the month at 4:00 PM for informal, unstructured discussion about books, ideas, and experiences touching on race, racism, and antiracism. Please join us!

Any questions, contact Jan Nielsen at jrnielsen@charter.net

or 978-549-3044.

Stewardship

Together: Called, Sent, Serving

Giving to St. John

Giving to St. John can be done online, mail, or in person.

You can go to the St. John website: https://www.stjohnsudburyma.org and click on Give in the upper right hand corner of the screen. This will take you to our giving platform, Tithely, where you can make an account and set up recurring donations or make a one time gift.
You can mail in your donation to 16 Great Rd, Sudbury, MA 01776.
You can pass in your donation during the passing of the offering plate during service or bring it into the office during office hours (978-443-8350).

From the Office

Church Communications

For all church calendar events, Zoom requests, weekly announcements, or newsletter articles, please forward them to Tracy at office@stjohnsudbury.org. The deadline for all weekly announcements is Tuesdays by noon. The deadline for monthly newsletter articles is last day of each month. To view previous newsletters, click here.

Church Event Set-ups

If you have a church event listed on the calendar that requires a set-up or a task for our Sexton, George, you may now email that request to sexton@stjohnsudbury.org. George will also continue to check is mailbox for those who prefer to leave a note. Please be reminded that George works Mon-Wed-Fri 10-2 p.m.,and will review these requests during his work hours. Please be sure your request gives George the appropriate time to fulfill your request. Thank you!

Church Calendar

If you have an event or church meeting to add to the church calendar, please submit your request to office@stjohnsudbury.org, or call the office with your request so we can keep the church calendar up-to-date!

View Church Calendar Here

Friendly Reminder on Email/Text Scams

Always be alert to email and text SCAMS targeting churches. If you ever receive an unexpected email or text message from Pastor Eric or any of the church staff regarding donations (e.g. gift cards, financial contributions, or purchases), please do not reply, open attachments, or click on links. Instead, contact the church office immediately. Your safety and security are most important to us.