church in the woods
TRANSCRIPT
Faith Lutheran Church, Swanburg
10973 County Rd.1,
Pine River, MN 56474
Address Service Requested
2018
Sunday, March 11.
Set your clocks ahead 1 hour
On Saturday night, March 10
"We Serve God by Serving Others"
CHURCH in the WOODS Newsletter
Catch the Spirit, come worship with us!
Faith Lutheran Church, Swanburg
10973 Co, Rd, 1
Pine River MN 56474
Church (218) 543-4878
email: [email protected]
Web Site: www.faithswanburg.com
Web Master: Loni Porta
Editor: Janis Allen
For Prayer Chain call 218.543.6339
This is an education and awareness campaign
launched by the Department of Homeland
Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance.
The goal of this effort is to teach the American
public (in other words, you!) the importance of
cyber security and to provide resources that help to
protect them from online threats. To kick off the
month, here are six simple steps to online safety:
1. Make your passwords/passphrases strong
You can increase the strength of a passphrase
greatly by making it 14 or more characters long and
using four different character types (upper and
lowercase letters, numbers, & symbols). Never
include things that are easy to guess, such as names
of people you know, dates of significance, or
phrases from pop culture.
2. Use additional authentication
When available, use another level of authentication
beyond your user name and password. An example
is a one-time PIN that gets sent via text to your
phone. When this is enabled, someone can only gain
access to your online accounts by having your login
information and your phone.
3. Limit what you share
There are obvious things you know not to share
online, such as account numbers, passwords, and
your Social Security Number. Be sure you also
protect information that can be used by burglars
(address, vacation plans) and hackers (full name and
date of birth).
4. Be familiar with your privacy and security
settings
Many social media sites default to sharing as much
information as possible. Take the time to understand
what’s being shared and with whom, and adjust
your settings to limit the sharing of personal
information with as few people as possible.
5. Keep antivirus and all other software
(especially your operating system) updated
If it’s a work device, reboot regularly and leave it
on the network for 30 minutes or more to maintain
current updates. If it’s your personal device, know
what software you have installed and the update
settings (most offer the option to update
automatically or prompt for updates). If your
software prompts you for an update, be sure to do
so.
Some of the biggest security breaches in recent
history could have been prevented with proper
updates and patches!
6. Think/Confirm before you connect
Always double-check the exact name and login
credentials for a network before connecting.
Criminals often create hotspots with a name similar
to legitimate ones in the hope that you’ll connect
and access sensitive information for them to
intercept. Don’t use networks that aren’t secured
with a passcode, and never do online banking or
other sensitive personal business on ANY public
network/hotspot.
Rewoven
After Jen Hatmaker’s dog shredded an heirloom
baby blanket, she piled up the dirty yarn and asked
her mother-in-law to somehow reassemble the
original. In Of Mess and Moxie (Nelson Books),
Hatmaker explains how this is a picture of God’s
sovereign work.
When our lives are tattered by sin and suffering,
God doesn’t start from scratch or create a replica.
Instead, he uses the original threads to reweave a
stronger version and to restore beauty.
(Interestingly, when Joseph tells his brothers in
Genesis 50:20 [ESV], “You meant evil against me,
but God meant it for good,” the word meant is
Hebrew for wove.)
“Nothing bears a better witness than watching God
resurrect someone’s life,” writes Hatmaker. “That is
a God who folks want to know, a God worth his
glory.”
Church Needs List:
Cold cups
Decaf coffee
3
Please continue to pray for these persons who have
ongoing health problems: Pat Welf, Don Peterson,
Brian Busby, Bub Moser, Carol Carlson, and
Dave Bollie.
Dave Bollie found out that his cancer has spread to
his lymph glands. Please keep him and Donna in
your thoughts and prayers.
Anniversaries March
02 –Tracy & Danette Raph
Treasurer’s Report: January 1-31 2018
General fund Income: $2,388.41
General fund Expenses: $1,941.36
$ 477.05
Birthdays March
03—Suzie Redding
05 – Beth Peterson
11 – Carol Moser
11 – Ben Murrer
15 – Shawn Adkins
16 – Jaime Erickson
17 – Jerry Welf
17 – Karli Peterson
18 – Emily Weber
20 – Jim Erickson
22 – Patty Anderson
23 – Colleen Sheehan
26 – Alisha Stinar
27 – Danette Raph
28 – Arlyn Carlson
28 – Amy (Sheffield) Anderson
28 – Brad Nelson
28 – Molly Porta
28 – Trevor Redding
30 – Dana Baker
We express our Christian sympathies to the family
of David Satherlie who passed away on January
28, at Essentia Health, St. Josephs Medical Center
in Brainerd. David had been in and out of Intensive
Care since his kidney stone surgery at the beginning
of January. He was baptized, confirmed and married
at Faith, and was a lector and member of the choir
when his health failed. He was also studying to be a
Lay Minister. He is now free of pain and can move
again after 3 years 9 months and 11 days in the
Good Samaritan Home in Pine River. “Blessed are
they that mourn for they shall be comforted.”
The choir is working diligently on our Easter music.
We've got lovely songs for the service on Maundy
Thursday and the Good Friday service is always so
meaningful. I hope you'll put these services in your
schedule for Holy Week. Easter Sunday has so
much more meaning when you include them.
We need an alto badly. Anyone listening out
there?? We can sing four part harmony if we have
sopranos, altos, tenors and basses. But we lost our
alto section recently and would really like some
volunteers. Please come and give it a try. It's only
one hour a week rehearsals and singing in church
two Sundays a month. And it's fun, so why not give
it a try?
See you in church!
In harmony,
JMB
4
Faith Lutheran Church
Council Meeting
January 21, 2018
President Loni Porta called the meeting to order at
11:00 A.M. Also present were council members:
Tracy Raph, Art Feierabend, Bill Korman, Bob
Bergman, Bonnie Schlapkohl, Secretary Bunny
Geiger and our area Bishop Aiken. The meeting
began with an opening prayer.
The agenda was presented for approval. Last month
an addition was added to the agenda concerning
Christmas tree lights, however, it never came up
during the meeting. It was mentioned that we have
them change colors after the candles are lit at the
alter. The minutes of the last meeting were also
presented for approval. Tracy made a motion to
approve them, seconded by Art. The motion carried.
Bob Bergman gave a treasurer’s report. Expenses
look high on the report as the propane bill plus the
insurance premiums were due in the same month.
There is interest in finding another propane provider
as the bills are very high. Bonnie moved to approve
the report, seconded by Bill. The motion carried by
all present.
Old Business:
• The new draft of the constitution is now out
for members to review. Comments and input
are desired at February’s meeting.
• Likewise, the social statement has been
available for member’s comments. The
council set a deadline of May 2018 to
provide input.
• The council desires to put “God’s Barnyard”
in the tickle file for October.
New Business: New business focused on our need
for a new pastor. The council was very encouraged
and heartened by the amount of suggestions and
lists of possible contacts that might fill our need.
There were also many creative suggestions on
alternative ways in which we might continue on
until we find a pastor. All these leads are being
investigated, and Loni recruited others to help her
with initial phone calls.
Other Business:
• Bill made a motion to have Loni be a
signer on our checking account. In
addition, Pastor Joan will be taken off our
Sharing & Caring account and be replaced
by Bob and Loni. Further, Pastor Joan and
Ken Anderson will be removed from all
accounts to which Bob and Loni will be
added. Bonnie seconded the motion which
passed by all.
• Loni made a motion to give a donation of
$200 to Naomi Nelson who is coming on
February 11th from Social Services. Her
motion was seconded by Art; it carried.
• Bill volunteered to look into the cost of an
ad on Channel 12. If it’s free and we
continue with it, Pastor Joan’s name will
need to be removed. The council chose to
hold off on all other donation requests for
now.
Loni volunteered to be the deacon for February. She
made a motion to adjourn, and the meeting
concluded at 12:10 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Bunny Geiger, Secretary
Brooklyn Dean is on the 9th Grade A Honor Roll in
the Pequot Lakes High School. She is also a
member of the volleyball team. Congratulations,
Brooklyn! Good job!
5
March is Minnesota Food Share Month!
In 1982, Minnesota FoodShare began its work with
a campaign advanced by congregations to restock
food shelves in the 7-county Twin Cities
Metropolitan Area. The March Campaign became a
statewide program just one year later.
The largest grassroots food and fund drive in the
state, the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign
brings together various community organizations,
businesses, and faith communities to help stock
nearly 300 food shelves statewide. To date,
Minnesota FoodShare has distributed over $17.2
million to March Campaign participating food
shelves via its Food Fund.
Minnesota FoodShare envisions a Minnesota where
all residents have access to healthy food and no one
struggles with food insecurity. The March
Campaign addresses these issues directly and we
invite you to join our efforts and advocate for long-
term solutions to food insecurity and poverty in our
communities.
Monies donated to the food shelf can buy more food
then you can buy due to their collective buying
power. During the month of March matching dollars
are given for every dollar the food shelves can raise.
So please give generously to your local food shelves
either in dollars or food.
Set Free
“Christ’s death becomes the rod, the cudgel that
breaks the necks of the fears that are the enemies of
my peace; his Word becomes the staff by which he
holds on to me and rescues me from danger.”
—Sinclair B. Ferguson, Deserted By God?
In keeping with Jesus’ final command to his
disciples before his death, may we “love one
another.”
Maundy Thursday, Worship will begin at 6:00 p.m.
on Thursday, March 29 There will be Holy
Communion and the choir will sing.
All are welcome to join in this celebration of Jesus’
last supper. Pastor Doug Larson presiding.
We call Good Friday Good because God in his
grace freely makes us right in his sight through
Christ Jesus!
The Good Friday Tenebrae Service begins at 6:00
p.m. on Friday, March 30. The choir will be
singing. All are invited to join in this very moving
service of Jesus’ crucifixion. Pastor Doug Larson
presiding.
An Irish Blessing
May the sun shine all day long, everything go right
and noting wrong. May those you love bring love
back to you, and may all the wishes you wish come
true.
6
CHRIST IS RISEN, CHRIST IS RISEN INDEED
Anyone who’s ever kept vigil beside a loved one in
an intensive-care unit knows the sights and sounds
of that unearthly place; the hissing of the ventilator,
breathing for the patient; the jagged peaks and
valleys of the vital signs on the computer screen;
the plumber’s-nightmare jumble of plastic tubes,
some of them connected to IVs, others draining
bodily fluids.
In the ICU, every detail of a patient’s bodily
existence is carefully monitored. Heartbeat,
respiration, temperature, blood chemistry and all the
rest are charted and analyzed. The nurses who run
the place – tremendously skilled and caring, at the
pinnacle of their profession – know exactly what to
do in the event that anything in that delicate
equation teeters out of balance.
Heart beating too fast? A syringe-full of medication
injected into the IV will slow it down.
Breathing irregular? Turn up the oxygen. Haven’t
eaten in a while? A solution of vitamins, sugar and
fats can be dripped, hour by hour, into the veins.
Feeling anxious? A few milliliters of sedative will
take the edge off.
The whole philosophy of intensive care is to reduce
human life to a biological equation, a closed system
with carefully measured inputs and outputs. By
skillfully manipulating these biochemical factors,
the medical profession encourages the patient’s
recovery.
In the “unit,” in the wee hours of the night, the
question occurs with existential force: is that all we
are: biological machines?
The best our society can manage, when it comes to
giving life, is the intensive-care unit. As impressive
as those high-tech machines are at preserving a
certain sort of life, they have not come “that we
might have life, and have it abundantly.”
Jesus can. Jesus has. HAPPY EASTER
(Written by Pastor Marlys Korman, March 2010)
7
Take Control
Shut off the flow of Credit Card Offers
These unsolicited mailings can be intercepted and
filled out by identity thieves who have credit cards
sent to their own addresses, then start piling up debt
in your good name. You can put a stop to most of
these offers by going to www.optoutprescreen.com
or calling 1.888.567.8688. The service, run by the
Consumer Credit Reporting Industry, will turn off
the spigot permanently or for five years. You can
always opt back in.
Receive Less Mail
When you give a company your name and address,
chances are good that the information will be
added to direct-marketing lists and used by other
companies to send you solicitations. Go to
www.dmahoice.org to remove your info from
many mailing lists if you don’t want the offers.
Return to Sender
Life as a direct-marketing target: you go to the
mailbox, filter out the offers you don’t want, put
them in the recycling bin and repeat. But if an
unwanted envelope is printed with the phrase
“Address Correction Requested” or “Return
Postage Guaranteed,” you have an alternative.
You can write “Refused/Return to Sender” and
mail it back—no postage required. You’ll keep
your recycling bin svelte while making the
marketing company pay the return-trip postage.
It’s a tiny win but still a win!
Check Your Data Breach Status
Wondering whether your personal data is for sale on
the web? At www.haveibeenpwned.com you can
check your email addresses and usernames against
lists from 120 known breaches at companies
including Adobe, LinkedIn, and Snapchat.(You’ll
need to register to check the full database. If you
name pops up change the password for the
compromised account and any other site where you
were using the same password. (Never use the same
password!!)
Dear Friends at Faith
On Saturday, March 24th, I will be hosting a casual
“Brunch at Bill’s” at my house on Mule Lake in
Outing. I would like to welcome everyone to stop in
anytime between 9-11 a.m. for a buffet style open
house brunch. All you need to bring is your appetite
and I will provide all the food and drinks. I ask that
if you know you are going to attend, please let me
know so I can get an idea on how much food to
make but last minute guests are welcomed
unannounced. Lets gather for food, fun and friends.
I hope to see you all there!
Bill Korman
1128 Mule Lake Drive NE
Outing, MN 56662
218.792.5144
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Movie and Popcorn! Bring some popcorn and
watch “The Passion of the Christ” on March 21 at
6:15.
The WISDOM of PHYLLIS DILLER: Phyllis
Diller was an American stand-up comedian,
actress, singer, dancer, and voice artist, best known
for her eccentric stage persona, her self-deprecating
humor, her outrageous hair and clothes. She says:
“As your beauty fades, so will his eyesight.”
“Housework never killed anyone, buy why take the
chance?”
8
Spoiler alert
In these days of DVRs and streaming programming,
it’s common courtesy to warn people before
discussing a show’s plot or ending. How frustrating
to inadvertently hear how a much-anticipated drama
concludes!
Knowing how everything ends is a blessing for
Christians, however. Jesus’ victory over death gives
us hope and confidence for this life — and for the
life to come.
“The church does not pretend … that it does not
know what will happen with the crucified Jesus,”
writes Thomas Hopko in The Orthodox Faith. “It
does not sorrow and mourn over the Lord as if the
church itself were not the very creation which has
been produced from his wounded side and from the
depths of his tomb. All through Holy Week
services, the victory of Christ is contemplated and
the resurrection is proclaimed.”
Indeed, Jesus’ followers know how his story — and
therefore our story — ends: in Easter life!
Dispelling the darkness
On Good Friday, many churches hold a Tenebrae
worship service. Tenebrae (Latin for “darkness” or
“shadows”) is an ancient Christian tradition that re-
creates the emotions of Jesus’ Passion and death.
The sanctuary gradually grows darker. A strepitus
(Latin for “loud noise”) may signify the closing of
Jesus’ tomb. As the service concludes, a Christ
candle stands alone on the altar, reminding
worshipers that victory is coming on Easter
morning.
When Scottish missionary Peter Milne died in
1924, the thankful people he’d served in the South
Pacific inscribed this message on his headstone:
“When he came, there was no light; when he died,
there was no darkness.”
Death’s darkness couldn’t conquer Jesus, the light
of the world, so it does not conquer us. “The light
shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not
overcome it” (John 1:5, ESV).
God’s mysterious ways
“God moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to
perform.” These oft-quoted words, from a hymn by
English poet William Cowper, come with an
unsubstantiated yet powerful back story.
Cowper, who struggled with depression, decided to
commit suicide one night. He called a cab to go to
the Thames River, planning to drown himself. Such
dense fog arose that the driver got lost and finally
stopped to let his passenger out. To Cowper’s
surprise, he was at his own door! He concluded that
God had sent the fog to spare his life. The hymn he
wrote in response continues:
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
the clouds ye so much dread
are big with mercy and shall break
in blessings on your head. …
His purposes will ripen fast,
unfolding every hour.
The bud may have a bitter taste,
but sweet will be the flower.
If you wish to donate an Easter flower in Memory
or Honor of a Loved One, please notify the church
office at 218.543.4878 or email [email protected] by
March 17. Please include the type and color of
flower and who it is memory or honor of and your
name. Easter Flowers Available:
Lilies $9.00; Mums $9.00, (Yellow & Pink)
Hydrangea (blue/pink) $16.00; Azalea (Shades of
pink) $15.00.
Please make checks to: Faith Lutheran Church
9
Love
A group of women were at a seminar on how to live
in a loving relationship with their husbands. The
women were asked, "How many of you love your
husband?"
All the women raised their hands.
Then they were asked, "When was the last time you
told your husband you loved him?"
Some women answered today, a few yesterday, and
some couldn't remember.
The women were then told to take out their cell
phones and text their husband - "I love you,
Sweetheart."
Next the women were instructed to exchange
phones with one another and read aloud the text
message they received in response to their
message.
Below are 12 hilarious replies. If you have been
married for quite a while, you understand that these
replies are a sign of true love. Who else would reply
in such a succinct and honest way?
1. Who the heck is this?
2. Eh, mother of my children, are you sick or what?
3. Yeah, and I love you too. What's wrong?
4. What now? Did you wreck the car again?
5. I don't understand what you mean.
6. What the heck did you do now?
8. Don't beat about the bush, just tell me how much
you need.
9. Am I dreaming?
10. If you don't tell me who this message is
actually for, someone will die.
11. I thought we agreed you wouldn't drink during
the day.
12. Your mother is coming to stay with us, isn't
she?
Sister Mary Ann, who worked for a home health
agency, was out making her rounds visiting
homebound patients when she ran out of gas. As
luck would have it, a Texaco Gasoline station was
just a block away. She walked to the station to
borrow a gas can and buy some gas. The attendant
told her that the only gas can he owned had been
loaned out, but she could wait until it was returned.
Since Sister Mary Ann was on the way to see a
patient, she decided not to wait and walked back to
her car. She looked for something in her car that
she could fill with gas and spotted the bedpan she
was taking to the patient. Always resourceful,
Sister Mary Ann carried the bedpan to the station,
filled it with gasoline, and carried the full bedpan
back to her car.
As she was pouring the gas into her tank, two
Presbyterians watched from across the street. One
of them turned to the other and said, 'If it starts,
I'm turning Catholic'
A favorite story for Lent: A man who used to live in this area had a peculiar
habit. Every Thursday evening, precisely at 7:00,
he walked into the local bar and ordered three
drinks at the same time. After watching this for
several months, the bartender got a little curious and
asked him why he always ordered three drinks at
7:00 on Thursday evenings. The man explained that
his two brothers lived far away, and the three of
them had pledged to keep in touch (at least in spirit)
by sharing a drink with each other every Thursday
evening at 7:00. The bartender was touched by the
man's sentiment and said no more until one evening
when the man ordered only two drinks. Fearing the
worst, he asked if one of the brothers had died.
"No, they're both doing fine," came the reply. "I
only ordered two drinks because I have given up
alcohol for Lent."
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3
4 Worship Schedule
9:30 Worship
Holy Communion
Hunger Offering
Pastor Yarger
Birthday/Annive
rsary Cakes
5 A.A.,Alanon 7 pm
Crosslake Lutheran
Church Crosslake
6 7 Choir 5:00 p.m.
8 9 10
11
Worship Schedule
9:30 Worship
Pastor Yarger
Coffee Time
12 A.A.,Alanon 7 pm
Crosslake Lutheran
Church Crosslake
13 14 Choir 5:00 p.m.
15
16 17 Deadline for
Easter Flowers
Check website or
Bulletin for
prices/colors etc.
18 Worship Schedule
9:30 Worship
Pastor Yarger
Intinc. Communion
19 A.A.,Alanon 7 pm
Crosslake Lutheran
Church Crosslake
20 SCC 2:00 p.m. at
Julie Bergman’s
home.
21 Choir 5:00 p.m.
Movie Night 6:15
p.m. at Church With Popcorn!
22 Senior Foot Care
10:30-1:30 at The
Warehouse in Pine
River. Cost $25
23 24 Newsletter Deadline!!
Brunch at Bill
Korman’s 9:00 –
11:00 a.m.
25 Worship Schedule
9:30 Worship
Pastor Yarger
26 A.A.,Alanon 7 pm
Crosslake Lutheran
Church Crosslake
27 28 Choir 5:00 p.m.
29 Maundy
Thursday Service
6:00 with Holy
Communion Pastor
Doug Larson
30 Good Friday
Service 6:00 Pastor Doug
Larson
31
2018
March
Ushers are needed for the months of May and September. Please call the church office at 218.543.4878 if you can help.
Deacon: Bill Korman Altar: Julie Bergman
Ushers: Tom & Jo Swoverland Coffee Time: Tom & Jo Swoverland.
Birthday/Anniversary Cakes First Sunday: Donna Bollie