Pastor Gloria Espeseth

The Pastor Ponders...

February 2013 www.gethsemanesd.org church@gethsemanesd.org

2696 Melbourne Dr., San Diego, CA 92123

Church Office: 858-277-6572 FAX : 858-277-6511

What’s Inside?

February Calendar and Ministry Schedule

Birthdays

Ministry opportunities with our partners

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Briefly Speaking… ...the Friendship Lunch is at Mission

Village Christian Fellowship (church

next door) in February. Come and

bring a friend and a can or package of

food for the Serra Mesa Food Pantry

— noon Wednesdays!

...check out the sign-up sheet for our

monthly meal at Storefront Teen

Shelter on the first Monday of each

month. If you haven’t tried it, Becky

Baker will give you all the info and

encouragement you need!

IMHO*:

To borrow from Pastor James, “You are amazing!” He spoke some very kind words about us, to us, on a recent Sunday morn-ing, and I whole-heartedly agree with him!

Gethsemane Lutheran is an amazing place. Of course, 'place' doesn't really adequately describe us. We are so much more than so many square feet of dirt and buildings. We are a community, home-ported here at the corner of Melbourne and Shawn. I think we embrace and embody that word, ‘community.’ Here, in San Diego, in Serra Mesa, we have many loving hearts and giving hands. We support our neighbors, intentionally (the Food Pantry, Storefront) and unintentionally (the dumpster-ask Andy-twice in two weeks!). And, we've managed to 'keep the doors open' while our only pas-tor is on sabbatical. Nobody has panicked, things are getting done, and I believe we are still being spiritually fed. That's not to say we haven't missed her, but we're doing okay. And I think that says we are a healthy community. Thank you all!

Debbie Attwood

*from text-speak, in my humble opinion.

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, the most honest as well as hopeful of our yearly liturgies. We will again gather with the Mary Magdalene Apostle Catholic Com-munity at 7pm on February 13 to begin the journey of Lent and be marked with ashes in the sign of a cross.

The use of ashes acknowledges our common mor-tality and frailty as human beings. None of us gets out of this alive. Oh, we know this truth all too well!

But the cross will mark us as Christian community confessing that death does not have the last word. For our hope is that “the Word has been made flesh”…that in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, the Holy Triune God was truly present to creation, in grace and mer-cy, and all creation can now live without fear. The good news…the gospel…is that life is a gift, is ultimately safe, that we are called to lives of meaning and purpose to care for one another, for our neighbor, and for God’s beloved creation. And yes, as Christians, called even “to love our enemy and pray for those who persecute us” (Matthew 5:43-48).

There is much in life that discourages us. But as Christians, there is light in the darkness, order in the chaos, goodness in the face of evil, truth when lies tempt us to give up. We are invited to live hopefully in our daily lives and, whenever we have the opportunity, “be ready to give ac-count to the hope that lies within you” (I Peter 3:15b-16a).

Each year, the liturgical season of Lent offers us time to reflect upon our faith, to engage in study, or to add a spiritual practice. Sundays in Lent will include a sermon series on the Christian journey. I have chosen the first sev-eral weeks but am open to requests, questions, challenges. As far as something “extra to add for Lent”, I’ve already invited you to read/discuss a new book: Brian McLaren’s “Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road? Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World”. But there will be an opportunity for other kinds of gather-ings also. You can request other topics or guidance on spir-itual disciplines with the insert that is enclosed.

Lent…a gift to center with timelessness in the midst of time. May God bless us as we go on this journey.

Page 2 THE GETHSEMANE WITNESS

february

Bryan Smith 1st

Jean Arneson 2nd

Jerry Class 6th

Aaron Williams 10th

Ruth Hoaglin 18th

Michael Miller 18th

Roger Nies 18th

Tom Templeton 24th

Joan Porter 25th

President’s Report

By Mary Erlenborn First, my thanks to the members of Gethsemane, for your trust and confidence placed in me and my fellow Council mem-bers. Owing to the faithful and sustained level of offerings to our mis-sion and ministry throughout 2012, we ended the year with the financial stability to designate the requisite funding to allow for Pastor Gloria’s sabbatical in 2013…surely a point of pride for any congregation but even more noteworthy for a congregation of our size.

At the start of 2012, a need had been identified for a re-roofing of the Children’s Center, one of those necessary but not particularly “glamorous” aspects of owning our church properties. Fundraising ide-as and appeals were identified, starting with a successful Everyone’s Irish on Saint Patrick’s Day dinner in March to kick-off our momentum. Through grassroots fundraising efforts, designation of memorial gifts, and finally a generous “top-off” donation, this project was successfully accomplished ahead of our projected time frame.

Many of the thanks that have been offered in past years can be repeated, which is a testament to the stability and faithfulness of those who both lead and participate in all aspects of our mission and ministry. Whether it be the taking on of one (or more) of the various Sunday morning worship assignments, coming together to support events such as Oktoberfest and the BBQ/Barbershop Concert, cheering on the Pa-dres to raise funds for the Serra Mesa Food Pantry, rising early for Geth-semane Gardeners, cooking soup and other goodies for our Friendship Lunches, pounding nails and hoisting walls to provide a home for a fam-ily in Tijuana, filling up our donation boxes for Storefront and the Food Pantry, walking for great causes such as NAMI and Lutheran Social Ser-vices…let us celebrate these successes in the realization of all those that have benefitted from our collective efforts!

This report is being written as Pastor Gloria is on the first part of her time of sabbatical; thinking back to the planning process, a signifi-cant portion of our Council meeting agenda topics during the second half of 2012 was devoted to the prayerful examination of all aspects of this sabbatical so that this could be a time of growth and renewal for not just Pastor Gloria, but for the congregation as well. Once the sabbatical plans started to take shape, various open forums were held to solicit in-put from the congregation, and the points raised at these sessions were incorporated into the overall plan. Special recognition to Debbie Att-wood and Linda Juhasz who participated with me on the Sabbatical Committee, as well as to Pastor Gloria, for all of their attention paid to the myriad details that needed to be thoughtfully considered and ad-dressed.

I am as eager as you are to hear and learn from Pastor Gloria

once she returns from the first part of her sabbatical, as we reflect on

what has been learned from this time and plan ahead in anticipation of a

second time of sabbatical during the middle part of 2013. I look for-

ward to another year of spiritual growth, development and renewal to-

gether as the congregation of Gethsemane Lutheran Church, and wel-

come the opportunity for leadership that has once again been entrusted

to me.

Save those cards!

Linda Juhasz continues collecting card fronts from all types of cards (Birthday, holidays, whatever) for St. Jude’s Ranch, working to heal abused children. Last year we collected 1,680 cards. Let’s beat that record. A box for the cards will continue be in the narthex through February 25th. Ask family and friends to help too.

The prize for this year’s top donor is one pack of all occasion cards plus a pack of stamps.

It’s hard to believe that it is already 2013, and we are half way through what I refer to as our

‘choir year’. The Christmas cantata is be-hind us and we are in full swing towards providing a meaningful worship experi-ence during Holy Week. Even though we have already started on Easter music does not mean that it is too late for you to get involved with the choir! If you have ever thought about joining the choir, why not now? While those who sing in the choir are committed to working hard to bring God’s word to our congregation each week through song, it is a fun and reward-

ing experience. Why not give it a try?

Ken Baker

Page 3 THE GETHSEMANE WITNESS

PALLMM COURSE FOR LAITY

"What Gives your Message Power?"

Many Christians are called on to teach or preach, to present a Temple Talk, to give a children's message, or to talk about an important ministry such as music, service, youth, or children's ministry. This new PALLMM course will help you think through what gives your words power. What makes them touch and move peo-ple? God uses words to change people. How does he do that?

This 4-week course will begin Saturday, February 23, 9 am to noon, at the Luther-an Church of the Incarnation Poway. The teacher is Pastor Gene Holtz who recently celebrated 50 years of preaching and teaching the Gospel. The usual $50 fee will apply. To register, contact Pastor Gene at 858-613-0041 or holtzgg@sbcglobal.net.

To learn more about Pacifica Synod's PALLMM ministry, go to the synod web-site (pacificasynod.org) and click on the PALLMM logo: Preparing Adult Lay Leaders for Mission and Ministry.

A Visit with

Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson

Saturday, February 16

Clairemont Lutheran Church

4271 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.

San Diego, CA 92117

Join us for an afternoon with

Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson from 1

to 4 p.m. Everyone is encourage and

invited to attend.

The PRAYER QUILT MINISTRY meets each month on the third Tuesday morning from 10am to noon. If you have an interest in joining these dedicated and gifted quilters as a helper (ironing, cut-ting) or to learn to quilt, contact: Rachel Evans (858) 277-2499

Francie Krauel (858) 279-8867 Becky Baker (619) 437-0181

To request a Prayer Quilt, ask the person if they are open to prayer and a quilt. If yes, fill out one of the yellow request sheets in the narthex or office.

Remember: Friendship Lunch Noon, Wednesdays.

Do you like to make soup? Do you like to see people

enjoy your cooking? Join us by signing up on the sheet in the

Narthex. We could use some more Souper volunteers.

Next Gethsemane Soup Wednesdays are in March.

Gethsemane Lutheran Church 2696 Melbourne Dr ive San Diego, CA 92123

Phone: (858) 277-6572 - Fax: (858) 277-6511

Preschool: (858) 277-7710

Want to save postage, a tree, and get your “Witness” in living color via e-mail?

Just ask at: church@gethsemanesd.org

Gethsemane Lutheran Church... grounded in the gospel, anchored in Word and Sacrament, traditional yet creative, seeking to be God’s people in this time and place.

Check out our Website

at

www.gethsemanesd.org

February 13, 2013

10:00am

Ash Wednesday Liturgy

(Spoken )

7:00pm Ash Wednesday Liturgy

with

Mary Magdalene Apostle

Catholic Community

Invite someone to come with you!

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED