Volume 94, Issue 10 May 14, 2014
He call his own sheep by name and leads them out…the sheep follow him because they know his voice.” John 10:2-3
Have you been paying attention to the confession we have been using during the Easter season? Every time we pray it, I am caught up by the implications of the words.
“God of life, by the resurrection of your Son you make everything new. Newness scares us, and we confess to shutting our doors in fear. We have not listened to voices that challenge us. We have resisted the Holy Spirit moving us in new directions. Our hearts are slow to believe your promises. Forgive us, O God, and renew us to embrace without fear the new life you have given us in Jesus Christ. Amen.”
Newness scares us. That’s a real confession, a very true one. We like things to stay the same, we want our lives and expectations to be stable. Did you ever notice that when a person tries to reform a bad habit, his or her friends will try to pull him/her back. Excess drinking is a prime example. If you formerly became a bit rowdy after several drinks at a party and then began choosing non-alcoholic beverages and toned down your behavior, your friends might try their very best to encourage you to resume your former behavior. That was what they knew and could deal with.
Or think about how parents have a challenging time relating to their children when they are adults, especially when they have to move home because of lack of jobs and money. Or when newlyweds do things differently than one or both sets of parents. Many times real conflicts arise.
Yet we love some new things – a new car, a new baby, a remodeled kitchen. The baby and the kitchen both call for changes in our own behavior and routines, and usually we cheerfully comply.
Why do we shut out some forms of newness and not others? Is it truly fear of something we did not see coming? Is it fear of the unknown? Or is it a question of control – we accept what we have initiated but not what comes from outside us?
Perhaps the real question is: Are we open and listening to the voice of Jesus our Shepherd, who challenges us to grow in faith and understanding, who challenges us to grow in obedience and faithfulness? This may mean doing things differently than in the past.
If water doesn’t move, it becomes stagnant and “yucky.” If our children don’t grow, if they don’t learn easily, if somehow they cannot fit into society, we worry about them and their future. How will they support themselves? What if… ? And other questions arise.
Does not the same concern apply to adults who have quit growing? Paul encouraged the Ephesians – and us – to “grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ…” (4:15) We have not yet arrived, we are not finished. God continues to call us, to invite us deeper into faith and faithful behavior. That means newness, new directions, new ways of serving and being.
But always we have the word of hope that we need not fear because Jesus the Shepherd is the one calling and leading. He is with us and goes before us.
We conclude our confession with “Renew us, O God, to embrace without fear the new life you have given us in Jesus Christ.” Maywe hear God’s voice calling and follow without fear. t Pastor Moll
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Wednesday, May 14Council, 7:00 p.m.
Bible Study, 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 15Christian Education, 7:00 p.m.
Scout District Roundtable, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 17Kathryn’s Kloset, 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Directory Pictures – 9 AM-Noon;1 -4 PM
Sunday, May 18Directory Pictures – 9:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
Youth Group – Noon-2:00 p.m.
Fellowship Hall reserved 1:30-9:00 p.m.
Girl Scouts, 1-4:00 p.m.
Monday, May 19WELCA, 7:00 p.m.
Directory Pictures - 1-4 PM; 6-8 PM
Tuesday, May 20Directory Pictures - 1-4 PM; 6-8 PM
Wednesday, May 21Directory Pictures - 1-4 PM; 6-8 PM
Bible Study, 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 22Directory Pictures - 1-4 PM
Messenger deadline, 3:00 p.m.
His Lighthouse Café, 4:30-6:00 p.m.
Friday, May 23Directory Pictures - 1-4 PM; 6-8 PM
Saturday, May 24Fellowship Hall reserved, 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 25Directory Pictures – 9:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
Monday, May 26OFFICE CLOSED – Memorial Day
Tuesday, May 27Preschool Program, 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 28Messenger folding, 9:30 a.m.
Bible Study, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 31Girl Scouts, Fellowship Hall, 4-9:00 p.m.
St. John’s Lutheran Church, 300 Queen Street, Northumberland, PA 17857.
Periodical postage paid at Northumberland, PA.
POSTMASTER: Send address change to St. John’s Messenger,
300 Queen Street, Northumberland, PA 17857.
ST. JOHN’S MESSENGER May 14, 2014 Volume 94, Issue 10
St. John’s Evangelical
Lutheran Church
570-473-3770
This Sunday at St. John’s
May 18, 2014
8:00 a.m. Worship Service with Communion
8:45 a.m. Sunday School for Preschool-6th Grade
9:00 a.m. Sunday School
10:15 a.m. Worship Service with Communion
Next Sunday at St. John’s
May 25, 2014
8:00 a.m. Worship Service with Communion
8:45 a.m. Sunday School for Preschool-6th Grade
9:00 a.m. Sunday School
10:15 a.m. Worship Service with Communion
Church Office Hours Mon-Thurs 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Fri 8:30 a.m.-Noon
MarthaSue Moll, Pastor
William J. Jacavage, Director of Music
June
Wishes
June 1
Carolyn Bollinger
Katie Domaracki
June 2
Melissa McAllister
June 3
Nathan Boyer
June Neidig
June 4
Haley Bowersox
Laura Herrold
June 6
Cheyenne Benfer
Anna Manning
June 7
Lillian Brouse
Jennifer Long
Edward O’Malley
June 8
David Bingaman
Tina Kropa
June 9
Todd Deans
Deborah Schultz
June 10
Virginia Butler
Joshua Saxman
June 11
Elsie Mae Meehan
June 12
Mary Siemsen
Derek Young
June 13
Jennifer Brock
Michael Krebs
June 14
Jacob Hite
Joseph Kitchen
Jeffrey Lynch
Sammi Zeigler
Scott Zeigler
June 15
Wyatt Kohl
Dean Siemsen
June 16
Scott Brouse
Kay Kearney
Tyler London
June 17
June Diehl
Margaret Heckert
Robert Mull, III
Brent Smith
June 18
Paige Campbell
Kelly Eisely
Carolyn Stuck
June 19
Thomas Stuck
June 20
Gunner Booker
Ethan Harris
Joshua Manning
Judy Reigle
June 21
Dylan Berry-Propst
Josette Crebs
Steven Hafer
Daniel Hoffman
John Kohl, Jr.
June 22
Tracy Miller
Kelly VanKirk
June 23
Tristan Colescott
Sabrina Doebler
Wendy Herrold
June Seebold
June 24
Arlet Hummel
June 25
Jill Bruder
Daniel Henry
Bradley Wolfe
June 26
Gregory Morton
June 27
Caitlin Booker
Joyce Shearer
June 28
Kaden Campbell
June 30
Mary Menges
Craig Specht
Ashlee Walker
Sunday / Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday / Saturday1
Worship w/Comm. 8:00 a.m.
Sunday School (PreK-6) 8:45 a.m.
Sunday School 9:00 a.m.
Worship w/Comm. 10:15 a.m.
Youth Group Noon-2:00 p.m. / 2
TOPS 6:00 p.m.
Cub Scouts 6:30 p.m. / 3
Boy Scouts 6:30 p.m.
Senior Choir 7:00 p.m.
AA 8:00 p.m. / 4
Bible Study 7:00 p.m. / 5
Messenger deadline 3:00 p.m.
Worship & Music 7:00 p.m.
Scout District Committee
7:00 p.m.
Al-Anon 7:00 p.m.
AA 8:00 p.m. / 6 / 7
Set up for
Ice Cream Social
8 PENTECOST
Worship w/Comm. 8:00 a.m.
Sunday School 9:00 a.m.
Worship w/Comm. 10:15 a.m.
Congregation Meeting 10:15 a.m.
Ice Cream Social &
50 Year Confirmation Celebration
Noon / 9
TOPS 6:00 p.m.
Cub Scouts 6:30 p.m.
Finance 7:00 p.m. / 10
Boy Scouts
Fellowship Hall 2-8:00 p.m.
AA 8:00 p.m. / 11
Messenger folding 9:30 a.m.
Council Meeting 7:00 p.m.
Bible Study 7:00 p.m. / 12
Social Ministry 6:00 p.m.
Al-Anon 7:00 p.m.
AA 8:00 p.m. / 13 / 14
15
Worship w/Comm. 8:00 a.m.
Sunday School 9:00 a.m.
Worship w/Comm. 10:15 a.m.
Youth Group Noon-2:00 p.m. / 16
TOPS 6:00 p.m.
WELCA picnic ? / 17
Boy Scouts 6:30 p.m.
AA 8:00 p.m. / 18
Bible Study 7:00 p.m. / 19
Messenger deadline 3:00 p.m.
Christian Ed 7:00 p.m.
Scout Roundtable 7:00 p.m.
Al-Anon 7:00 p.m.
AA 8:00 p.m. / 20 / 21
Kathryns Kloset
9-11:00 a.m.
22
Worship w/Comm. 8:00 a.m.
Sunday School 9:00 a.m.
Worship w/Comm. 10:15 a.m.
Fellowship Hall
reserved 11 a.m-6 p.m. / 23
TOPS 6:00 p.m.
/ 24
Boy Scouts 6:30 p.m.
AA 8:00 p.m. / 25
HLC 9:00 a.m. -1:30 p.m.
Messenger folding 9:30 a.m. Bible Study 7:00 p.m. / 26
HLC 9:00 a.m. -1:30 p.m.
Lighthouse Café
4:30-6:00 p.m.
Al-Anon 7:00 p.m.
AA 8:00 p.m. / 27 / 28
Youth Group Chicken
BBQ
29
Worship w/Comm. 8:00 a.m.
Sunday School 9:00 a.m.
Worship w/Comm. 10:15 a.m.
VBS Program @ 10:15 a.m. with
refreshments in Fellowship Hall / 30
TOPS 6:00 p.m. /