- Holy Cross Lutheran Church ELCA

Holy Cross Lutheran Church
Non Profit Org.
U. S. POSTAGE PAID
PAID
Permit No. 3167
St. Louis, MO
13014 Olive Boulevard
Creve Coeur, Missouri 63141
Holy Cross Lutheran Church — ELCA
Cross Currents
Volume 42 No. 7
July 2015
Address Service Requested
Holy Cross youth leave July 14 to
join more than 25,000 participants
July 15 – 19 at the ELCA Youth
Gathering in Detroit.
TO:
DATED MATERIAL
Mailed on
Bible Quiz
Which two spies urged the Israelites to move into Canaan, opposing the other 10 who
were afraid? (Hint: We know one of the two willing spies by the new name Moses gave
him.)
A. Shaphat and Igal
B. Hoshea and Caleb
C. Gaddi and Gaddiel
D. Shammua and Nahbi
A group of Holy Cross youth will serve God and
God’s people on a mission trip to Indianan July 26—
31. The congregation is blessed to have them
represent us!
Answer: B (See Numbers 13:6, 8, 16, 30; 14:6-8.)
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Notes from Pastor Jim
When Jesus talks about church attendance. . . Wait! Jesus
doesn’t talk about church attendance, does he? No, not in the
terms of the frequency of how often God’s people should attend a synagogue, temple, or church. But, Jesus does talk
about our relationship with God – discipleship – in contrast with earthly things such as
our priorities and possessions.
In the parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:15-24) Jesus tells of those who, when invited to a banquet by a king, decline citing such seemingly mundane and inconsequential reasons as a recently purchased field that requires immediate inspection and the
acquisition of five yoke of oxen that need to be test-driven. This parable speaks of the
wrong priorities that can claim our attention, time and energy to the detriment of our
relationship with God, our first and ultimate priority.
Similarly, when Jesus talks about money and possessions, the focus is on our relationship to these important elements of daily living. The rich young ruler had much and
the thought of changing the relationship to his wealth was unthinkable in spite of his
confessed obedience to God’s commandments (Matthew 19:16-22). The poor widow
had little and the little she had wasn’t as important as her relationship with God (Luke
21:2-4).
Jesus’ words, “Where your treasure is your heart will be,” (Matthew 6:21) is ultimately
about the investment we will make either in our relationship with God or to another
value that has an equal or greater loyalty and attention. You cannot serve God and
Mammon is a question of relationship.
Activities
Having fun at the races.
Words from FDR
We still remain true to the faith of our
fathers who established religious liberty
when the nation began. We must remember, too, that our forebears in every generation, and wherever they established
their homes, made prompt and generous
provision for the institutions of religion.
We must continue their steadfast reliance
upon the providence of God.
No greater blessing could come to our
land today than a revival of the spirit of
religion. I doubt if there is any problem
in the world today — social, political or
economic — that would not find happy
solution if approached in the spirit of the
Sermon on the Mount.
—Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1938
Jesus never states how often we should attend worship, nor does he ever ask for money
or possessions. But he places a laser focus on the power money and possessions have in
our lives. He zeroes in on the centrality, the vitality, and the priority of each of our relationships with God. He wants us to honestly examine “where. . . our heart “ is.
Spend some time reflecting on your relationship with God. Are there dimensions of it
that need to grow, deepen, or even move up the list of your priorites?
Pastor Jim†
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Activities
Church Business
Your halo is
showing
Win, Place, or Show –
Night at the Races
enjoyed by all!
There was a full bus of 52 that left Holy Cross on Saturday evening, May 30, heading to
Fairmount Park in Collinsville, IL. We enjoyed a buffet dinner and desserts galore, with
a heaven-sent piece of cherry pie for Wayne Mosher. Seating was right along the windows at the finish line, perfect for viewing the lively thoroughbreds racing down the
track. Some of the horses were named Soul Delight, Mankind, Holy Uno, Indanameofdafather, Restoretheearth, and Devil Alert – very appropriate for our group! Others
had names associated with some of the attendees: Dr. Bud (Niebling), Susan’s Rap
(Jentes), Judy M. (Niebling and Unland), Jack & John (Schramm), Stone Punch and
Rock This Way (Stones). They were sure bets!
Wil Pajunen, Penny Snelson, and Rocky Stone along with Ray Lombardo and Rick and
Pam Jokerst, won a drawing to present the trophy to the winning jockey and horse for
the third race, which was named for Holy Cross Church. Although it was raining and
the track was muddy, it was exciting to be in the winner’s circle.
We all came home winners from this unique opportunity of sharing Christian fellowship. Please join the Social Activities team for their next fun event, a wine tasting and
history lesson, on Saturday, October 3, at the Yellow Farm House in Defiance, MO. If
interested in joining our team, please see Darlene Kuhlman or any SAC member.†
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A tip of the hat to Pat
Goertzen and Steve
Kuhlman, painters extraordinaire, who brightened the lower level
hallway. We appreciate your meticulous
work.
Cross Currents
Holy Cross Lutheran Church — ELCA
13014 Olive Boulevard
Creve Coeur, MO 63141
314-434-0546
Fax 314-434-0741
www.holycrosselca.com
Cross Currents is published monthly and
distributed to members and friends of
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
Articles for Cross Currents are due in the church
office by the 10th of the month.
And a bouquet to Darlene Kuhlman for
planting the pots of bright geraniums,
zillions of zinnias and other annuals at
the upper entrance. We look forward to
enjoying them all summer.
Pastor
A special thank-you goes to all who so
generously opened their “pockets” and
“purses” during the Change for Blooms
campaign to pay for the flowers adorning
the church entrances. The amount collected was $7.14. God bless you!†
Administrative
Assistant
May financial statistics
Budgeted Income $177,846
Actual Income –
$162,375
Budgeted Expenses $171,835
Actual Expenses $169,931
General Fund balance as of 5/31/15
$12,258. †
James R. Schack
314-628-9434
[email protected]
Music Ministry
Joanne Way
[email protected]
Director of congregational Ministry
Dan Johnson
[email protected]
Church Council
[email protected]
Editor
Lola Nosker
[email protected]
636-519-0320
All are welcome for worship and Sunday school
Sunday Worship
8:15 a.m. — Traditional
11:00 a.m. — Contemporary
Sunday School - 9:45 a.m. to 10:45.a.m.
Supervised nursery provided Sunday
8:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Page 3
Church Business
Called To Grace
Grace is not a game of horseshoes.
It never ceases to amaze me how focused this
congregation can be when it comes to supporting
an event or benevolence mission. When the idea
of a rummage sale was proposed, it seemed to
struggle to get off the ground. After a little planning by the committee it started to take form – all
within a short period of time. Beginning initially with a small crew, the number of volunteers grew tremendously the week prior to the sale (while I was out of town for
work). When I returned on Friday I was shocked to find that all the set-up had been
done by more than 30 people over a two-day period. That was amazing!
I would love to name each person individually, but I’m not sure Cross Currents is big
enough for that. So, I thank the committee that organized the event, the members who
donated to the sale, those who helped set up and run the sale, and those who cleaned
up after.
We as a church managed to raise $2,135.00 with more still to come! That is OUTSTANDING for our first attempt at such an event. Half of the proceeds will go to help
support the earthquake relief effort in Nepal, and the other half will help support our
youth’s mission trips this summer. Leftover items were donated to Goodwill, Red
Racks, and the Disabled Veterans.
It is support such as this that makes me believe that our congregation can do ANYTHING it puts its mind to. I am happy and blessed to be part of this great group of
people!
Thanks again,
Gerry Recheck, Rummage Sale Committee Chairman†
Page 4
It’s a beautiful morning – mild temperature, sunny, birds singing, and the breeze rustling the leaves. Sitting here on the deck, I’m reflecting on the last few weeks. It’s been
incredibly busy with packing up my classroom for a new assignment this fall, twins’
graduation, and then the graduation party.
The party brought plenty of food and loved ones and games. There was volleyball,
badminton, yard golf, and washers. And, you know by this time…it got me to thinking.
Those yard games, washers and horseshoes, that perfect pendulum of your arm – that
takes skill. The bump of the opponent’s game piece that sends you closer? That’s just
luck.
Salvation is not a competition. It is not by any skill or talent any more than by chance
or accident that we are saved. Ours – salvation, that is – is not by a better act of charity,
or mission, or kindness because it is not by good works, however large or small, that
leads us to heaven. Nor can we look to our sins or those of others as some competition.
We all fall short. We cannot climb higher on the sins of another.
No, it is no game of which I write; it is life, or rather our afterlife. Eternity. Yes, the
stakes are high, as high as heaven.
The old adage, “close doesn’t count except in horseshoes and hand grenades,” doesn’t
apply here. We all fall short, except by grace.
We play no game here, yet we are offered the perfect prize. It is God’s saving grace in
Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen and amen!
Yours in Christ,
Jackie Johnson†
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Family and Friends
Church business
Central Missouri Honor Flight
(Note: The mission of Honor Flight is to recognize our veterans with a day of honor,
remembrance, and celebration. This is done with a one-day, all-expenses-paid trip to
Washington, DC, to visit the various war memorials).
It was my privilege to be part of the Honor Flight from Columbia, MO. On the trip
were 66 veterans representing World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
Fifty support people accompanied us. The trip began at midnight May 27 and ended at
midnight May 28. We flew on Southwest Airlines from St. Louis to Baltimore, MD, and
then went by bus to Washington.
We toured the World War II and Korean War Memorials, the Vietnam Wall, the Marine
Iwo Jima Memorial, the Women in Military Memorial, and the Air Force Memorial. On
the drive back to Columbia (from St. Louis), we were escorted from Kingdom City to
Columbia by five Missouri State Patrol cars and 165 Patriot Guard motorcycles.
The entire trip was very emotional. I would encourage all veterans to apply for participation in an Honor Flight.
Bud Niebling†
Congratulations!
Michael Nester, grandson of Lola Nosker, is a May 2015 graduate of the inaugural class
of Project Succeed at UMSL, post-secondary program for students with intellectual and
developmental disabilities ages 18-25.
Participants earn a Chancellor’s Certificate after completing the program, which offers
individualized approach to career development through learning, independent living
skills, preparation for employment and/or preparation for a degree seeking program.
Succeed students live on campus, engage in student life, and experience internships
with local employers.
Dan’s Sabbath
The word “Sabbath” is used 157 times in the NRSV Bible. Perhaps the most famous use
is the Jesus quote: “Then he said to them,” ‘The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not
humankind for the Sabbath’” (Mark 2:27 NRSV). Sabbath is important enough to God that
after God created the world and all that is in it, he rested. Observing the Sabbath day is
one of the Ten Commandments. We need Sabbath.
Sabbath-keeping is intended to be a time of rest and a time of connection with God. We
are to do no work on the day of Sabbath. But that leads to a question – What is work? If
I spend time weeding my garden, am I working? Yes? But my garden relaxes me and
lets me connect with God, so to me, it is not work.
The important thing is to take time away from your daily work. Take the time to relax
and let your mind and body recover and re-energize. We need to take time and spend
it in the Word and listen to what God is speaking to in our lives. Martin Luther tells us
in the catechism that Sabbath is also known as Holy Day and, as such, is connected to
the word “holiday.” We are literally told to take a holiday and use the time to learn
God’s Word. So, the next time you take a vacation or holiday, remember to take your
Bible with you and spend some time in the Word.
In today’s go-go-don’t stop world, it is easy to think we need that time to get ahead.
We want more; therefore, we think we need to do more. It is counter-intuitive to think
that we can actually accomplish more by taking time off, but it is true. Taking the time
to slow down and even to stop on a weekly basis will help us do more. We need to take
time to let our bodies and our minds rest. This does not mean that we need to sit and
do nothing all day. That would drive me crazy. It simply means we need to slow down
and spend time with God.
Blessings,
Dan Johnson†
Mike is employed with Delaware North Sports Services.†
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Family and Friends
Music
Remembering and celebrating
Cradle Roll Birthday
Can You Guess the Hymn?
7.6.13
The Bible verse from Lamentations 3:22-23 should have been enough to identify last
month’s hymn: “The favors of the Lord are not exhausted, his mercies are not spent;
they are renewed each morning so great is His faithfulness” (New American Bible).
Last month’s hymn was Great Is Thy Faithfulness, #733 in our hymnal.
This month’s hymn is very appropriate for July. In 1893 at the age of 33, Katharine Lee
Bates, an English professor at Wellesley College, took a trip to Colorado Springs to
teach a short summer school session at Colorado College. Several of the sights on her
trip inspired her and they found their way into her poem entitled Pike’s Peak on which
this month’s hymn is based. Her inspiration came from the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the “White City” with its promise of the future contained within its
alabaster buildings, the wheat fields in the heartland of Kansas, through which her
train was traveling on July 16, and the majestic view of the Great Plains from high atop
Pike’s Peak. On the pinnacle of that mountain, the words of the poem started to come
to her and she wrote them down upon returning to her hotel room. The poem was initially published two years later in The Congregationalist to commemorate the Fourth of
July. It quickly caught the public’s fancy.
The tune most often associated with the hymn was composed by Samuel Ward and
came to him on a ferryboat trip from Coney Island back to his home in New York City
after a leisurely summer day in 1882. He was so anxious to capture the tune in his head
that he asked fellow passenger and friend Harry Martin for his shirt cuff on which to
write the tune. He originally composed the tune for the old hymn O Mother Dear, Jerusalem but later renamed it Materna. Ward’s tune and Bates’ words were first published
together in 1910. Can you guess the hymn?
Jack Hamill†
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Zoe Crutcher
Cradle Roll Baptismal Birthday
7.21.13 Mitchell Sept
Sunday School Baptismal Birthdays
7.26.02 Brandon Enlow
7.27.03 Mason Andrews†
7.3
7.6
7.6
7.6
7.7
7.8
7.8
7.8
7.15
7.16
7.16
7.19
7.21
7.21
7.22
7.22
7.23
7.24
7.27
7.29
Melissa Tocco
Jerry Doud
Ashlynn Sept
Zoe Crutcher
Chuck Long
Evelyn Artz
Roger Peterson
Elizabeth Mosher
Julie Knight
Rocky Stone
Bryce Mosher
Jean Makela
Mark Rudolph
Heidi Rechek
Lola Nosker
Mark Molamphy
Judy Weigel
Ben Hulsey
Susan Jentes
Henry Elavsky
7.1
7.8
7.12
7.12
7.14
7.14
7.18
7.18
7.20
7.29
David & Janet Haas
Mark & Leslye Molamphy
Larry & Luanne Dennison
Fred & Jeanine Emch
John & Jean Fleck
Scott & Diane McCuaig
Myron & Patsy Holm
Rocky & Donna Stone
Tim & Linda Tyahla
Kevin & Moira McCracken
Did we miss your birthday or anniversary? If so, please contact Joanne Way at
[email protected] or 314-4340546.†
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Music
Christian Education
Did You Know…?

Here are some little known facts about
the important role Lutherans played in
the founding and early history of the
United States.


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




Lutherans were in America seven
years before the Pilgrims?
The first book translated into any
American Indian language was
Luther’s Small Catechism?
Our Statue of Liberty was made
by a French Lutheran, M. Frederic
Bartholdi?
Washington’s army at the Battle
of Trenton was composed largely
of Lutherans?
It was a Lutheran boy who called
a Lutheran sexton to ring the Liberty Bell?
The Liberty Bell was hauled from
Philadelphia to Allentown, Pennsylvania, by a Lutheran, Fredrick
Leiser, in 1777? The bell was then
hidden under the floor of Zion
Lutheran Church.
The first president of the Continental Congress was a Lutheran,
John Hanson? He served until
Washington was inaugurated.
It was illegal to hold Lutheran
services in New York until 1664?
Page 10

A Lutheran pastor, Fredrick A. C.
Muhlenberg, was the first speaker
of the United States House of
Representatives? With John Adams, he signed the first ten
amendments to the Constitution,
known as the Bill of Rights.
Inspector Von Steuben, a Lutheran, saved the United States
Treasury $600,000? His “Rules of
Discipline” created our national
army and still form the basis of
our military tactics.
As Lutherans, we have been taught what
the Scriptures say about good citizenship.
Service to our country and loyalty to our
nation are part of our way of life.
Pastor Harvey Krueger
South Wisconsin Diocese of the Lutheran
Church, Missouri Synod†
Wednesday morning
Bible study
Join us in the church library as Pastor
Schack leads the study of Jeremiah on
Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m.†
A French baroque composer’s music
Last month’s column outlined the organ and music of the French baroque. In this column I will talk about the music of Nicholas Antoine Lebegue (1631-1702), a middle
French baroque composer, whose Magnificat I played on June 7. The Magnificat is one of
many well-known texts which composers through the centuries have set to music. It
comes from Luke, Chapter 1, and is the canticle of Mary in which she proclaims, “My
being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds joy in God my savior…” Lebegue’s Magnificat builds on the music of his predecessor, Louis Couperin, of the early
French baroque and is a fairly typical French baroque suite comprised of small sections
of music with names such as “recits, dialogues, trios, duos,” etc. (which I talked about
last month).
Not much is known about Lebegue. At a young age he settled in Paris and established
himself as “the famous Parisian organist” which suggests that he held at least one organ position in Paris. Late in life he held a position at the Church of St. Merri. In 1687
he was selected to become one of the “organists du roi” or “organists to the King,” a
prestigious position.
Surviving copies of Lebegue’s music are very numerous which suggests that he was a
very highly acclaimed musician. He was equally famous as an expert on organ building
and in this capacity traveled around France. He was also an influential teacher of future
French organists.
Most of Lebegue’s works for organ are contained in three books called “livre d’orgue.”
The first volume contains eight organ suites in the eight church modes or scales. Book
two contains a Mass and the Magnificat settings for organ. Book three includes three
offertories, nine noels, eight elevations, and a program piece called Les cloches. He is
credited as being one of the first composers to add independent pedal parts to his music.
Jack Hamill†
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Calendar
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