- 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. 4
April 2015
Dear People of God,
Address Service Requested
TO:
Easter is...
Easter is...God's moment - God's moment of resurrection, of life, of triumph!
DATED MATERIAL
Mailed on
Easter is...our moment - our moment of hope, of newness, of victory!
Easter is...an answer - an answer to Good Friday, to unbelief, to hopelessness!
Bible Quiz
Easter is...an affirmation - an affirmation of God's promise, of God's power, of God's purpose!
Those statements by C. Neil Strait remind us that Easter is much more than a spring
day of bunnies, eggs, candy, or even family gatherings. Easter is the center of the story
of God's love for us. Easter is the source of our new life as God's people. Easter is the
power for daily life in a world broken and besieged by sin.
As Jacob used a rock for a pillow — later to become a pillar honoring God — which of
the following did he experience in a dream?
A. Angels going up and down on a ladder between earth and heaven.
B. The Lord promising that Jacob’s family would be a blessing to all nations.
C. God’s assurance: “Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go.”
D. All of the above.
Answer: D (See Genesis 28:10-19.)
See page 10 for
more info
Page 1
Notes from Pastor Jim
He Has Risen!
Alleluia!
The glorious and victorious shout of
Easter is upon us. “HE IS RISEN! HE IS
RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA!” Oh, the
wondrous beauty and hope of this Easter
message. For in these few words is the
good news that the almighty God who
raisedJesus on the third day will also
turn our tragedies into triumphs,our
crosses into crowns and our dark, dismal
Good Fridays into bright and beautiful
Easter Mornings.†
“HE IS RISEN!” is the song of salvation
and redemption sung by God’s own
Troubador of Love Incarnate proclaiming
victory over sin, life in spite of death,
glory instead of gloom, and joy overcoming sorrow. Here is God’s own declaration of love for us and the promise of
new and eternal life because of Him who
was the first fruits of the dead.
Page 2
Activities
“HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!
ALLELUIA!” is the Easter acclamation
that greets our ears and gladdens our
hearts as we gather for worship as the
baptized and redeemed people of God.
Come and join us for worship as we celebrate the joy of Easter. (On the following
page is a schedule of our Easter Sunday
Services).
Easter Joy to you,
Pastor Jim†
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE INVITES YOU TO
A NIGHT AT THE HORSE RACES
SATURDAY – MAY 30th – 5:00pm TO THE “LAST RACE”
ENJOY A BUS RIDE
FROM HOLY CROSS TO FAIRMOUNT PARK
FEATURING A BUFFET DINNER WHILE YOU WATCH THE HORSES. INSIDE
GROUP SEATING WITH A/C. $50.00 PER PERSON INCLUDES BUS, DINNER, SOFT
BEVERAGES, DESSERT, TAX, GRATUITIES AND ENTRY FEES. TICKETS WILL BE
AVAILABLE AFTER EASTER. WATCH FOR THE DISPLAY IN THE NARTHEX.
DEADLINE IS SUNDAY, APRIL 26. ENJOY THIS FUN AND EXCITING EVENING
WITH YOUR FRIENDS FROM HOLY CROSS. YOU CAN INVITE OTHERS, TOO.
Page 15
Church Business
Cross Currents
Egg-stra facts

Although Easter eggs were once part of pagan spring festivals, they’ve become
Christian symbols of new life. A cracked-open shell also represents Jesus’ empty
tomb on Easter morning.
• The early Christians of Mesopotamia began staining eggs red in honor of Jesus’
blood shed on the cross. Red eggs remain part of Greek Orthodox celebrations today.
• For Lent, some families used to give up eggs and dairy, so they prepared a pancake feast on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. They solved the egg
surplus by hard-boiling them in various broths, which led to colored eggs.
• In medieval times, churches held “egg-throwing” festivals. The priest threw a
hard-boiled egg toward the choir boys, who tossed it back and forth. When the
clock struck 12, whoever was holding the egg got to keep it.
• In some European countries, children go from house to house to collect Easter
eggs.
• Each year, the PAAS Dye Co. sells more than 10 million egg-coloring kits, which
consumers use to decorate 180 million eggs.
• The tallest chocolate Easter egg ever produced weighed 16,000 pounds — more
than an elephant!
NEWSLETTER/newsletter
Page 14
Your halo
is showing
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
The Banner Committee would like to
thank the Property Committee, namely
Steve Kuhlman, Patrick Goertzen, and
Bryce Mosher, for their help in hanging
the new banners in the stairwell. Their
careful measuring, fearless ladder climbing, and skillful hands have added so
much in the professional presentation of
the message of the banners.†
Clarence Jentes works quietly and tirelessly to maintain the perimeter of the
church grounds, trimming trees, cutting
brush, etc. We truly appreciate his selfless work!†
Articles for Cross Currents are due in the church
office by the 10th of the month.
Pastor
James R. Schack
314-628-9434
[email protected]
Director of Music
Administrative
Assistant
Joanne Way
[email protected]
Director of congregational Ministry
Dan Johnson
[email protected]
Church Council
Editor
[email protected]
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
Social Ministry
Family and Friends
1,000 jars of peanut butter
The SERVE Team is excited to place another challenge before the
congregation. We are collecting jars of peanut butter in support of
House of Hope, an orphanage in Haiti. House of Hope works with girls in one of the
poorest countries in the world. In addition to providing housing for girls, other services
are offered in the community. The parent organization is based in St. Ann, MO. One of
the biggest needs at the orphanage is peanut butter. We challenge the Holy Cross community to donate 1,000 jars of peanut butter during the month of April. The jars are being collected in the narthex.
In the future we can add other opportunities for service to House of Hope. Therefore,
we are looking for someone who has a real passion for helping children in need and is
willing to champion our relationship with House of Hope. Perhaps we can expand our
relationship into a partnership and sponsor adult mission trips to the orphanage at
some future date.
4.4
4.11
4.16
4.17
4.18
Paul & Donna Jackson
Mike & Edwina Kelley
John & Jan Caligiuri
William & Paula MacMann
Jim & Donna Harris
Did we miss your birthday or anniversary? If so, please contact Joanne Way at
[email protected] or
314-434-0546.†
We want to do more as a church in 2015. We need your help. We need your ideas. We
need YOU. Please prayerfully consider joining the SERVE Team or leading a service
project for Holy Cross.
Thanks for your support!
Dan Johnson†
“I lied on my Weight Watchers list. I put
down that I had three eggs ... but they
were Cadbury chocolate eggs.”
—Caroline Rhea
Page 4
Page 13
Family and Friends
Matt Napier – Eagle
Scout
Congratulations, Matt Napier!
On March 8, Matt received the highest
Scouting award possible, the Eagle Scout
Award. Matt worked several years to
earn 29 merit badges, including 13 required for Eagle Scout. Troop #283 honored him with a moving ceremony at the
Church of Christ in Maryland Heights.
He also received a special commendation
from State Representative Mary Nichols
and the Mayor of Bridgeton, Conrad W.
Bowers, on behalf of the City of Bridgeton.
Matt’s Eagle Scout project consisted of
designing and improving the grounds
adjacent to the west side of the Chapel
here at Holy Cross.†
Page 12
4.1
4.6
4.8
4.8
4.9
4.11
4.12
4.13
4.15
4.18
4.19
4.22
4.23
4.24
4.24
4.30
David Schack
Maureen McCracken
Carole Vierling
Riley Willen
Penny Rudolph
Susan Rockwell
Bud Niebling
Grayden Koestel
David Haas
Jean Fleck
Justin Emch
Preben Christensen
Carol Patoka
Wilbert Pajunen
Zane Erickson
Meta Senft
Social Ministry
A Baby Shower for Lutheran Family and Children’s Services, sponsored by the SERVE
Team, was held on Sunday, March 1. Church members gave numerous new items, as
well as monetary donations, for the children cared for through LFCS. The items were
enthusiastically received since new items are rarely received at LFCS. †
Cradle Roll Birthdays
CONNECT
4.24.13 Zane Erickson
Cradle Roll Baptismal Birthdays
4.29.12 Walter Raymond
Sunday School
Baptismal Birthdays
4.4.04 Daniel Dennison
4.14.02 Deirdre Jost
Everything we are doing in our Strategic Process is geared to helping us CONNECT
with those around us. As a church, it is vital that we think about how we can CONNECT people with Christ. CONNECT-ing is not the job of just a small group of people
on a committee; it is the responsibility of ALL of us at Holy Cross.
So, go forth and CONNECT, WELCOME, GROW, and SERVE.
Dan Johnson†
Page 5
Called to Grace
Social Ministry
Youth ministry
Exciting things are happening in youth
ministry! A meeting was held recently to
discuss the future of the youth program
at Holy Cross. Watch for new activities
and gatherings coming soon for students
in 5th grade and younger. Get involved!
The more people engaged, the more we
can accomplish. Please speak with me to
see how you can help.
How would YOU like to go on a mission
trip with Holy Cross? We are currently
looking at options for a church-wide mission trip in the summer of 2016. More
information will be coming soon.
On Youth Sunday, May 3, the young people of Holy Cross will be leading the
worship services, and we will have the
opportunity to hear from some of our
graduating seniors. Please plan to come
and support our youth on this special
occasion.
Blessings,
Dan Johnson†
Page 6
Can You Guess the
Hymn?
The face is part of the head, so that clue
was helpful as the third word in last
month’s “Can You Guess the Hymn?”
title. he other clue was that this hymn
was incorporated into the St. Matthew’s
Passion by J. S. Bach; thus, its a.k.a., the
Passion Chorale, may have led you to O
Sacred Head, Now Wounded, #351 in the
Lutheran Worship Hymnal.
This month’s hymn text was a poem
written by Henry van Dyke and inspired
by the Berkshire Mountains of western
Massachusetts. At the time, he was a
guest preacher at Williams College and
staying in the home of its president, Augustus Garfield. The poem and thus the
verses of the hymn express the thought
of the age. It is sung even today by people who are not afraid that science will
destroy religion or that any revolution on
earth would overthrow the kingdom of
heaven. Therefore it is a hymn of trust,
joy, and hope. It is often set to the tune of
Beethoven’s last symphony. The title
will appear in next month’s “Can You
Guess the Hymn?Ӡ
Using God’s crystal ball
If nothing else, this past month has pushed home the passage of time. First, we celebrated Dan’s 50th birthday—from surprise party to a tour of the local Frank Lloyd
Wright house. A mere two weeks later, our youngest (our twins) turned 18—another
significant birthday and a reminder that soon they will leave our home to establish
their own.
I remember well the day I found out that I was carrying twins. It was a complete surprise. Nothing before that day offered a clue to having two lives growing inside me. As
I got home from that ultrasound, my brain was filled with “what ifs” and “hows.” The
future was suddenly uncertain. It was a few hours before calm overtook me. It was
then I remembered that God had been with me and took care of me through everything
I’d ever been through. He would do the same now.
It was the usual question…what will their future bring? And, in faith, the answer is
HOPE. And so it is for all of us.
God has plans for us, each and every one of us. He doesn’t tell us how many days, or
what career, or how many children, or even if or who we are going to marry. We may
not know the specifics of what our future holds. However, there is not uncertainly as
God offers us a future. A future of hope.
Yours in Christ,
Jackie Johnson
Jeremiah 29.11 - For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans for welfare and
not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.†
Page 11
Music
Christian Education
Music notes
Christianity & World
Religions
A study of four major religions—Islam,
Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
We meet Sunday mornings at 9:45am in
Fellowship Hall.
Resources are a video by Adam Hamilton, Christianity and World Religions Wrestling with Questions People Ask, as
well as information from Lutheran publishing houses as we attempt to understand the beliefs and practices of other
major religions in light of our Christian
faith.
We live and work with people of other
faiths. What do they believe? How, as
Christians, should we respond to them?
Tentative Schedule
March 1 & 8-Islam ---------- April 5-no
class
March 15 & 22-Judaism -- April 12Hinduism
March 29-Hinduism -------- April 19 & 26Buddhism
G'Day Mate
Holy Cross
Vacation Bible School
2015
When:
Sunday April 19th, 9:30-10:45am
Sunday April 26th, 9:30-10:45am
Sunday May 3rd, VBS & Youth Day Celebration 9:30-10:45am
Sunday May 10th, VBS Game Day 9:3010:45am
Come 1 or all 4 Sundays!
Contact:
Phone: 314-434-0546
Email: mailto:[email protected]
Louis Victor Jules Vierne was born in Poitiers on October 8,
1870, and was related to the famed science fiction writer, Jules
Vierne. Nearly blind due to congenital cataracts, he developed an unusual gift for music at an early age. He heard a
Schubert lullaby at the age of two and was able to pick out
the notes of the tune on the piano. He did have sight but today would be “legally blind.” He was Paris Conservatoire-trained and served as assistant to C. M. Widor at Saint-Sulpice in Paris and later as the principal organist at Notre
Dame Cathedral.
The organ there was in quite a state of disrepair, so he embarked on an international
concert tour which included New York City’s famed Wannamaker Auditorium organ,
Chicago—and perhaps even St. Louis—to raise money to repair the organ. Vierne literally died giving a concert at the organ of Notre Dame. The accounts are that after selecting the stops for Triptyque Op. 58, he pitched forward and fell off the bench as his
foot hit the low E pedal. He lost consciousness as the single note echoed throughout the
church.
Vierne’s style was elegant and clean. His harmonies were rich, but not sentimental or
theatrical like Cesar Franck. His works include 24 fantasy pieces in four books which
he composed for his concert tour in North America, in addition to his well-known Carillon de Westminster, his organ symphonies with the “final” from Symphony No. 1, and 24
pieces in free style which gained their inspiration from his strolls during the week
soaking up the sights and sounds of the Paris streets. He would then compose pieces
based on these inspirations that he would play during the Offertory of the Catholic
Mass.
He was a well-respected teacher of the organ, and among his students were Maurice
Durufle, Olivier Messiaen, Marcel Dupre, and Jean Langlais. (Personal note and connection: One of my organ teachers studied with Jean Langlais).
Jack Hamill†
Page 10
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Calendar
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