THE MESSENGER

THE MESSENGER
DER BOTE
First Evangelical Lutheran Church
Erste Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche
116 Bond Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1X8
www.firstlutherantoronto.com
Tel. (416) 977-4786
Juli/July/August 2009
Ein Wort von Pastor Christian /Message from Pastor Christian
Vom Schreibtisch des Pastors
“Herzlich Willkommen in unserer
Kirche”
Erinnern
Sie
sich
noch
daran, als
Sie zum
letzten
Mal
in
eine Ihnen
fremde
Kirche
gegangen sind?
Wie sind Sie begrüßt worden? War
jemand da, der ‚Hallo’ gesagt hat? Jemand, der
Ihnen ein paar andere Mitglieder vorgestellt hat?
Hat Ihnen jemand den Gottesdienst erklärt, und
Ihnen geholfen den Gottesdienstablauf im
Gesangbuch zu finden? Hat Sie jemand zum
Kirchkaffee eingeladen und Sie bei der Hand
genommen, den Raum auch zu finden?
Meine letzten Erfahrungen mit anderen
Kirchen waren leider nicht immer so gut. In einer
Kirche haben sich die Menschen um mich herum
freudestrahlend begrüßt und sich in die Arme
genommen, haben miteinander geplaudert und
gelacht, nur für mich hat sich keiner interessiert.
Nachdem ich dann nach dem Gottesdienst den
Raum, in dem es Kirchkaffee gab, gefunden
hatte, stand ich allein herum und musste die
Erfahrung
machen,
dass
die
Gruppen
geschlossen beieinander im Kreis standen und
mir keine Möglichkeit gegeben haben, mich dazu
From the Desk of the Pastor
Welcome to our Church!
Do you remember the last time you went into an
unfamiliar church? How were you greeted? Was
there anyone who said hello?
Was there
someone who introduced you to a few other
members? Did someone explain the order of
service to you and did someone help you find the
order of service in the hymnal?
My last few experiences at other churches were
unfortunately not always so positive. In one
church the people around me greeted each other
radiant with joy, embraced each other, talked and
laughed with each other. It was just that no one
was interested in me. Following the service after
I had finally found out where the coffee hour was,
I stood there alone and realized that people stood
in groups in closed circles and did not give me a
chance to join them. In Germany there is a saying
that a nice back can also be delightful, but the
feeling of being excluded is not a nice one.
The feedback I get from people who are guests in
our congregation is actually very positive. Many
people feel that we are an open and welcoming
congregation. Nonetheless guests do come,
tourists who are on vacation or even people
looking for a congregation who leave after the
service and who have not exchanged a word with
anyone from the congregation. Wouldn’t it be
nice if we gave everyone the feeling that they are
important to us and that we have appreciated
their visit to us and that we are happy to see
them?
For this reason the Christian Education
Committee and I would like to put together a
zu stellen. Man sagt zwar in Deutschland „Auch
ein schöner Rücken kann entzücken“, aber das
Gefühl zu haben, ausgeschlossen zu werden ist
nicht so schön.
Die Rückmeldungen, die ich von Gästen
unserer Gemeinde höre, sind sehr positiv. Die
Gemeinde wird von Vielen als offen und
einladend empfunden. Doch trotzdem passiert es
immer wieder, dass Gäste kommen, Touristen auf
Urlaub, aber auch Menschen, die nach einer
Gemeinde suchen, und nach dem Gottesdienst
wieder gehen, ohne ein Wort mit einem von uns
gewechselt zu haben. Wäre es nicht schön, wenn
wir allen, die zu uns kommen, das Gefühl
vermitteln könnten, dass sie uns wichtig sind,
dass wir sie wahrgenommen haben und dass wir
uns freuen, dass sie da sind?
Aus diesem Grund möchten das Christian
Education Committee und ich eine Gruppe von
Menschen zusammenstellen, die sich bereit
erklären einmal im Monat den Dienst zu
übernehmen, Gäste bei uns willkommen zu
heißen.
Zu den Aufgaben gehört es:
- 15 Minuten vor dem Gottesdienst da zu sein.
- Gäste anzusprechen, sich ihnen vorzustellen.
- sie zu fragen, ob sie heute zum ersten Mal bei
uns zu Gast sind.
- bereit zu sein, Fragen zu beantworten.
- ihnen nach dem Gottesdienst vielleicht den
einen oder anderen vorzustellen.
- sie zum Kirchkaffee mit nach unten zu nehmen.
- sie mit Informationen über unsere Gemeinde
(Broschüre, newsletter) zu versehen.
- sie einzuladen wieder zu kommen.
Natürlich wollen wir keinen Gast überfallen
oder bedrängen (stellen Sie sich vor, Sie sind
Gast in einer fremden Gemeinde und jemand
kommt auf Sie zu und will Sie erst einmal
umarmen - jak), sondern sie im Namen unseres
Herrn, Jesus Christus, freundlich willkommen
heißen.
Bitte melden Sie sich bei mir oder Ute
Zander, wenn Sie bereit sind, diesen wichtigen
Dienst zu übernehmen. Zur Vorbereitung werden
wir ein kleines Einführungsseminar durchführen.
Bitte
achten
Sie
auf
den
nächsten
Gemeindeboten.
Ihr Pastor Christian
group of people, who are willing to meet and
greet guests once a month. Some of the duties
include:
• Being at church 15 minutes early.
•
Speaking
yourself.
•
Asking them if they are here for the first
time as a guest.
•
Being there to answer any questions the
people may have.
•
Introducing them to some members of the
congregation.
•
Taking them downstairs to the coffee hour.
•
Giving them information
about our
congregation (brochure, newsletter).
•
Inviting them to come back.
to guests and introducing
Obviously we do not want to overwhelm them or
hassle them (imagine you are a guest at another
congregation and someone comes up to you and
wants to embrace you ...yuk!). We want to
welcome them in the name of our Lord, Jesus
Christ.
Please speak to either Ute Zander or myself if
you are willing to take on this important task. We
shall do a small introductory seminar as
preparation. Watch for more information in our
next newsletter.
Your Pastor Christian
Around the Parish
We would like to congratulate everyone with a
birthday in July and August. In particular we
would like to congratulate John Ulrich, Irmgard
Schweska, Anne Marie von Bargen, Manfred
Schwarz, Irmgard Bauch, Caroline Santowski,
Wanda Bartolicius, Herbert Balsmeier, Don
Hackenschmidt, Douglas Shield, Elfriede Meyer
and Alvine Hilbrecht.
On June 7 Pastor Schweter baptized Thien-Kim
Nguyen in the English service. May God’s grace
be with him.
Rund um die Gemeinde
Herzlichen Glückwunsch an alle unsere
Geburtstagskinder im Juli und August.
Insbesondere gratulieren wir John Ulrich, Irmgard
Schweska, Anne Marie von Bargen, Manfred
Schwarz, Irmgard Bauch, Caroline Santowski,
Wanda Bartolicius, Herbert Balsmeier, Don
Hackenschmidt, Douglas Shield, Elfriede Meyer
und Alvine Hilbrecht.
Am 7. Juni wurde Thien-Kim Nguyen im
englischen Gottesdienst getauft. Wir wünschen
ihm Gottes Segen.
A heartfelt “Thank You” to all who volunteered to
make the paint project in the basement possible:
Dora Kertesz, Jan Schweter & Kristan, Lydia
Falkenberg, Alice Buttke, Harald Hartmann, Adhi
Susilo, Valter Veselaj, the Brunzema family, Stephanie
von Bargen, Sabine Schweter, Helen Ficycz & Kerry,
the Wong family, Adam … & Kim Nguyen and Karin
and David Berg.
A special thanks goes to Dennis Miles, Wolfgang Hock,
Irmgard Kolossa and Waldemar Fischer, who spent
many hours in the basement, painting, preparing the
walls and taking care of the hungry stomachs.
Pastor Christian
Ganz herzlichen Dank an alle, die geholfen haben im Untergeschoss zu streichen.
Dora Kertesz, Jan Schweter & Kristan, Lydia Falkenberg, Alice Buttke, Harald Hartmann,
Adhi Susilo, Valter Veselaj, die Brunzema Familie, Stephanie von Bargen, Sabine Schweter,
Helen Ficycz & Kerry, die Wong Familie, Adam … & Kim Nguyen und Karin und David Berg.
Ganz besonderen Dank gilt Dennis Miles, Wolfgang Hock, Irmgard Kolossa und Waldemar
Fischer, die viel Zeit damit verbrachten, die Wände vorzubereiten, zu streichen und auch
Essen vorzubereiten.
Pastor Christian
Protestants celebrate Calvin’s 500 Birthday
“There is no swearing and slandering”, an Italian Protestant wrote enthusiastically from his
Geneva home.” Charity is in abundance, so that the poor do not need to beg (...) Disputes
before courts have been banned from the city. The drawback of this: Members of the
consistory visited every household in Geneva and relentlessly noted every deviation from
Calvin’s orders.
Women who styled their hair up in a very modern style, family fathers who gave their children
names from the Catholic saint’s calendar were sent off to jail. Adultery was punished by death
and in one single year 14 supposed witches were burned at the stake.
It is a strange phenomenon: John Calvin, the educated lawyer, who later became a pastor,
fascinated others with his dark sermons of abysmally human wickedness and of an angry,
cold lack of charity which condemned some to paradise and others to eternal fire.
His reformed church produced one of the strongest personalities in Christendom. It was
exactly the fanatical sermons about the selection of the few which comforted the Protestants
who were being strongly and bloodily persecuted. It filled them with the power of belief and
gave them strength. This is how present day church historians explain his success.
John Calvin was born on July 10, 1509 in the north of France in Noyon. He studied in Paris
and Orleans, grew to appreciate Luther’s doctrines and stopped his theological studies. He
fled to Geneva and there became a preacher of the Reformation.
In Geneva he established a draconian city regiment which was completely based on the
Gospel and on his own moral insights, and at the same time established an excellent level of
education. Calvin kept reminding the state that it was only the second to last authority for
human life (God being the ultimate) and that people, in the likeness of God, should be
protected in their dignity and that their rights should be protected.
Today up to one million Christians belong to the Reformed Church. Calvin’s merit was that he
emphasized the fact that human beings were bound only to God and that he emphasized the
always fluctuating influence of the Gospel on society and politics. Calvin exchanged letters
with Luther but Calvin enjoyed an international reputation as a reformer distinct from Martin
Luther. This influenced the history of freedom and democracy of the Western world
substantially. (Christian Feldmann)
Please note that the German services will start at 10:00 a.m. starting
July 5 and that the English Services will start at 11:00 a.m. This will be
for the duration of the summer until late August.
A Visit to the ROM: Dead Sea Scrolls
Dear friends!
Starting the end of June the ROM will host an exhibition of the Dead Sea Scrolls for six
months, a most important discovery about sixty years ago. The scrolls give a very good
insight in the Deliverance of the Old Testament and the life at the time of Jesus.
It's a must see!
In addition they have a lecture series going on, which has some very interesting topics.
I wonder if you would be interested in a guided tour of the exhibition on Sunday July 19.
We'll have a combined service on July 19 and could have lunch in the church afterwards
and then visit the exhibition.
Admission for adults is $22 + $5 for the guide. (Children 4 - 14 = $10.50; seniors and students
[15-17] pay $19).
Minimum size of the group has to be 20 for a guided tour.
Please let me know if you are interested to participate in this event,
so I can start planning ahead. (Pastor Christian Schweter)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ausflug zum ROM: Dead Sea Scrolls
Liebe Freunde
Im ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) findet gerade eine Ausstellung über die Schriftrollen vom
Toten Meer statt. Diese waren vor etwa 50 Jahren eine wichtige Entdeckung.. Die
Schriftrollen geben uns eine gute Einsicht in die Ueberieferung des Alten Testaments und
auch in das Leben zur Zeit Jesus.
Man muss sie unbedingt sehen! Zusätzlich gibt es eine Vorlesungsreihe mit vielen
interessanten Themen.
Ich schlage vor, dass wir am Sonntag, den 19. Juli einen gemeinsamen Gottesdienst
machen, einen kurzen Imbiss in der Kirche einnehmen und dann zu der Ausstellung gehen.
Eintritt für Erwachsene ist $22.00 plus $5.00 für die Führung. (Kinder 4-14 zahlen $10.50 und
Senioren und Studenten (15-17) zahlen $19.00.
Mindest Groesse der Gruppe mit Führung muss 20 Leute sein.
Wenn sie mitmachen wollen, wenden Sie sich bitte an Pastor Schweter, oder rufen Sie im
Büro an. (Pastor Christian Schweter)
Summer Worship schedule for July and August
Please note the new summer times. The German service starts at 10:00
a.m. and the English service starts at 11:00 a.m.
July 5
10:00 German Communion Service
11:00 English Service of Word and Prayer
July 12
10:00 German Worship Service
11:00 English Communion Service
July 19
10:00 Combined Worship Service
followed by a Bratwurst Lunch
and a visit of the ROM
July 26
10:00 German Worship Service
11:00 English Communion Service
August 2
10:00 German Communion Service
11:00 English Service of Word and Prayer
August 9
10:00 German Worship Service
11:00 English Communion Service
August 16
10:00
Combined Worship Service
August 23
10:00
11:00
German Worship Service
English Communion Service
August 30
10:00
Combined Worship Service
Sunday School only during the combined service on July 19th.
Meetings
July 8
July 9
Church Council
Outreach Committee
Impressions from Our Church Picnic
On June 14th we held our annual Church Picnic
at High Park. The weather was great
(although it was a bit cool in the shade of the
shelter), the location good (just a bit too close
to the street) and we had a lot of fun together.
The worship service was about “the journey of
life”.
the backpack. Pastor Christian explained the
use of a compass to the children (and some of
the adults), adding that our relationship to Jesus
is like a compass, which always points to the
North. As long as we keep our focus on Jesus
Christ, we don’t have to worry that we might
get lost.
Singing,
a
great
potluck lunch with
Bratwurst from the
BBQ, games and time
to talk and relax made
the picnic a wonderful
day for about 40
people.
After a short - but loud - exchange which the
best vacation has been so far and where one
still would like to go some time, Pastor
Christian asked the congregation what they
would pack for a journey.
He packed himself a
couple of things in his
backpack.The children
helped to find out
what was in there.
Sunhat, umbrella,
guide, map, snacks,
drink, compass and a
game emerged from
Our youngest participant:
Linnea Pfrommer
And some of our older participants:
Make sure to be part of the next picnic!