This is the day the Lord has made.

Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

~Psalm 118.24

 

Pastor’s Thoughts:

Worship is central to the life of a community of faith. When we gather to pray, to sing, to receive mercy and forgiveness, to join in fellowship, to hear the Word, and to receive the Lord’s Supper we connect with each other and with Christians around the world, joined by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.

I experienced this so powerfully in Serbia. We gathered with people from the Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Augsburg Confession for a dedication service and an anniversary celebration in Novi Sad, and we worshipped with the people of Stara Pazova and its sister congregation outside of town on 26 June. I was blessed to preach in these places, and to be welcomed as a child of God, together with Ron Hiatt and our other companions from the Northwestern Ohio Synod.

We sang with gusto! Some of the tunes were familiar (A Mighty Fortress and How Great Thou Art, to name a couple), even if the Slovak words were not. The rhythm of worship felt familiar—gathering prayer, Word, hymns, prayer, blessing—even if the words were not. The Spirit moved among us, and we praised our God together as the children of God—joined by the love of God in Jesus. The energy and the power of the presence of God was powerful. I felt nourished, inspired, and loved. Worship (even without Communion) was well over an hour, and I did not even notice, so powerful was the feeling of being in the presence of the sacred.

That is why we gather in the name of Jesus. When we lift our voices to give thanks, we are reminded of how much God loves us; no matter what language we use, what prayers we offer, or what hymns we sing. We are fed and nourished, and we give a small portion of our time back to the One who gave everything so that we might have life and have it abundantly.

I am grateful for the reminder of the far-reaching love of our God, and grateful to the people we met, whose own joy in worship filled me up and reminded me what a joy and a privilege it is when the people of God gather together.

In Christ,

Pastor Brenda

 

Active Shooter Program! 

Thursday August 4 at 5:00 pm

This guy wants to know what is going on and wants to be prepared to take care of his family and flock and keep them safe, so he does not have his head buried in the sand.

If you are the lead of a group meeting at Grace, please attend the program. We hope to never have a situation but should we you will know how to keep your group and others safe. All members are invited.

Please sign up on the Community Bulletin Boards so we can make sure we have enough space, food and possible handouts. Any questions please see Gretchen.

 

Operation Christmas Child

July – Bar Soap – Ivory preferred and/or pencil sharpeners

 

Opportunities to meet with Pastor Brenda

These times are a good opportunity to visit with Pastor, ask questions,

and share your dreams for grace!

Tuesday July 19 at 9:00 a.m.

Wednesday July 20 at 6:15 p.m.

Sunday July 24 after 9:30 a.m. worship

 

Fellowship Time

Thank you to all who help!

July 17th – Brenda Holderman, Joyce O’ Brien, Janet Moore

July 24th – Mary Schneider, Cindy Wood

July 31th – Contemporary team

 

Behind the scenes at Grace…by Gretchen
  1. The church was definitely alive with not only the sound of music but the voices of VBS this last week! Thanks to all the awesome teachers and volunteers!!!!
  2. This last Sunday we had the Outdoor Contemporary Service! Thanks to the Contemporary Team for the great music! Thanks to Mary Schneider and crew for the great picnic! Another thanks to all who brought the totally scrumptious food! It was totally awesome to see old and new faces and enjoy the fellowship!
  3. Thanks to Emma and Lucas Rubley for showing us how to truly enjoy an outside service and providing musical accompaniment! We also had voice   accompaniment from Mary Schneider’s grandson Sampson! It is great to hear God’s kids!
  4. Footprints in the sand! There is a wonderful poem! However, we are currently graced with footprints on the carpet. The plan is to have them (fingers crossed) to disappear not with the ocean but the carpet cleaner!
  5. The Toledo Police frequently take their break in our parking lot. This last week we were also able to see the K-9 cruiser come into the parking lot back corner and take a break. We watched as the door open and out hops a beautiful German Shepard. He (we think it was  a he) was having a great time stretching and tracking a squirrel around the parking lot back corner. And no, he did not leave a business for us to pick up. How great to see such a wonderful    animal – we can also add him to our Grace menagerie.
  6. We are still looking for empty peanut butter jars!
  7. It looks like our days of flying plastic and foam are over. It seems that the furniture store next door is closed. Now we are only being graced with grocery bag kites when the wind blows.
  8. Remember: Grace is not the building but the people of Grace carrying out God’s Mission.

 

Healthy People! Healthy Parish!

Do you enjoy seeing a cardinal, a ladybug, a red monkey at the zoo, a red rose, a red-hot rod, a red strawberry, and of course a Swedish Fish?

We hope the answer is a big “YES”! We often take all this “stuff” for granted but there are times when people do not get to enjoy any of these.

Do you know how to give people the opportunity to enjoy?

If you guessed giving Blood, you are on track!

The need is still there – there was an article in the Blade last week about the ongoing need.

Grace is fortunate to be a donation site and the Red Cross enjoys coming to our church due to the kindness of the people as well as the space.

Please help 3 people and give at the next drive on Wednesday October 5th from 1-6.

The schedule is open and you can register on the website, call the Red Cross or give Gretchen a call and she can help get you  scheduled.

Please give back to our community and help others!!

 

 

Summer Bugs!

There are some we love!  Like ladybugs, dragonflies, butterflies and even moths!

Then there are those we are not so fond of – bees, ants, ticks, wasps and those pesky flies!

What can you do to be not so attractive to these bugs?

  • Don’t wear perfume or use scented soap. Even some laundry soaps, dryer sheets, and laundry scent beads leave a long-acting scent. Some insects are attracted to these sweet scents.
  • Stay away from areas where there is sitting water as bugs like mosquitoes hang out there.
  • Heavily wooded areas and areas with high grass can be loaded with ticks which can carry Lyme disease
  • This is tough but if you can avoid bright colored clothing like bright flowery prints. Bees and hornets could think you are a wonderful flower loaded with pollen.
  • Use the appropriate bug repellent. Read carefully and check for DEET concentrations. Higher concentrations last for a longer time. Choose one depending on how long you need to protect yourself. Repellents containing DEET should not be used on children younger than age 6.
  • If you are going to be in a wooded or grassy area wear appropriate clothes. Pants and long-sleeved shirts are best. Tuck your pants legs into socks so no area is    exposed. Once back inside take a shower to wash off the repellent and it may wash away any ticks that have not attached themselves to you.
  • DO a tick check – check waist, head, belly button, arms and legs.
  • Walking barefoot in grass can be asking for a heap of trouble from a angry bee or wasp.
  • Treat your bite or sting. Try if red or raised, 1) Apply an ice pack for 10-15 minutes 3-4 times a day, 2) Take Benadryl for itching. Although not common bites do not usually become infected, and it usually takes a few days. If any question about call and talk with your MD about.
  • Know the signs of having a potentially dangerous anaphylactic (rapidly progressing allergic) reaction to a bite. These most often happen with bee, wasp and hornet bites. Hives, swelling of face eyes, tongue and lips, throat tightness, difficulty breathing, vomiting or feeling lightheaded, or faint are all signs of a potentially dangerous reaction so please call 911 ASAP!
  • Don’t mess with ant hills as most people will not have an allergic reaction, they can inflict a stinging nuisance bite.
  • Cover food to avoid flies making a landing as they also carry bacteria!
OH, MY I HAVE A TICK ON ME!!!!!

How to safely remove a tick: The best method is to grasp it with tweezers as close to skin as possible and pull up gently. Never use gasoline, kerosene, petroleum jelly,   fingernail polish or matches to kill or drive a tick out once it has become embedded in your skin.

STAY TUNED NEXT WEEK!  Lyme not lemon disease highlights!

 

What a joyful day it was Sunday  July 10 as we praised God outside with music, prayer and his Word!

Thank you to all who helped setup for the band and to put it all back! Big job!

A wonderful lunch was prepared for us afterwards and was so good!

What a treat to be able to join in fellowship with one another!

Thank you to all who helped put this together.

 

 

This is the day the Lord has made.

Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

~Psalm 118:24