October 1, 2023 Newsletter

Amazing Grace

How Sweet the Sound

Amazing Grace Sunday

October 1, 2023

Worship Service 10:30 a.m.

The Readings for Sunday October 1, 2023

Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32

Psalm 25:1-9

Philippians 2:1-13

Matthew 21:23-32

The Grace Facilities Use Ministry needs a couple of people to help let people into the building. It’s pretty simple as you’ll be assigned a door code and will unlock the meeting room for outside groups that meet at Grace. Help is not required every week but when we need it. While some meetings fall during the day, most are in early evening. Well show you how to lock and unlock the doors for Fellowship Hall and Brenner Hall. If interested call Rick Sharp at  (419) 283-3530.

Behind the scenes at Grace……

1. Have you checked out Blood On The Move outside the big church? We recently have had a unit of blood go to North Carolina! People have asked why blood is leaving Toledo when it is needed here. The reason is that blood does have a shelf life (like milk) and if there is a need it is much better to get it to somewhere where it can be used than let it expire. So check out the board to see where our blood has gone!
2. Yikes lights left on make our electric bill go up! PLEASE turn off the lights when done. Even if you weren’t the person turning them on. We have had lots of lights left on after services on Sunday and Wednesday.
3. Thanks to all who leave gifts of blankets and items outside the Parish Nurse door for Tent City. We are working hard to beat last year’s 47 blankets!
4. Remember: Grace is not the building of Grave but the people carrying out God’s mission!

Sunday Fellowship Time

In Brenner Hall after 10:30 worship

Reflections of Amazing Grace

By Vicar Dave

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound!

Today, we at Grace Lutheran Church celebrate Amazing Grace Sunday. But what  exactly are we celebrating? Is it that our church is amazing? Is it that there are amazing things happening here at Grace? I’d say that’s only part of what we’re celebrating. The reason that amazing things happen here and that our church is amazing is solely because of the amazing grace of God. I think that’s the most important part of our celebration today!

As I think of the great hymn of the church, “Amazing Grace”, I am reminded of one of the stanza about how it “saved a wretch, like me”. In Ephesians 2:1-8, the apostle Paul reminds the Christians at Ephesus that they have been saved from a life of sin and shame! How quickly we all forget that where we are now is not where we’ve always been. In our country today, there are many who have forgotten the dismal legacy of racial inequality and prejudice that permeated the fabric of our great land, and in many ways, still does. Remembering God’s Amazing Grace will cause us all  to consider that we have been delivered from the sin and shame of our past. Perhaps John Newton was contemplating this very thing when he penned the words to the great hymn “Amazing Grace”. He went from being a slave trader to becoming a   convert of Christ because of God’s Amazing Grace and now he declares, “I once was lost but now I’m found; was blind but now I see”. I believe that each of us should    reflect on where we were at a certain point in life before the amazing grace of God saved us from sin!

All of the things we do should be a response to the amazing and saving grace of God. The wonderful missions we support here at Grace Lutheran would not be possible were it not for the free gift of God’s grace to us. I’m talking about things like our Services at Oakleaf Village, where we take our joy over the gifts God has given us to folks who find it more difficult to come to our sanctuary to celebrate and worship on Sunday morning. Last year, at Christmas time, we also shared the joy of the season by going to the homes of some of our elderly brothers and sisters and singing Christmas carols with them. I hope that the Holy Spirit moves us to do that again this year, because I really felt God’s presence in that small ministry. I think the people whose homes we went to did also.

There are plenty of other things we do, as a congregation, that are pretty amazing. The blood drives we hold benefit people that may live in places some of us will never see. Our ongoing food drive and contributions to our blessing box help to feed people, most of whom we don’t know. Our work with the Children’s Rights Collaborative helps children establish and/or maintain relationships with parents whom they might otherwise not see. These are just some of the ways that we, as a congregation, bless the world by being God’s amazing grace.

May the Holy Spirit continue to guide to do continue to do these and other amazing things.

Healthy People! Healthy Parish!

Bugs and the Congregation !

Reports of the Flu and a rise in Covid are out. To protect the members and visitors at Grace we will start doing “air handshakes or high fives” and the “peace sign”  instead of Sharing of the Peace starting Sunday October 1.  We have done this  previously during the flu season and will continue until there is a decline in reported flu and Covid cases (which will probably be in the Spring). 

Do you have a birthday coming up?  Do you have everything you could ever need? How about asking your family and friends to donate Blood For you? Donor Birthday Cards will be located on the desk outside the Church Office.

Maybe some of this sounds familiar?

Do you have someone close to you who has a hearing  problem, or do you think you might have a hearing problem?

The sense of hearing is a vital link to our world – it is a source of pleasure, information and communication.

Hearing can be thought of as a system – two ears and the brain constantly taking in a wide variety of cues, and automatically, unconsciously and without effort identifying the sounds and locating where they are coming from. You can think of your brain as the center of hearing and listening. To interpret sounds correctly the information the brain receives must be accurate and as detailed as possible. So, when we are not hearing information, the brain does not always process the information correctly which results in us either not responding or our responses are way off.

Having a hearing loss often leaves people isolated as they don’t hear what is going on and/or are afraid to keep asking “what did you say”. Hearing loss has also been related to early dementia as well as depression.

So, what do you do? If you think you have a loss, see an audiologist to have your hearing checked – this is as important as getting your annual physical or having your dentist appointments.

With all the changes in styles of hearing aids they are much smaller and less obvious, so it is “totally cool” to wear them and most important be able to hear!

What else can you do to make hearing easier for yourself or others?

• Let people know you have hearing loss.
• If going to a restaurant – sit away from the kitchen and have your back to the wall to block out the background noise.
• Sit nearest the people you want to talk to.
• Let people know if they are talking too fast, too low.
• Make sure the lighting is good so you can see the person who is talking and some of us lip read.
• Turn off or down background noise like the radio or TV.
• Talk face to face and don’t cover your mouth.
• If a large group of people have one person talk at a time.
• Ask the person to rephrase what was said or to repeat it to make sure they understand.

Protect Hearing! This goes for all ages!

1. Wear hearing protection ear plugs or special sound reducing earmuffs at loud events or activities.
2. Keep a distance of 500 feet or more from loud noise sources.
3. Keep the volume to half on earbuds or headphones.
4. Take listening breaks when using earbuds or headphones – did you know that a research study was recently done that showed teenagers currently have 30% loss of hearing compared to 1990 studies and is thought to be related to earbuds and headphones!
5. If the noise causes ringing or makes your ears hurt leave the area.

Health  and Safety Committee Request

The Security Cameras have been installed and are being  monitored. We found that the camera that shows the view of the Monroe Street main entrance provides a view  of the front of the church but does not capture the front doors. We need to be able to monitor both the long view by the chapel with the current camera as well as the entrance doors for the safety and security of the congregation, visitors and the building. To enable us to view the doors we will need to purchase an additional camera . We are asking for the congregation to support this with special gifts. Please designate any gifts for the Security Cameras. If you have questions please contact members of the Security Camera Committee – Rick Sharp, David Charvat and Gretchen Hiatt.

This is the day the Lord has made.

Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

~Psalm 118:24