and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.
~Mark 9:37
Children’s Sermon to resume at Grace!
The children’s sermon will resume at Grace on September 26 and we are looking for volunteers to do the children’s sermon. If you would be interested in participating in this ministry please contact Mary Schneider at 419.262.0730. It would be great to have several volunteers to do this so the children have a variety of speakers and styles. There are resources online that can give helpful suggestions for topics, however current events or any of the readings for the day can be topics as well. The readings are available far in advance if you wish to use one. Thank you for considering participating in this important ministry at Grace!
Food for Toledo Update
by Mary Schneider
August 17 – August 30 – 239 pounds of food was collected for the Food for Toledo program. This gives us a total of 4313 pounds of food for the year. That is over 2 tons! Thank you very much to everyone who donates to this program whether in food, monetarily, or by prayer.
I had the opportunity to go behind the scenes at Aldersgate’s Food Pantry. A very small room is filled with labeled shelving holding food, a small chest freezer, a table and cupboards. The small chest freezer holds the frozen meat that is given out to clients and the table holds the bags that will be given out. The day I visited there were also loaves of bread, bags of potatoes and other fresh bagged vegetables that would be given out to each client. (Aldersgate is currently looking for a rolling bin that will hold the fresh vegetables and/or fruit that is distributed.) Tamara Bennett, the part-time secretary and lay minister at Aldersgate, shops at various stores to get the best prices for these items. Volunteers from Aldersgate as well as community members learning life skills distribute the food twice a month.
On the wall is a list that indicates the food that each client receives every two weeks. This list includes 1 jar peanut butter (Aldersgate gets this free from the Food Bank), 1 jar of jelly, 1 box spaghetti noodles, 1 jar of spaghetti sauce, 2 cans of fruit, 2 cans of vegetables, 2 cans of soup, 1 can of tuna or chicken, 1 dozen eggs, 1 bottle of juice or pack of drink mix, 1 box of cereal, 1 box of macaroni and cheese (free from the Food Bank).
So as you can see Grace is an integral part of the Aldersgate Food Pantry and I am very proud to be a part of it as members of Grace should be!
Rally Day Last Sunday
We installed Connie Thomas as our Sunday School teacher, and Bob Haaf as our Bible Study leader. We also welcomed children back to Sunday School. Please join us for Sunday school and for Bible study!
What got left out of the sermon on September 12? A LOT! So much is going on in Mark 8.27-38 that it would take a two hour sermon to deal with it all even half-way adequately – and that’s if the preacher completely ignores the texts from Isaiah and James, and the first part of Psalm 116.
- This is the first time that Jesus mentions his impending death and resurrection, and the disciples understand him well enough to object, but when he mentions it again in the next chapter, “they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.” What’s up with that?
- There’s Jesus saying, “Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Is this generation the same as that one? And what will it mean if he’s ashamed of us? Will that separate us from him entirely?
Mostly, though (mostly to me, anyway), there’s Jesus’ invitation to discipleship, and what it means: “He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’”
The fact that this is for veterans as well as newbies was not left out on Sunday. Those of us who have been baptized for decades are invited again, each day, to follow. We don’t become members of the Jesus movement, and then use our membership cards as a substitute for living out the values of the kingdom of God. That’s not an option.
And what is this cross that we are to take up? All my life, I’ve been hearing it used to refer to some painful or troublesome thing that you can’t get out of. It just happens to you. My kid is turning out badly? “That’s just my cross to bear.” I have hearing loss? “It’s a cross I have to bear.” My next door neighbor’s dog barks all night? That just my cross …” Um, no. It’s not.
Two obvious things distinguish Jesus’ cross from those admittedly significant burdens. One is that it’s optional. Jesus could have gotten out of it. He could have stayed out of Jerusalem, or, when he went to Jerusalem, he could have behaved differently. He didn’t have to throw the animal sellers and currency traders out. He didn’t have to antagonize the scribes and elders. He chose to. And, after that supper with the twelve, he could have left town under cover of darkness, gone a safe distance away, and kept his head down. He could have gotten out of it.
The second is that he took up that cross for the sake of people who despised him. As Paul writes, “while we were [God’s] enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his son.” Jesus died for the benefit of those who condemned him to die, and those who nailed him up, and those who taunted him while he hung there.
Still want to take up your cross, today, and follow him? If you can answer yes, I think it’s because the Holy Spirit is at work in you.
What do you think?
Just living is not enough.
One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.
(Hans Christian Anderson)
The return of fellowship hour!!!!!
Our fellowship hour started again on Sunday, September 12th. Please join us in fellowship hall after the 9:30 service and before the 11:30 service. Thank you to the following members who have offered to hostess for the month of September and October.
September 19 – Cindy Wood and Mary Schneider
September 26 – Debbie Downs and Grace Peterson.
October 3 – Brenda Holderman and Janet Moore
October 10 – Jan Dustman and Karlene Jaquillard
October 17 – Gretchen Hiatt and Nancy Lockard
Baptism Sunday September 19, 2021
Baptism of Ragnar Ritter Dye – son of Amanda and Justin Heckel.
But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” -Matthew 19:14
- We can see again! The burned-out lights have been replaced in Brenner and the Sanctuary.
- It is definitely cooler – we can hear the squirrels running track on the roof and they sound like they have gained a little weight!!!
- The garden by the office has been weeded and definitely looks better!!!
- Don’t forget to let the office know if your group is resuming scheduled meetings – the calendar is starting to fill up! The Calendar is now being included in the weekly Newsletter online.
- The “Loving Monster” (alias giant TV) will be used for the Fall Synod Assembly Virtual Meeting on Friday September 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm. We are gathering at 5:30 pm for Pizza! Come and join us to find out what is on the Synod agenda. Please let the office know if you are going to join the Pizza party so we have enough!
- Wow! The Flower cross was beautiful this last Sunday – thanks to all who brought flowers! We only had a few stems of that “sneezing” Golden Rod (Bob Haaf and Cindy Redrup were happy about this). The Cross also graced second service!
- Fellowship Hour also resumed this last Sunday thanks to Sue Wagner and her team!! It was nice for all of us including the Praise Team and second service to get together!
- School is back and there are hungry kids coming home after school as well as hungry adults. Don’t forget about our Food Pantry collection on Mondays by Brenner Hall. Thanks to Mary Schneider for manning the collection table and delivering all the food to Aldersgate! If you are unable to stop on Monday, there is a bin across from the office.
- The other outreach that Grace has is Personal Needs. The ministry team can always use personal items like toilet paper, toothpaste and brushes, shampoo, hand lotion, detergent. There is a bin across from the office for donations.
- Remember: Grace is not the building but the people of Grace doing God’s Mission!
An Idiom:
I’m under the weather. In the days of sailing, when a sailor was sick, he would be sent below deck, literally “under the weather”
Are You Listening?
Communication is key to everything – what we tell our MD’s, how we talk with our kids, grandkids, neighbors and even our church family. It is not only important in talking but also understanding.
The game of telephone is a great example of why communication is important. The message that was given by the first person would be so completely different by the time it was received by the 3rd or 4th person and sometimes even with the 2nd person.
A big part of this is listening.
How to be a better listener!
Put your phone away.
- Nothing tells another person you’re not listening more than constantly checking your phone. Even if you think you can do two things at once and still listen while you are checking messages it sends a message to the speaker you are not interested. They will probably speak less, making it hard to connect which is so important. Silence the phone and put in purse or pocket. If you do not have a place to put it, put it face-down in front of you.
- Use body language to communicate that you are interested in what the person has to say. When you talk with someone, it’s not just about the words. Your body language should also show that you are listening.
Some examples include:
- Looking at the person’s face an eyes
- Nodding your head every so often
- Sitting or standing so that you are facing them
Body language that shows you are not interested or paying attention:
- Tapping fingers or feet
- Crossing arms over chest
- Eyes wandering all over the place
3.Listen more than you speak
If the person talking tells you of event so their thoughts and feelings, hold onto the urge to give your own opinion. Many people just want to talk and simply vent their feelings or to think through things by talking. They may not always want to hear your advice.
4.Ask questions
As a good listener your goal is to understand the other person, not to push your agenda. One way is encourage the other person to talk more is to ask questions.
You may need to ask questions to clarify that things that are not clear to you and sometimes it helps the speaker clarify their own thoughts or feelings.
It is Ok to say I did not understand what you were saying.
- Summarize what you think you hear.
This is part of the paying attention to what the speaker was saying.
You can say “what I hear you say is …. is that correct?”. It is way to make sure you are hearing correctly and tells the speaker that you really are listening to them.
This also helps to make sure the information is correct.
- Wait until the other person is done before you speak.
As you listen, you may need to force yourself to stay quiet until the other person stops talking or asks you a question. Many of us have developed the habit of interrupting others. How many times are you thinking about an answer or response and jump in on the middle of the other persons conversation? You can really miss a lot when you jump in before a person is done.
These are all great ways to be a really good listener. Good listening skills help us to hear information correctly! This is not only important in everyday conversations but also those with medical people.
Choices and Your Brain!
We already know that certain foods and a permanent indentation on your couch are not good for the brain. According to Caldwell (Neuropsychologist at the Cleveland Clinic) there are some other things we do that are not good for the brain. The good news is that these can be changed for the good.
- You accentuate the negative.
Ruminating (going over and over) on grudges, resentments, and negative thoughts won’t just keep a person in a pessimistic mood -it has also been linked to a decline in cognition and memory in people 55 and older. (Alzheimer’s and Dementia Journal).
What can you do?
- Make a list of 5 specific things you are grateful for
- Take some deep breaths, focus on something different -go outside enjoy nature and take a deep breath
- Greet a negative thought when it pops up with “hello” and then say “goodbye”.
2. You skip your vaccines – there is research being conducted that receiving the flu shot and other vaccines like pneumonia may play a role in not developing Alzheimer’s.
3.You drink sugary beverages like sweet tea, pop and even juices. Consuming sugary drinks may lead to spiking blood sugar and exaggerated insulin response which may trigger chronic inflammation of the brain (A. Fenn,MD)
- You have unhealthy sleep habits. According to the Global Council on Brain Health quality sleep is crucial to a sharp and productive mind. Consistency is one important marker of good sleep – go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. Long term stress and caffeine or alcohol as well as a room that is not cool or dark enough can interfere with sleep.
- You crank up headphones. If someone else can hear the noise from your head phones or ear buds, then it is too loud. If you are standing within 3 feet of someone and cannot hear them because of the noise around you, it is way too loud. It might be worth carrying a set of earplugs if at a loud sports event or other loud program (church is not included) .
- You don’t have a sense of purpose. If you are feeling a loss of purpose, find something to do – volunteer, find a new passion, – something new or different. Join WELCA, volunteer – there are all sorts of opportunities to volunteer. Try a new hobby, game or sports.
Ketchup Group Update!
Mark your calendar – our next group get together is Monday September 20th from 11:00 am -12:00 noon.
Our program will be presented by the Buffalo Soldiers. Come find out what they are all about and what great work they are doing! We have a short devotion and the program and of course all Lutheran gatherings need to have treats!
Ketchup groups for October will be Monday October 11 and Monday October 25. So, hold those dates and mark your calendars!!!
It is a fine time to get together!!
October 15th is another important date!
Red Cross will hang out in Brenner Hall from 2:00 pm – 7:30 pm to collect and help replenish the Blood Supply.
Many hospitals in the United States are delaying elective surgeries due to the very limited blood supply. Please if you can or family or friends can donate blood. One unit helps a minimum of 3 people.
Any questions please call Gretchen 419-944-5166 or email
gretchensue1205@gmail.com .
Lets fill those spots!
This is the day the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
~Psalm 118:24
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