Ascension Lutheran Church Ascension Cheyenne, WY 82009 ......Mar 03, 2017 · and Gaela Young...
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Ascension Storey Cheyenne, Wyoming ascensioncheyenne.org March 2017 Ascension Lutheran Church Ascension Lutheran Church 712 Storey Boulevard Cheyenne, WY 82009 307-634-6575 [email protected] Return Service Requested NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID CHEYENNE, WYOMING PERMIT NO. 61 Church Council Meeting Highlights February 9 Officer elections The following new officers were elected: Jerry Zang, president; Tim Leberman, vice president; Katie Wisdom, secretary; and Patti Riesland, treasurer. Treasurer’s report Outgoing treasurer Kim Strand presented her final report, which was accepted. Funds are coming in for the Dr. Don Iverson memorial. Pastor’s report • Pastor is joining the synod’s Caring for Creation Committee. According to the ELCA’s social statement: “‘Caring for Creation’ expresses a call to pursue justice for creation through active participation, solidarity, sufficiency and sustainability, and states the commit- ments of the ELCA for pursuing wholeness for creation—commitments expressed through individual and community action, worship, learning, moral deliberation and advocacy.” • Pastor attended the bishop’s retreat in Thermopolis. • A Lutheran/Catholic prayer service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 22, at Our Savior Lutheran in Casper. Committee reports • The Building and Grounds Committee reported new allergen-free carpet detergent has arrived but may still be a problem. • Th Stewardship Committee reported Stewardship Weekend, Part 2 will be February 18–19 and will feature talks by Kari Chandler, Doug Cook and Pastor Wes during the sermon time. Old business • Jerry Zang will create an offering counters’ schedule. New business • The council will consider setting up a committee to put an internal audit into motion. • Doug Cook of the Intern Committee will begin gauging interest of noncouncil members participating in a committee so that one could be in place if/when an intern placement is announced. • A council retreat is scheduled for 10 a.m. February 25 at the Laramie County Library. Kent Porter will put together an agenda. Next meeting • 7 p.m. • Thursday, March 9 Putting the Ash in Wednesday P ASTOR ’ S PIECE M arch 1 is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. Ash Wednesday is quite a phenomenon when you think about it! Barring a hellacious blizzard or power outage, I expect the church will be quite full. Why do we flock to this service? The ritual smearing of ashes on foreheads is clearly the centerpiece. This action is accompanied by the words that God spoke to Adam and Eve before evicting them from the garden: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Why do you suppose we flock to church on a weekday evening to be marred and reminded that we are going to die? After the Reformation, Lutherans often observed Ash Wednesday, yet they did not practice the imposition of Ashes. They somehow managed to use it as a kickoff to the season of Lent while ignoring the “Ash” part! I think my home congregation began to impose ashes when I was still living at home, and I vaguely recall it was considered controversial because of its close association with Catholicism. During a relatively short span of time, Ash Wednesday has become one of the most meaningful and well-attended services of our church year. Ashes were once considered a sign of repentance and were employed as a cleansing agent. But even though these associations are appropriate to the season of Lent, they do not seem to be foremost when we come to Ash Wednesday worship. I suspect we are primarily relieved to be reminded of our creatureliness. It may be unsettling to be told that dust is our origin and destiny, but it also “resets” us, to use a current figure of speech. It relieves us of the image of self-possession that we work so hard to maintain in the face of others. It grounds us in One who is greater, by whose good pleasure we breathe the breath of life. Pastor Wes Aardahl For Lenten worship this year, Ascension will again join St. Paul’s and Christ. Together, we will ponder Luther’s seal, with its black cross, red heart, white rose, blue sky and gold rim. Each week, one of our three pastors will reflect upon an element of the seal, together with appropriate scripture. As with our Advent services, we will worship with the help of Marty Haugen’s service of “Holden Evening Prayer,” spoken and sung at a meditative pace befitting the season. Host churches will provide a 6 p.m. soup and bread supper before the 7 p.m. worship. March 1, Ash Wednesday Home churches, 7 p.m. (no soup supper) March 8 St. Paul’s • 218 E. 19 th St. March 15 Ascension March 22 Christ • 3260 E. Nationway March 29 St. Paul’s April 5 Ascension Give personal care items during Lent This Lenten season, the congregation at Ascension is taking part in Lutheran World Relief’s Baskets of Promise campaign. Each week in Lent, we’ll collect items to form LWR personal care kits that help impoverished people stay healthy in life’s most challenging situations from a natural disaster or life-threatening violence. We can give hope through a bar of soap. Each kit contains simple items, like soap, a towel, a tooth- brush. But for families coping with war, poverty and disas- ter, these items mean the opportunity to stay healthy and build better futures. Check the worship bulletin each week for the collection schedule. If you have questions, contact Kari Chandler at 638-2605 or karichan- [email protected]. Lenten Worship
Transcript of Ascension Lutheran Church Ascension Cheyenne, WY 82009 ......Mar 03, 2017 · and Gaela Young...
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Ascension Storey
Cheyenne, Wyoming ascensioncheyenne.org March 2017Ascension Lutheran Church
Ascension Lutheran Church712 Storey BoulevardCheyenne, WY [email protected] Service Requested
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE
PAIDCHEYENNE, WYOMING
PERMIT NO. 61
Church Council Meeting HighlightsFebruary 9Officer elections
The following new officers were elected: Jerry Zang, president; Tim Leberman, vice president; Katie Wisdom, secretary; and Patti Riesland, treasurer.
Treasurer’s reportOutgoing treasurer Kim Strand presented her final report,
which was accepted. Funds are coming in for the Dr. Don Iverson memorial.
Pastor’s report• Pastor is joining the synod’s Caring for Creation
Committee. According to the ELCA’s social statement: “‘Caring for Creation’ expresses a call to pursue justice for creation through active participation, solidarity, sufficiency and sustainability, and states the commit-ments of the ELCA for pursuing wholeness for creation—commitments expressed through individual and community action, worship, learning, moral deliberation and advocacy.”
• Pastor attended the bishop’s retreat in Thermopolis.• A Lutheran/Catholic prayer service will be held
at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 22, at Our Savior Lutheran in Casper.
Committee reports• The Building and Grounds Committee reported new
allergen-free carpet detergent has arrived but may still be a problem.
• Th Stewardship Committee reported Stewardship Weekend, Part 2 will be February 18–19 and will feature talks by Kari Chandler, Doug Cook and Pastor Wes during the sermon time.
Old business• Jerry Zang will create an offering counters’ schedule.
New business• The council will consider setting up a committee to put
an internal audit into motion.• Doug Cook of the Intern Committee will begin
gauging interest of noncouncil members participating in a committee so that one could be in place if/when an intern placement is announced.
• A council retreat is scheduled for 10 a.m. February 25 at the Laramie County Library. Kent Porter will put together an agenda.
Next meeting • 7 p.m. • Thursday, March 9
Putting the Ash in WednesdayPastor’s PieceMarch 1 is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. Ash Wednesday is quite a phenomenon when you think about it!
Barring a hellacious blizzard or power outage, I expect the church will be quite full.
Why do we flock to this service? The ritual smearing of ashes on foreheads is clearly the centerpiece. This action is accompanied by the words that God spoke to Adam and Eve before evicting them from the garden: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Why do you suppose we flock to church on a weekday evening to be marred and reminded that we are going to die?
After the Reformation, Lutherans often observed Ash Wednesday, yet they did not practice the imposition of Ashes. They somehow managed to use it as a kickoff to the season of Lent while ignoring the “Ash” part!
I think my home congregation began to impose ashes when I was still living at home, and I vaguely recall it was
considered controversial because of its close association with Catholicism. During a relatively short span of time, Ash Wednesday has become one of the most meaningful and well-attended services of our church year.
Ashes were once considered a sign of repentance and were employed as a cleansing agent. But even though these associations are appropriate to the season of Lent, they do not seem to be foremost when we come to Ash Wednesday worship.
I suspect we are primarily relieved to be reminded of our creatureliness. It may be unsettling to be told that dust is our origin and destiny, but it also “resets” us, to use a current figure of speech.
It relieves us of the image of self-possession that we work so hard to maintain in the face of others. It grounds us in One who is greater, by whose good pleasure we breathe the breath of life.
Pastor Wes Aardahl
For Lenten worship this year, Ascension will again join St. Paul’s and Christ.
Together, we will ponder Luther’s seal, with its black cross, red heart, white rose, blue sky and gold rim. Each week, one of our three pastors will reflect upon an element of the seal, together with appropriate scripture.
As with our Advent services, we will worship with the help of Marty Haugen’s service of “Holden Evening Prayer,” spoken and sung at a meditative pace befitting the season.
Host churches will provide a 6 p.m. soup and bread supper before the 7 p.m. worship.
March 1, Ash WednesdayHome churches, 7 p.m. (no soup supper)
March 8St. Paul’s • 218 E. 19th St.
March 15Ascension
March 22Christ • 3260 E. Nationway
March 29St. Paul’s
April 5Ascension
Give personal care items during Lent
This Lenten season, the congregation at Ascension is taking part in Lutheran World Relief’s Baskets of Promise campaign.
Each week in Lent, we’ll collect items to form LWR personal care kits that help impoverished people stay healthy in life’s most challenging situations from a natural disaster or life-threatening violence. We can give hope through a bar of soap.
Each kit contains simple items, like soap, a towel, a tooth-brush. But for families coping
with war, poverty and disas-ter, these items mean the opportunity to stay healthy and build better futures.
Check the worship bulletin each week for the collection schedule.
If you have questions, contact Kari Chandler at 638-2605 or [email protected].
Lenten Worship
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Ascension Lutheran Church712 Storey BoulevardCheyenne, WY 82009ascensioncheyenne.org307-634-6575ascensioncheyenne @gmail.comPastor’s cell phone 307-421-0159StaffPastor Rev. Wesley AardahlSecretary Cheryl CollinsSaturday Worship Coordinator Tom OstlundSaturday Music Coordinator Mark ChristieAdult Choir Director Dr. Jane IversonOrganists Dr. Jane Iverson and Gaela YoungNewsletter Editor Rosalind SchliskeChurch CouncilPresident Jerry ZangVice president Tim LebermanSecretary Katie WisdomTreasurer Patti RieslandDoug CookConnie DambroSherri GeringerDr. Keren Meister-EmerichDr. Frank MellbolmRyan MitchellKent PorterKim StrandIf your address, phone number or email address has changed, call the church office or email [email protected] Lutheran Church seeks to be a community that nourishes relationships with God and one another that lead to a deeper spiritual life, based on a grace-oriented Lutheran perspective.March 24 Newsletter Deadline
Prayers: Ceara, Sheena, Mason, Carisa, Pam R., Gloria, James and Patty K., Jim, Dave, Karen, Bob, Darlene, Cindy and Milt.
NewsShrove Tuesday meal set Feb. 28
Ascension’s youth group will host the annual Shrove Tuesday meal for the congregation on Tuesday, February 28. Youth will set up for the dinner between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m.; dinner will be from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. with cleanup to follow. This is a work event with earnings going into a young person’s youth account.
‘Short Stacks’ fundraiser March 25The annual “Short Stacks for a Tall Cause” Family Promise fundrais-
er in coordination with Applebee’s restaurant will be held on Saturday, March 25, from 8-10 a.m.—surely a yummy way to start the weekend.
Tickets at $7 may be purchased at the door or from Margie Sewell at 631-1815 in advance. The cost includes pancakes, bacon and drinks.
Another planned event is a baby shower for Ashley, a mom-to-be who is currently in the Family Promise program. The shower will be held at noon Saturday, February 25, at Grace United Methodist Church. If anyone would like to donate toward a gift from our Ascension family or provide a gift, contact Margie Sewell.
Church reaches ‘beyond ourselves’Instead of a traditional sermon February 19, a Stewardship Sunday
presentation focused on what Ascension does locally, regionally and globally. Kari Chandler listed the local community organizations supported yearly and outlined ways members could become involved in the Ascension faith family. Doug Cook highlighted the work of the Rocky Mountain synod, which serves as a conduit for the $15,000 Ascension budgeted this year, as well as the work of seminaries. Finally, Pastor Wes spoke briefly about Lutheran Social Services, Lutheran Disaster Response and the Lutheran World Federation.
Bishop Eaton addresses refugeesThe presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
is calling congregations of the ELCA to “learning, prayer and action on behalf of those who seek refuge on our shores.”
Bishop Elizabeth Eaton had asked the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump not to stop “the U.S. refugee admissions program or stop resettlement from any country for any period of time.”
“The Bible calls us to welcome the stranger and treat the sojourner as we would our own citizens,” Eaton wrote January 30. “I agree with the importance of keeping our country secure as the administration stated in its executive order last Friday,” Eaton said, “but I am convinced that temporarily banning vulnerable refugees will not enhance our safety nor does it reflect our values as Christians. Instead, it will cause immediate harm by separating families, disrupting lives and denying safety and hope to brothers and sisters who are already suffering.”
She said refugees being resettled in the United States have fled persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, political views and/or associations. “They wait for years for the chance to go home. But sometimes, there is no home for them to go back to,” Eaton said.
“We know from our partners at Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) that only 1 percent of all refugees are chosen for resettle-ment,” the letter said.
She noted many Lutherans’ ancestors faced the pain of having to flee their homes and the joy of being welcomed in new communities across the United States.
Eaton’s declaration echoed concerns expressed by the Lutheran World Federation, World Council of Churches and ACT Alliance.
Laser tag event planned at Warren AFBJoin the youth on Saturday, March 11, for two hours of laser tag. They will meet at
Ascension at 1:30 p.m. to take transportation to Warren AFB. They will return to the church about 4:15 p.m. for parental pickup.
The cost is $5 a person, and snacks will be provided. Youth must RSVP by Wednesday, March 8, to Nichole Morris at [email protected] or by text at 719-321-7038. She must give a headcount to Fall Hall Community Center by March 9.
Little Free Pantry needs volunteer paintersThree or four volunteers are needed to paint our “Little Free Pantry” on Sunday, March
12, at 1:30 p.m. Ascension Lutheran Church, in partnership with St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, will install a pantry to help those in our neighborhood who may be food-insecure.
This small pantry provides 24-hour access to anyone who may be experiencing a need. It also allows neighbors to help neighbors; nonperishable food items may be left at any time to provide for others.
The newsletter will have more details about the pantry and when and where it will be installed. If you can help on March 12, contact Nichole Morris or Pastor Wes.
Youth to prepare two Lenten Soup SuppersThe Youth Group will host Soup Suppers on March 15 and April 5 at Ascension before
the Wednesday Lenten service. Youth should come to help set up at 4:30 p.m. Soup will be served starting at 5:30 with cleanup at 6:30. This is a work event with earnings going into a young person’s youth account
The youth collected 152 cans of soup from the congregation on Super Bowl Sunday for Needs, Inc. Offering a big Souper Sunday thank you from left are Emma Morris, Jack Morris, Luke Moore, Corey Williams, Morgan Williams and Riley Logan.
Riley Logan and Josie Brown participated February 12 in a glass fusing class at Fly-dragon Art Studio. (Nichole Morris photos)
Youth activities
You’ve got mail: The church is moving away from its AOL email address. Now you are asked to use [email protected].
Late to church, late to heaven. Daylight saving time returns Sunday, March 12.
