CHURCH NOVEMBER The Redeemer Digest HE FTER EASON...

NOVEMBER 2011

THE SEA SON AFTER PENTECOST & THE BEGINNING OF ADVENT

The Redeemer Digest CHURCH

Give thanks with a grateful heart,

Give thanks to the Holy One,

Give thanks . . . because of what the Lord has done for us.

Give thanks!

--Huey Smith from This Far By Faith

Daylight Savings Time Ends

November 6th, 2011

Set your clock back 1 hour be-fore you retire for the night on

Saturday evening.

Join us in the fight against world hunger!

POTLUCK TO END WORLD HUNGER Sunday, November 20th

A pot luck brunch will be held

following the service in Fellowship Hall

November 6, 2011 ~ All Saints Sunday

9:15 AM Holy Communion 10:30 AM Sunday School

November 13, 2011 ~ Pentecost XXII


November 20, 2011 ~ Christ the King


Pot Luck to end world hungry

November 27, 2011 ~ Advent I


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MESSAGE FROM PASTOR SUSAN In peace and joy I now depart as God is willing, and faith fills all my mind and heart, calming, stilling. God the Lord has promised me that death is but a slumber. --Martin Luther, Evangelical Lutheran Worship Hymn 440 As we slide deeper into autumn, we recognize that it is a season of change. Summer can often seem like an unending parade of long days of sun and blue skies and warm nights waiting for a cooling rain. By contrast, autumn seems to be a season of inconstancy. It comes in warm with leaves that are still green. But soon cooler nights are followed by cooler mornings. Before long, trees have transformed from lush green to deep reds, brilliant yellows and warm orange hues. Suddenly there is a thin coating of frost and the days and nights are now chilly with the first hint of the coming winter. The leaves continue to fall throughout Octo-ber until in November, almost unexpectedly, the branches are bare and we can see farther through the trees than we have been able to for a long time. Then, it snows. Autumn is a changeable season. So it is in our lives. Each of the seasons offers a great deal of wisdom for our spiritual journeys. Autumn, a season of transition, reminds us that our lives are constantly in flux. Of course change is always with us, but autumn brings us to a deeper awareness that we live in a continual cycle of dying and rising. Conversion or metanoia (changing one’s thinking and living) has always been a feature of Christian living. The continual cycle of dying and ris-ing is a feature of baptismal living. Essentially it means being open to the surprise of God’s grace throughout our life and therefore open to change. It means believing that God’s grace is far greater and more abundant than anything we can ever imagine, and this means there will always be more dimensions of God’s love and mercy to discover. You could say that autumn’s gifts reflect a balance between two energies—the invitation to relinquish and the invitation to harvest. Autumn is a season of paradox that invites us to consider what we are called to re-lease and surrender—what no longer serves us or, what gets in the way of being present to the holiness of each moment. Yet autumn also invites us to gather in the harvest, to name and celebrate the fruit of the seeds of hopes and dreams that planted months ago. In holding these two in tension, we are reminded that in letting go, we also find abundance. Perhaps the greatest gift of autumn this year for me is its witness to the beauty found in death. My father died in the evening of All Saints Sunday last November; a terrible loss for me. And yet, I remember those final days and the grace and peace of his final moments when we who loved him so well witnessed his tran-sition between this life into the next. I find that witnessing the earth in its own movement toward death and the dazzling transition of green to the radiance of crimson, saffron and orange reminds me of the wisdom and promise of the Cross—the dual reality that lies at the heart of Christ’s death and resurrection. The pain is there but so also is the hope and the joy of new birth and new life. Autumn calls us to remember our fragility and our vulnerability. But autumn also reminds us of new begin-nings. That which makes us most vulnerable can also make us the stronger; that which is most painful in our own lives can also enable us to be source of strength for others. Episcopal priest, Elizabeth Geitz writes, “forgiveness is just as important as repentance” in bringing about conversion or metanoia in our lives. There are times when we need to forgive and there are other times when we need to repent—both forgiveness and repentance heal and save us through the wounds of Christ and experience new birth with him through the resurrection. Autumn brings us the invitation to open up to the surprises God’s grace has waiting for us or to release what-ever hinders us from fully receiving all God has to offer. How might the season help to guide you in letting go what no longer serves you and your relationship with God and others? May the season remind us that God’s love and mercy is constantly surprising and constantly full of hope!

--Pastor Susan




Worship in November ALL SAINTS SUNDAY, 6 NOVEMBER All Saints celebrates the baptized people of God, both living and dead, who are the body of Christ. The service will begin with a Rite of Remembrance of those who have died as well as those who were baptized in the past year. In the beatitudes, Jesus provides a unique description of those who are blessed with God’s favor. His teaching is surprising and shocking to those who seek wealth, fame and control over others.

SUNDAY, 13 NOVEMBER Blessing of Veterans, Police Officers and Firefighters

The readings during November speak of the end times. The Hebrew prophet Zephaniah proclaims that the coming day of

the Lord will be filled with wrath and distress. Paul says it will come like a thief in the night and urges us to be awake and sober. Jesus

tells the parable of the talents, calling us to use our gifts, while we still have time, for the greater and common good. We are invited

to consider what it means to be awake to the grace of God.

CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY, 20 NOVEMBER Adult Forum—Hospitality, Bible Style, 9:45 AM in the fellowship hall

On this final Sunday of the liturgical year, Jesus’ parable challenges and inspires our imaginations to grasp our whole vocation in baptism— to embody Christ as a servant as we go about our daily routine and to engage every part of our world as Christ’s redeemed creation.

Thanksgiving Eve Eucharist Wednesday, November 23rd at 7:30 PM

A shared worship service with Redeemer, hosted at Holy Trinity,

giving thanks with joy for the gift our shared ministry.

Come and join us in an evening of gratitude and prayer for a peaceable common life.

ADVENT I—SUNDAY, 27 NOVEMBER The promise of Advent is that God is always at work in the world, bringing new beginnings and a new creation people and powers

long bent on destruction. The readings of the first Sunday of Advent invite us to consider old problems and new beginnings. The gospel of Mark addresses us with promises that the signs of the coming of

the Son of Man will include the darkening of the sun, moon, and stars. Hold on, there is hope!




Message from Pastor Dreyman Enjoyment in Toil: Valuing Work I have had three experiences in the past week that have caused me to reflect on the beauty and pleasure of God's gift of work. First, the men's breakfast saw good participation and fellowship at the Arena Diner in Hackensack. We heard two presentations on the benefits and installation of sump pumps, and of the needs of congregations for participation on the property efforts of their parishes, with a little bit about deep sea fishing. If you were not there, talk with with Rich Fanslau (Redeemer) or Arnie Ulrich (Holy Trinity) to hear more about it. Second, I had lunch with a friend of mine. He grew up in a working class family in down state Illi-nois. His father had an eighth grade education, but was highly motivated. He worked for a mining company, not in the mine, but on projects above ground. The work was difficult. During the sum-mer, my friend's mother used to make lunch for her husband and send the boy across town to deliver it to him on the job. So, picture a fifth grader delivering lunch to his dad and encountering him working in the heat of the summer Illinois sun, stripped to the waist, his body glistening with sweat and the grime of the work. Today, my friend remembers how, at 11years old, he made the con-nection with his father's sweaty work and the food on his table. He saw the relationship between his dad's effort and the roof over the family's head. He has valued hard work ever since. And third, I spent a couple of days with my wife and a friend preparing and installing a new kitchen floor. The friend was once a high school shop teacher, so he brought much needed expertise to the job. But, after two days, we were all exhausted, asking ourselves what it would be like doing this kind of work full time. Work has been part of the biblical record since the beginning. God's creation is a story of work; di-vine effort for the sake of life. The work of God to bring salvation was a holy task which Jesus ac-cepted as a consuming passion (John 9:4), yet he did not consider it burdensome (Matthew 11:30). God gives us work as a gift to his creation: There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink and find enjoyment in their toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God. (Ecclesiastes 2:24) In a time of joblessness, the unemployed experience not only the absence of a pay check, but of spiritual loss, because work, every job, is connected to God. From homemaker to father/mother, from butcher to banker, from newspaper deliverer to doctor, from plumber to school teacher, from secretary to corporate executive, from musician to artist, all of our work is holy. Together we honor hard work, and thank God for it. Pastor Wayne Dreyman




Rite of Confirmation All Saints Sunday, 6 November 2011

11:00 AM Holy Communion at Holy Trinity in Hasbrouck Heights

On Sunday, October 23rd, Emma Frazee, Olivia Greenwald, Laura Hickey, Sara Kuzmenka, Meghan Lang, Catherine Lucas, and Jennifer Varga (from right to left) were presented to the congregation during the 11:00 AM worship service at Holy Trinity. They completed two years of Confirmation studies of the Bible and Luther’s Small Catechism. During the past two years, these Confirmation students have provided leadership in worship services as acolytes and lec-tors, as well as offering service to the church and those in needs in a variety of ways from bak-ing cookies for college students to assembling breakfast bags for the homeless and hungry. Some of these students even joined other Lutherans in New Jersey and traveled to Washington D.C. to feed those in need. These young people, who will make public affirmation of their bap-tism on All Saints Sunday, November 6th at the 11:00 AM service at Holy Trinity are members of three communities of faith: Holy Trinity, Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Maywood, and Zion Lutheran Church in Garfield. They have been approved by Pastor Susan and the councils of their home churches as being ready for the Rite of Confirmation. Under the guidance of Pastor Susan, the Confirmands planned the hymns and liturgical music to be used for their service of Confirmation.

Please support these young people with your prayers and with words of encouragement and welcome.




2012 Youth Gathering Update Jesus is our peace. In his life and death on the cross, Jesus broke down the dividing walls so that we are no longer strangers and outsiders, but we are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God. The foundation of God’s house was built of apostles and prophets, and Jesus, the cornerstone, holds it all together. Ephesians 2:14-20

The National Lutheran Youth Gathering is organized by the ELCA every three years and brings together over 30,000 Lutheran teenagers from across the country to one American city. The 2012 Youth Gathering will take place from July 16 through 22 in New Orleans, Louisiana where parts of the city are still reeling from the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. There, the youth will worship together, sing, pray, learn leadership skills, experience spiritual growth. They will also practice social justice by performing service projects in the New Orleans community. In short, they will live what it means to be "citizens with the saints," the biblical theme of this year's gathering. For our youth from Hasbrouck Heights and Maywood, it will broaden their horizons beyond their New Jersey sightline and open their eyes - and hearts - to new ways of serving and praising God. A group of five young people have registered for the journey—Ryan Cloughley, Alexis Fiore, Sara Kuzmenka, Sydney Sanchez, and Jennifer Varga along with three adult chaperones—Angela Kuzmenka, Melissa Sanchez, and Laurie Varga and Pastor Susan as the primary group leader. Our “suburban” group will team up in New Orleans with an “urban” group of six youth from St. Matthew Trinity in Hoboken whose primary group leader is Pastor Susan’s daughter, Katie. Over the coming months, these two groups will meet a few times in preparation for serving together in July 2012. Over the next nine months, we will need to raise $2,000 per participant or a total of $18,000, which includes the cost of transportation, hotels, meals and registration for the gathering. To date, we have held two fundraisers, the chicken and chips dinner at Holy Trinity, which raised $1300 and a rummage sale at Redeemer, which raised $1500. The 2012 Youth Gathering Group is very grateful to everyone who helped in these efforts by purchasing tickets to the dinner and donating items for the sale. We especially want to thank Marge Heeren, John and Dottie Heflich and Jackie DeMuro whose efforts made the two fundraisers go smoothly and successfully, though they are not going on the trip. A third fundraiser is being planned for December: A Parent’s Morning Off with Breakfast with Saint Nicholas for children from ages 2 to 10. This event will be held on Saturday morning, December 10th at Redeemer in Maywood. More to come on this event soon! Please keep our 2012 Youth Gathering Group in your prayers.




Saint Nicholas for children from ages 2 to 10. This event will be held on Saturday morning,

THANKSGIVING TRADITIONS It’s Thanksgiving Day! The table is set with the finest china and there are extra place settings on the old dining room table which is opened to its greatest length. The house is filled with the aroma of roasting turkey, baked bread and pumpkin pie. Guests are arriving and the kids are begging for a taste of the Crispy turkey skin. These are just a few of my cherished childhood memories of celebrating Thanksgiving at my grandmother’s house. Grandma always began her Thanksgiving feast with a glass of tomato juice—which I had the honor of filling the glasses before the guests arrived. Once everyone was seated at the table, grandpa led us in prayer and we were all asked to share something we were especially thankful for. Now, all these years later, I am especially thankful each year for all my memories of the warm hospitality and lovingly prepared food that was shared around my grandmother’s table. According to most historians, the pilgrims never observed an annual feast of thanksgiving in autumn. In fact, what is less known is that most devoutly religious pilgrims observed a day of thanksgiving with prayer and fasting not feasting! Though there was a celebration by early settles in the year of 1621 near Ply-mouth Massachusetts following their first harvest, it wasn’t until 1789 when President Washington declared November 26th as a national day of thanksgiving and prayer that Thanksgiving Day as we have come to think of it truly had its beginning. However, in the early 1800s the presidential thanksgiving proclamation ceased for 45 years until in 1863 President Abraham Lincoln resumed the tradition of Thanksgiving procla-mations. Since that time, Thanksgiving Day has been an annual national celebration. In 1941, President Roosevelt established the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day. Christian fellowship involves sharing with those in need. The apostle Paul reminds us in his first letter to Corinthians that our thanksgiving overflows into generosity. So here are a few suggestions of ways you can give thanks while also providing for others: Ask your guests to bring a donation for the local food pantry. Ask your guests to bring a hat, a pair of gloves or socks to be donated for Hats For the Homeless. Invite someone you are thankful for to attend the Thanksgiving Eve service with you. Place a box or cookie tin in a prominent place and provide notepaper and a pen. Invite your guests to write down what they are most thankful for that year (without putting their name to it). Have them place their thanksgiving notes in the box. Later, perhaps during desert and coffee, read each note aloud and have everyone try to guess who wrote it. Volunteer at a local shelter and invite your guests to join you—either during the weeks before or after your Thanksgiving celebration. Invite someone to celebrate Thanksgiving with you who would otherwise celebrate alone. Make a donation to feedingAmerica.org; every dollar you donate provides 20 lbs of food and grocery products. Invite your guests to donate too. Volunteer at a local nursing home. Give thanks to God for all your blessings, but also keep the needs of others in your prayers, especially the lonely, the hungry, the homeless, prisoners and their families and . . . because we are Christians, pray for enemies that peace be restored.

This is not an exhaustive list to be sure. Please share with us your Thanksgiving traditions and the way your giving thanks overflows into providing good things to others.




Letter from the Church Council President Much has been happening in and around Redeemer and with our friends at Holy Trinity. The break in the action that always seems to happen over the summer has been ended and activities are happening every week. I was thinking about how much has changed within the last couple of years. Thanks to our Boy Scouts and an Eagle project, the quiet church on the corner has taken on a brighter and more welcoming look, providing a place for prayer and peaceful meditation for members and guests. We have heard many positive comments from people who pass by and notice our Resurrection Garden. A Cub Scout Troop will be joining our Boy Scout Troop as a sponsored Redeemer organiza-tion. We look forward to welcoming them soon and we look forward to growing our relationships with all our scouts and their families. The rummage sale was held on a beautiful sunny day and many shoppers were happy with their purchases. Thank you to all who donated items or purchased new ones. Did you have a chance to attend the chicken and chips dinner, another fundraiser for our youth? If not, you missed a delicious meal! We were served with smiles (something that is sometimes missing in our restau-rants) and the fellowship couldn't have been more enjoyable. Perhaps you ordered take-out that night - either way, I thought the meal was tasty, especially when I didn't have to cook or clean up!. However you have supported our youth, they are most appreciative! Please keep them in your prayers - being a teen is not easy today. Pastor Susan's Bible studies about the seven Mary's have been well-attended, including visitors from out of state and local friends of members. If you, like those who have attended, didn't know about the seven Mary's that are in the Bible, there is still time to learn. The Bible is a wonderful book to read, as our Sunday School and Confirmation students are learning. If you'd like to learn more about the people and stories of the Bible, come on out to Bible study. If you are a male, check out the activities of the new men's group that is facilitated by Pastor Dreyman - I think you will be happily surprised. With so much going on during the week, I don't want to forget to mention our Sunday worship and Sunday School, and coffee hour on the third Sunday of the month. Conversation and fellowship are shared over refreshments. It is so good to see the generations interacting together. Do you feel like you may have been missing out? Come join us! Alice Wright

New Jersey is the third largest producer of cranberries in the United States. Cranberries were most likely served at the very first thanksgiving. The pilgrims and the Indians also used cranberries to produce red dye. Only 5% of cranberries are sold fresh. The rest are turned into cranberry juice or cranberry sauce. One cup of fresh cranberries contains 50 calories. One cup of cranberry sauce contains 400 calories.

Cranberry Facts




Throughout November will we continue collecting gloves, scarves, socks and hats for homeless men and woman for a Hackensack organization called “Hats for the Homeless”. These items should be new and can either be handmade or store bought. A collection box for these items is located in the narthex. We will have our annual Thankful for our Blessings special bulletin insert. All monies raised will be contributed to ELCA World Hunger and the Center for food action. We will combine these funds with what is collected at the Pot Luck to end World Hunger. Please note we will be holding our Potluck to End World Hunger brunch on November 20th, following the service in Fellowship Hall. Please bring a brunch item to share. Each person attending should also bring $1 (or more if you like) to be donated to ELCA World Hunger and a canned item to be donated to our local food pantry the Center for Food Action. The Social Ministry Team

On November 20th please join us for “Potlucks against World Hunger”. This is a movement started by two ELCA pastors. ELCA churches all over the country hold a pot luck each year to raise funds to stamp out world hunger. So, enjoy some good food and fellowship while helping in the fight against World Hunger. This pot luck will be used to support ELCA World Hunger and the Center for Food Action. The Hospitality Team




This month we will celebrate children’s book week. Reading is very important for their development. Try to take a few minutes each day to read to your child or grandchild. Class photos will be taken this month. RCCCC will use Rod Bolton Photography. We have used them for a number of years now and are always happy with their service and pictures. National Family Week is also this month. Try to set aside some time for a family Activity. Family schedules are so hectic these days. Try to plan ahead to spend some time together. We will be busy practicing for our Thanksgiving service. The children will sing songs in a short church service followed by an indoor picnic. The service will be held on Tuesday, November 15th from 11:30 - 12:30. This month RCCCC will hold it’s annual food drive. Drop boxes will be placed outside each classroom. The food will be donated to the center for food action. Happy Thanksgiving! Stacey Zweil

RCCCC UPDATE

Bulletin Covers: Jack Karch has made a donation for the month of November in loving memory of Carolyn A. Karch. Eternal Candle: Pastor Susan donated the eternal candle for the month of October in loving memory of her father, Dr. Arthur J. Nelson. The Lawton Family had donated the eternal candle for the month of November in loving memory of George Lawton. Abiding Memorial Fund: All and Bobbi Loukas have made a donation to the abiding memorial fund in memory of Nils Eklund.




Center for Food Action Food Delivery Schedule

DO YOU HAVE ANOYONE FOR ANY UPCOMING

MONTHS?

MOST NEEDED ITEMS

Canned Meat (tuna, chicken, etc.) Canned Hearty Soup Canned Vegetables Macaroni & Cheese Peanut Butter & Jelly Cereal (low sugar kids cereal welcome) Dry Milk (e.g., boxed Parmalat) Canned Fruit Instant Potatoes 100% Juice Baby Formula & Diapers sizes 4, 5 & 6 Bar Soap Toothpaste & Toothbrush Supermarket Gift Cards Hunger Facts: In New Jersey, only 38% of the eligible" working poor" receive food stamp benefits, compared to 51% nationally.

Will put something for here for Advent family night/tree decorating? Even if I just put a save the date & time if we don’t have all informa-tion yet.




Al-ice DeSantis 1 Jim Smith 2 Al Woodworth 6 Jean Stephan 15 Dawn Miller 22 Anna Fuhrmann 30

Dawn & Glenn Miller 9 Phyllis & Jim Smith 14 Stacey Zweil & Jose Portacio 23

Rebecca Wright 1 Karen Obiso 3 Joe Obiso 5 Ryan Cloughley 12 Shannon Cloughley 12 Hayden Sanchez 12 Skylar Sanchez 21 Olivia Greenwald 22 Ray Templeton 23 Nancy Fanslau 28 Kelly Wright 29

We are currently praying individually for members of our congregation during the prayers of the church. Throughout the year, we will pray alphabetically through the directory and pray for three families/members each week. These weekly prayers are in addition to any prayer requests for special needs or illness. The following is a schedule of families/members for each week this month.

Weekly Prayers November 6, 2011 The Warren Family The Wien Family

Alice & Rebecca Wright

November 13, 2011 Gayle Zweil

The Zweil-Portacio Family Arlen Babiak

November 20, 2011 The Barrett-Hurley Family

Judith Bressan Ray & Karen Bulin

November 27, 2011 Ellie Burleson

Nancy Capasso & Jim Jones The Cloughley Family




Thankful For Our Blessings Be thankful for your blessings with our special Thanksgiving bulletin insert. Submissions can be given in memory, honor, celebration and thanksgiving of loved ones and milestones. The cost is $1 each (or more if you like) and all proceeds will be donated to ELCA World Hunger and our local food pantry, the Center for food action. Submissions will also be included in the December Digest. The deadline for orders is Sunday, November 20th. Orders can be placed in the offering basket or mailed to the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer at 471 Maywood Ave. Maywood, NJ 07607. If paying by check, please make checks payable to the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer.

THANKFUL FOR OUR BLESSINGS

NAME: ___________________________________________________________ PHONE NUMBER: ________________________________________________ AMOUNT ENCLOSED $___________________ Given By: ____________________________________________________________ Given For: ___________________________________________________________ In Memory /Honor/Celebration/Thanksgiving (Please circle one) Given By: ____________________________________________________________ Given For: ___________________________________________________________ In Memory /Honor/Celebration/Thanksgiving (Please circle one) Given By: ____________________________________________________________ Given For: ___________________________________________________________ In Memory /Honor/Celebration/Thanksgiving (Please circle one)




Keeping Physically Fit. . .

Try Chair Yoga Classes with Marie Quenstedt, RYT 200

Classes Begin: Friday, November 18th Time: 5:30 PM Location: Holy Trinity

Chair yoga is great for everyone and especially those who are new to yoga or who are interested in strengthening and stretching their muscles in a safe and supportive way. With chair yoga, you practice yoga alternating between sitting on the chair and standing, using the chair as a support. You learn many different stretching and strengthening poses and breathing routines, and each class ends with a short meditation. Please wear loose comfortable clothing and supportive shoes (sneakers are recommended). You must be able to get up from a chair unassisted in order to take class. There is a suggested donation of $10 per class.

Marie Quenstedt is a 200-hour certified HATHA yoga instructor. She obtained her certification from Bright Spirit Teacher Training in New Jersey and has studied under Pandit Rajmani Tigun-ait spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute. Marie’s teaching style is coordinating movement with emphasis on the breath and she strongly relies on her intuition to guide her teaching style that allows her to “customize” the class for her student’s needs. Marie, who is a member of Holy Trinity, will be donating her time to this endeavor and all proceeds from the classes will also be donated to Holy Trinity. Please contact Marie with any questions or concerns. She can be reached at 201-804-0815 or [email protected].

Sunday, December 4th

Noon - 3 PM At Holy Trinity

Immediately Following the Service

ADVENT FAIRADVENT FAIRADVENT FAIR — a time of getting ready for Jesus —

Featuring a Lasagna (both meat and meatless) Lunch and

a variety of arts and crafts activities for everyone to make and enjoy!

Bring family and friends, a plate of cookies to share, a bag lunch if you don’t eat lasagna, come in your work clothes and be ready to have some fun.

If you can, contact Marie Quenstedt (201-804-0815) or the church office to let us know you are coming and to find out just what projects we will be making. If you have a chance to drop by, a display of projects will be available in the narthex at Holy Trinity in the a couple of weeks prior to the Advent Fair for you to see.


mailto:[email protected].



and supportive way. With chair yoga, you practice yoga alternating between




Fhe Eternal Candle and Food Fund Donations

The eternal candle costs $7.50 per week: $37.50 for months with five Sundays $30.00 for the months with four Sundays Given by: _______________________________ Phone #: ________________________________ I would like to donate for the month of: _________________________

Donors are currently needed for January & February

Please use this form to donate the eternal candle for a month. The candle may be donated in memory, honor, celebration or thanksgiving for a loved one or to mark a special occasion.

Please check one ____ in memory of ____ in honor of ____ in celebration of ____ in thanksgiving for For: ____________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

Food Fund Donation Donations to this fund will be used to purchase food for homeless dinners, breakfast bags, and or lunch bags for those in need. Given by: ________________________________________ Phone #: ______________________ Please check one ____ in memory of ____ in honor of ____ in celebration of ____ in thanksgiving for Given for: ______________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________

Please make checks payable to: The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer Place in the offering basket or mail to the church: The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer

471 Maywood Avenue Maywood, NJ 07607




Stuffed: A Thanksgiving Tradition By Jim Elliff There he lay on the floor, swollen in the belly like a boa constrictor after swallowing a calf. It was Thanksgiving Day and my nephew did it again. Sometime between noon and 2 o'clock, the stuffing changed turkeys! Every year the same thing happens to all of us—it's tradition. Is that OK? Not if we do it every day of the year. But on Thanksgiving? Go for it! Have no guilt. God taught us to feast on occasion. And don't feel badly about watching football games after you eat. You're no good for much else for awhile. However, in all you do thank God with all your heart. First, realize that eating a big meal on this special day is, in a way, an expression of thanks to God. Thanksgiving Day was our forefathers' way of celebrating the abundance God gave them after those first bleak days of the Jamestown settlement. What better way to say "thanks" to God than to relish what He provided. It did them good and God was honored. It was the whole year of abundance in a meal. Similarly, we should eat with a full heart of appreciation for God's bountiful blessings. But you can do more. Sometime, perhaps later at night with a cup of hot cider in your hands, you should deliberately take time as a family to turn your eyes to the Creator who "supplies you with all good things to enjoy." It is usually better not to have this extended time of thanks at the feast table. Cooks get nervous about that. In some homes, sadly, God is not remembered. If you are in such a home, don't despair, but take some private time for reflecting and thanking God. God understands your dilemma. Every Thanksgiving Day of my life, I've had the privilege of hearing the expressions of family and friends about the goodness of God. It usually brings tears. Regardless of the emotion, it is fitting to talk aloud about God's blessing. We need to multiply our thanksgiving to God. Here are some ideas. Don't forget to prepare your family ahead of time. 1. Ask each person to take a few moments with one other person to share his or her special reasons for being thankful this year. Then ask each person to express thanks to God for one or two items he or she just heard about in a time of prayer all together. 2. Have all who will speak in some detail about one other family member who has meant something special to them in their life. Then, if your family is comfort able with it, have those who speak up thank God for what He has done through this person.




3. Go through the alphabet remembering something to be especially thankful for beginning with each letter. You could go in order around the room. This is an idea the kids can enjoy also. Follow up with prayers of thanks by a few people asked ahead of time. 4. Toss a foam ball around the room. Whoever catches it offers the next word of gratitude to God. 5. Ask the oldest generation to tell stories from their history that cause them to be thankful. What happened providentially to bring about a certain benefit? 6. Ask each person to select a short Bible passage that expresses what they want to say about God and His provision. Each person can then tell why this verse was chosen. 7. Have the patriarch or the one most commonly known for his or her leadership in the family read a passage of Scripture and tell the group an incident in his or her life that he or she is most thankful for. Or have each of the older generation do this. 8. Have the younger generation express what they see in the older generation that they are thankful for and would love to emulate. 9. Or just pray together. Sometimes it is best to ask people to mention just one item at a time, allowing others their opportunity. Then they can chime back in with another item later, for however long you wish. Well, you get the point. You can mix and match these ideas (or add better ones). The impor-tant thing is not the production, but the genuine thankfulness found in our hearts. Some families may have the ability to sing a song ("Great is Thy Faithfulness" or some familiar hymn or chorus; print the words ahead of time). You can figure this all out if you think and pray about it ahead of time. And when it is all finished, you will say, "We're stuffed not only with food but with so many blessings that we could not remember them all."

Stuffed: A Thanksgiving Tradition ~ Continued

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."

Psalm 107:1




THE REDEEMER D IGEST NOVEMBER 2011

GIFT OPPORTUNITIES ~ Your gift will help ensure that this parish church may continue to be steadfast in its structure and flourish in its Ministry and mission.

THE GENERAL FUND

Be a part of your parish church. Regular contributions help provide for mission and ministry here in Maywood and church-at-large through the New Jersey Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

THE ABIDING MEMORIAL FUND

Gifts to this fund help provide for the beau-tification of the church sanctuary.

THE ENDOWMENT FUND

Gifts to this fund will help provide for mis-sion and ministry for the next generation to come.

THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND

Gifts to this fund will help to ensure the up-keep, repairs and improvements of the inte-rior and exterior of our church building, education building, and parsonage.

THE HANDICAP ACCESS FUND

Gifts to this fund will help us to make our church facilities accessible to more people.

FOOD DONATION FUND

Gifts to this fund will support homeless din-ners, breakfast and lunch bag programs and do-nations to the local food pantry.

PARISH FUNDS

Please indicate the fund you would like to support.

_____ General _____ Abiding Memorial

_____ Endowment

_____Capitol Improvement

_____ Handicap Access

_____ Food Fund

PARISH PROGRAMS

_____ Bulletins $25 per month

_____ Eternal Candle

$35 for months with 4 Sundays

$37.50 for months with 5 Sundays.

Date or month of donation ____________

In honor, memory, or celebration of

___________________________________

My/Our Gift of $ ___________is enclosed.

Name: _____________________________

Address: ___________________________

___________________________________

Please send a gift announcement to

Name: _____________________________

Address: ___________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

For all funds and parish programs, please make your check payable to “The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer”. Note the fund or program on the memo portion of your check, fill out the form above and return both to:

The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer

471 Maywood Avenue

Maywood, NJ 07607




Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID Hackensack, NJ Permit No. 1431

Return Service Requested

THE LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER REDEEMER CHRISTIAN CHILD CARE CENTER


201-845-8779 [email protected] www.RedeemerMaywoodNJ.com

The Ministers…………..……………………..The People of Redeemer Pastor………………………..…The Reverend Susan Nelson-Colaneri

[email protected] Pastoral Associate……………………..The Rev. Dr. Wayne Dreyman Organist………………………………………………………….Fia Hill Director of RCCCC……..……………………....Stacey Zweil, B.S. Ed. Administrative Assistant…………………………...Melissa Z. Sanchez

The Lutheran Church Of the Redeemer


201-845-4020

Redeemer Christian Child Care Center


201-845-8779

Visit our web site at: www.RedeemerMaywoodNJ.com

Email is at:

[email protected]


mailto:[email protected]

http://www.RedeemerMaywoodNJ.com


http://www.RedeemerMaywoodNJ.com




CHURCH NOVEMBER The Redeemer Digest HE FTER EASON...

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