Atonement Lutheran Church Newsletter - Messenger

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March 12, 2008 - Volume 29, #11

• Palm Sunday
  

  Choose from three very different worship opportunites this Palm Sunday (March 16):

  • 8:30 AM in the Sanctuary we will hold a traditional Palm Sunday Service Ð Pastor Gaetz Preaching.
  • 9:00 AM at St. Paul's in Fabius, we will celebrate Palm Sunday with congregational reading of the Passion story according to St. Matthew
  • 10:45 AM in the Sanctuary, join us for a dramatic reading of the Passion narrative, lifting up Lenten symbols. This is a story that, despite it taking place centuries ago, still involves and affects us as people of God - so plan on participating in this story as well!

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• Atonement Youth Chocolate Cross Sale
  
  

  Sunday, March 16. $1.00 each. Help support our youth group and enjoy some yummy chocolate at the same time!

   

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• Holy Week Services
  
  • March 19: Wednesday
    6:15pm Service of Healing and Renewal

  • March 20: Maundy Thursday
    10:30am & 7:00pm Services of the Last Supper

  • March 21: Good Friday
    7:00pm Tenebrae
    The ancient and beautiful service of shadows and darkness

  • March 22: Saturday Easter Vigil
    5:15pm Easter Vigil Services
    Lighting of the New Fire, Renewal of Baptism Vows, Baptisms, Confirmations, and Eucharist Vicar Richter preaching

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• Devotional

  5th Sunday of The Palms
  Isaiah 50:4-9A

  This passage is one of four sections about the "Suffering Servant" image in the book of Isaiah, all of which are later thought to be about Jesus Christ. Here though we have an image of a figure being totally mistreated, insulted, and humiliated. As an example, to cut a man's beard was an act that made that person less of a man, and to pluck it out meant that there was a certain attempt to humiliate this person. Despite being insulted, spit on, humiliated, the Servant is not concerned. The Servant is not humiliated. Rather, this figure relies on the help of God, and accepts the suffering that comes at him ("I have set my face like flint" v. 7)

  I am reminded of people like Martin Luther King Jr., Mohandas Gandhi, and Mother Teresa, who faced challenges and adversity, and who are usually treated poorly, humiliated, and insulted, in pursuit of finding something greater. They also share with the Servant in Isaiah 50 having people who stand with them (v. 8), who help lift them up when they feel this humiliation. But we must also think of the One, the Suffering Servant who did not have anyone else, who was abandoned, and who was humiliated. Paradoxically, we must think of what a freedom-giving and loving gift that that one on the cross is, and how that changes our lives.

  Let us pray, O Suffering Servant, you stand up to the humiliation and the insults, and bear them with your face set towards us and our sinful lives. Renew and remake us, that we may bear the example of your self-sacrificing love to all who need to hear it. In your name, Amen.

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• It takes a lot of food!

  We have 17 families for whom we will be making Easter food baskets. Your donations of food and money are vital for this ministry of care. With the hams we will buy we need donations of:

  • Boxed Scalloped or Augratin potatoes
  • Canned green beans and corn
  • Canned fruit and Jell-O
  • Funfetti Cakes
  • Funfetti Frosting
  • Easter Candy
  • Coffee

  We also fill out our baskets with non perishable foods for the days when children are not getting meals at school.

  We can use canned meat and meat entrees like chili, stew, "Chunky" soups, tuna, cream soup, elbows or noodles, mayo, crackers, peanut butter, jelly, rauman noodles, pasta and sauce, canned or bottled juice.Your generosity will make the most important of Christian festivals special for families in need.