Thanks, without end for all who gathered Thursdays for the study of Psalms. (Preview: Pete Liljeberg will be leading the next “study” time, plan to make it a part of your calendar). For each one of you whom God has called together to be Apostles Lutheran. For Diane Ericson who is a Eucharistic minister to some of our home bound. For the music ministry of this congregation choirs and musicians who serve even more during Lent, Holy Week and Easter bringing to us the Gospel in music. For all who gathered, planned and created the Prayground. For all of your good wishes on my 71st birthday. To all who are involved in getting ready for a new pastor: the Call Committee, the council, those involved in fixing up the building for new ministry - keep all in your prayers. For all of you - Apostles’ servants.

Time and Talent. We believe that God gives us certain abilities, grants us time and then asks us to offer these in order to praise God and love the neighbor. This sounds reasonable until it comes to the reality of the process. This means that it is important for each of us to discern what your skills are and then offer them to Apostles in order to serve God and the neighbor. Can you cook? Clean? Speak in front of people? Organize in meetings? Build? Sing? Pray? Usher? Teach? Help with children? Take minutes at meeting? Make phone calls? What is God calling you to do? Tell us by completing the time and talent sheet that you will receive.

? Do you know the name of the person who sits on the last pew on the lectern side on the aisle seat? Permanent name tags are coming. Please wear them AND then introduce yourself to someone you do not know.
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Blessings to you and JOY,
Pastor Judy

​Part of the sermon last week was talking about worship.  The gospel lesson in John 12 depicted Mary anointing Jesus' feet with costly oil.  She was worshiping.  A number of people asked if I could include this part of the sermon in an email in order to read it. So, here it is, (also on the website). It is timely since we gather for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter. 
Come and Worship


WE gather for worship to be with each other, hold each other up, and to gather together to thank and praise God.  In our everyday life, we are pretty much in charge.
So, we gather to be reminded that God is in charge.
God is the creator  of all: earth and stars, chocolate cake and steaks, daffodils and roses, doctors and teachers.
And we gather for worship to be reminded that WE are NOT the creator. We are the creatures. We are the recipients, and we give thanks to this God
 
We gather  in worship to be reminded that God is the Savior. God saves with love and forgiveness and miracles of sun and warmth. God saves us through all of history.
And we gather worshiping to be reminded that we are NOT the saviors. We are the rescued. We do not rescue ourselves.  God rescues us, and we give thanks
 
We gather to be reminded that God is the comforter. God listens to our cries, sends others to wipe our tears, grants hope and healings.
We gather to worship to be reminded that we are NOT the comforter . We are the comforted, and we give thanks to this God by sharing that comfort. Praise God from whom all blessings flow
 
We gather to worship  to be reminded that we are NOT independent contractors that get to decide what benefits us without regard to others. God calls us to be STEWARDS and CAREGIVERS of each other and the world. We hear scripture that tells us that we are sister and brother to people we don’t like, and we don’t even know. And we give God thanks for this family of God in our worship.
 
We gather to worship in order to give extravagantly in thanksgiving for the work of  God in the world. Our offering of our possessions is our version of Mary’s expensive oils for Jesus’ feet.
 
We are a nation that tries to fill up with whatever may make us feel better: alcohol, drugs, food, entertainments, sex and yet, for many, our hearts are still hungry.  We gather for  worship to be reminded that Jesus satisfies our hungry hearts with the gift of finest wheat. Come give to us, O saving Lord, the bread of life to eat.  And we give you thanks and praise you
 
WE ache with burdens too hard to carry. We ache with bodies that crumble. We ache with worry, and aloneness.  So, God asks us to drag ourselves to worship so that we can hear,  ”Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your soul  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
 
Today we learn that Jesus calls us to set aside time to gather to worship and adore. Then we disperse, to try to do God’s ministry in our world. We go in peace to serve the lord.  We return again  rhythmically to give thanks and worship the Creator, Savior and Comforter.  Amen
 
Blessings to you and JOY,
Pastor Judy

Don’t miss out: Follow Jesus from Hosanna, to washing feet, to being stripped, to the cross, to the empty tomb. . .

Palm/Passion Sunday - April 14, 9:30 AM (Pastor Kelly Bayer Derrick (Assistant to the Bishop) preacher, Pastor Cobb presider - If you were born before 1980, you remember when Palm Sunday was a happy, exciting celebration of Jesus entering Jerusalem. With the coming of the Lutheran Book of Worship (green hymnal), this Sunday begins with celebration (palms, Hosanna) and ends with a sense of Jesus’ betrayal and death (passion). Why? The people cheered “Hosanna” but jeered “crucify him” when Jesus didn’t give them what they wanted. Their cheers were hollow and self-serving.

Maundy Thursday/Holy Thursday - April 18, 7 PM (Pastor Cobb preaching and presiding) - We remember the night that Jesus went with his disciples to share the Passover meal. Our worship includes three parts: Foot washing - yes, honest. Jesus did it. I hope you do too. Jesus washed the disciples’ feet while giving the command to love one another (Maundy comes from Latin word for “command”- a command to love). I will ask you to come forward while I run warm water over your feet showing that there is nothing, we won’t do to show our love. Holy Communion - Jesus began the meal saying, “why does this meal differ from all other meals?” and ends it with giving bread and wine as his body and blood. Stripping of the altar - Piece by piece everything on the altar is removed from the sanctuary. Jesus went to Gethsemane and his clothes were removed, his dignity taken away, his freedom stripped away.

Good Friday - April 19 - 2 services noon and 7 PM (Pastor Cobb) - Ah Holy Jesus… Who brought this upon thee? Twas I, Lord Jesus. It was I that denied thee. I crucified thee. We remember that we turn away from Jesus all the time. We remember the cost of our failure to love.

THE CROSS - Easter - April 21, 9:30 AM - the tomb is empty. Gone is the gloom and the darkness. Alleluia.