Church News: April 2003

SARS and the Eucharist Letter (Bishop Michael J. Pryse April 17, 2003)
Holy Communion and SARS letter (Pastor Wolf, April 17, 2003)

Our Church Services in April 2003:

06. April
Judica
English 9:45 a.m.
German 11:00 a.m.

13. April
Palm Sunday
English 9:45 a.m.
German 11:00 a.m.
With the Celebration of Holy Communion  

17. April
Maudy Thursday
German 7:30 p.m.
With the Celebration of Holy Communion  

18. April
Good Friday
English 9:45 a.m.
German 11:00 a.m.
With the Celebration of Holy Communion

20. April
Easter Sunday
SUNRISE SERVICE
English 5:15 a.m.!!
EASTER SERVICE
German and English 10:00 a.m.!!
With Church Choir

27. April
Quasimodogeniti 
English 9:45 a.m.
German 11:00 a.m.

Hike along Grand River in Elora. Please bring a lunch

We express our thanks for all donations and for the active attendance of our Church Services, and cordially invite you to stay for a while after the  Services for a cup of coffee!

Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God.
Romans 12, Verse 2

Meditation on the verse for April

Dear Congregation,
in the film „The Godfather, Part III”, Don Corleone, the Mafioso, talks with Cardinal Lamberto. During the conversation, the Cardinal picks up a rock from the bed of a brook and says: ”Look at this rock. It lay in the water for a long time, but the water has not penetrated it.” Then he smashes the rock. “See here”, he looks at the fragments, “completely dry. It is the same with people ... They have been surrounded by Christendom for centuries, but Christ does not live in their hearts.” The Cardinal is right. Somehow, faith does not seem to have penetrated us. As with this pail in the picture, faith seems to run through us, rather than leaving large traces behind. It is quite strange that, since Christ was active on earth, so little has changed. People go about their business, often recklessly. There is misery and already a new war again. If one were pessimistic, one would, perhaps, despair of the state of affairs in this world, perhaps also, of the state of affairs in faith. Things have not improved automatically among us through Christ, or have they? I think that this is also connected with the fact that we have difficulties with the advice contained in the verse of the month. It is much easier to stay on the course we are used to, than to let Christ truly work in and through us. Not to conform to the world, to renew one’s mind, who is actually able to do that? Do we not live in this world? What influence have we actually on things, the opinions, the conditions around us? – I find it important to realize that Jesus has not designed a theory for society, not a political ideology. He does not concern himself with a theoretical foundation, for which the for and against can be discussed at length. His intentions are much more direct, much closer to us humans. He says through the statements, stories and his exemplary conduct, that everything begins with each of us. What the world looks like, what influence faith, love and hope have, is determined by us. Paul takes this up in the verse of the month and says it very clearly: “You must make the difference! Do not simply conform! Do not play along when it goes against the will of God, against faith, against the conscience!” Of course, sometimes there could be more people who do something for others. Right, it would also be nice if politicians were more concerned about citizens than about re-election. And, after all, more democracy, less tyranny, better living conditions for the suppressed and starving people, is, without question, desirable. But, presumably, we cannot always expect that all this will happen without us. Now and then, I try to make it clear to myself that Christendom has started out with a small group of convinced people. I also want to express again clearly, that in the beginning there is not the great deed, but that our thinking, our faith also determine and influence our actions. If Christ lives in our heart, then we also become more like him. Last thought: At Easter, God in Christ announces his return into every-day life of this world in an impressive way. God suffers with the suffering, however, God then creates in death a new, ever-lasting life. Our hope is based on the fact that God is mightier than all alleged powers of this world. God, no one else, therefore, has the power, to change seemingly firmly cemented conditions – not without us, but with us!
With best wishes for the month of April,
I remain with kind regards, your Pastor

Lent Services

continue to be held every Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. at our Church. It is about concentrating on the life and work of Jesus. The topic: ”What does Christ expect of us?”

Easter Services

As usual, on Maundy Thursday (17.04.) and Good Friday (18.04.), there will be Communion Services in German. Then, on Easter Sunday (20.04.), we invite to the “Easter Sunrise-Service” at Humberpark West at 5:00 o’clock in the morning. (West of “Park Lawn”. Please keep to the right and drive to the last parking lot!!) Following the Service, we will have breakfast together. At 10:00 a.m. (!) a bilingual Easter Service for the whole congregation with the Church choir will take place. Please note also the detailed program in this Bulletin.

Annual Meeting of Moll Berczy

On April 23, the Annual Meeting of the Moll Berczy House takes place. Those who are interested are cordially invited.

Hike in Elora

On April 27, we invite again to go hiking together, this time along the Grand River in Elora. Please bring a lunch. We leave the Church at 12:30. It takes about an hour to get to Elora. We offer two different hikes, one lasts about 1 ¼ hour, the shorter perhaps half an hour. There are nice stores and also an ice cream parlour, where we can have ice cream after the hike. We will give out information on April 27, after the Service!

IMPORTANT!: Information for the Congregational List

We ask ALL to fill out the attached form, so that we have all relevant information regarding address, telephone, email in our list. It is important to request this once a year and to receive the forms back. THANK YOU!

We are truly glad that we have 13 confirmands in our group, which has begun on March 24. At Pentecost in 2004, the young people will be confirmed. I ask the congregation to give the young people a warm welcome in the Church Services and to pray for the success of the instruction.

On April 11 and 12, we will go to Camp Edgewood with the group of confirmands. We start out from the parsonage on Friday at 5:00 p.m. and return on Saturday about 3:00 p.m.. I still need a female helper and food donations for supper on Friday and lunch for Saturday.

As every year, we go to Camp Lutherlyn on Golden Lake again this summer. The dates are: Sunday, July 27 to Saturday, August 2.  Although a few people have agreed to come along, we still need counselors again, youths, students, to help organize the camp, take on responsibility and take care of the younger children. Please register as soon as possible with Pastor Wolf (Cell:416-567-2487; Email: fralupus@rogers.com!)

Mrs. Helene Lehmann
Mr. Zvonko Skraban
Mr. Willy Scheibelt
Mrs. Erika Schmidt

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
(Psalm 121, 1+2)

"Thank You" from Mrs. Scheibelt to the Congregation

Dear Congregational Members, I want to thank you very kindly in the name of my family for the sympathy and the expressions of condolence in the case of my husband’s death. It was good to experience how many people have been with my husband lovingly during the difficult time, through visits and prayers. I thank also for the participation in the Service, especially the Church Choir, and ask for understanding that I use this opportunity to thank everyone, instead of sending a thank you card to each person.
With kind regards,
Lotti Scheibelt

Trip to Brazil -Thanks to the Congregation

In March, Mr. and Mrs. Wienecke were in Brazil and had the opportunity to visit Pastor Milton Schwantes (in the centre of the picture) and also to meet the new Pastor of the Congregation in Gurolhos, Pastor Sigmar Reichel. Pastor Milton Schwantes had to submit to difficult brain operation last year and has not yet totally recovered. However, he was very glad about the visit. Wieneckes were received exceedingly warmly in the family. The congregation, too, has once again expressed how very glad they are to have contact with our congregation. In this way, our donation could be taken there directly and also handed over. Pastor Reichel has written a thank-you letter immediately, in which he describes in four pages (!) the work of the congregation. I can only print a short excerpt here. The letter is posted in the basement of the Church and can be read there in its full length.

From Pastor Reichel’s letter:

“Dear Mr. President Edmund Scholz and Pastor Stefan Wolf,

I greet you with the verse of the month of March: For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. On Friday, March 21, we were very glad to be able to welcome into our house Daina and Ernie Wienecke together with Pastor Milton and his wife Rose. They handed over the cheque in the amount of US$ 1,583.58 as a donation from your congregation. Herewith, we want to thank you very kindly. Your prayers and donations made us very glad and touched us, for our congregation has great difficulties in maintaining itself. We are, as yet, a very small congregation, although we are in a large inner city. This congregation is still regarded as a missionary congregation, as it is necessary to bring the Gospel close to people who immigrate, who do not know Got yet, or to those who do not feel at home in their original Church... I would also like to take this opportunity to introduce myself briefly, for I have been in this congregation only a short time. I am Sigmar Reichel, married to Getrud for 28 years. We have three daughters: Margaret (25), Dagmar (23) and Miriam (20)... From June 1980 to June 2002, I worked for a NGO (Non-governmental Organization) helping street children and youth in Brazil. In October of last year, I introduced myself to the congregation in Guarulhos, and in November I took over the office of the Pastor. In the beginning, I completed a trial period, and as of January of this year I am permanently employed. On Sunday, March 16, I was officially inaugurated into this congregation from the Synod Pastor, Pastor Rolf Schünemann. The difficulties in this small congregation are great, as I have already reported above. For a long time, there was no Pastor here in the congregation, as the predecessor was transferred into another congregation and Pastor Milton was unable, because of his illness, to dedicate himself to the work as much as he wished. There is much to be caught up, and because this is a small congregation, there are, of course, difficulties in finding the means to maintain the congregation. We have to have many ideas in order to remain steadfast.

I wish that the blessings, and foremost, the peace of God, of which we are in great need, may be with you all.
With brotherly regards,
Sigmar Reichel
Pastor of the Lutheran Congregation in Guarulhos/SP, Brazil”

“Walking with Jesus”

 HUMBER BAY PARK WEST

On April 20, we meet for the Sunrise Service at Humber Park West. We go to various stations along the shore of the lake, accompanied by stories of the life of Jesus. Our Service ends with the story of the resurrection at sunrise.

5:00 a.m.        Meeting on the parking lot. Please take the entrance “Humber Park West” and keep to the right. Drive along the road to the last parking lot. There we will meet.

5:15 a.m.        Beginning of the Service with the theme “Walking with Jesus”

6:15 a.m.        Sunrise, time to reflect on what we heard

6:30 a.m.        Closing with a prayer. After this, we will carry a cross back to the Church, which has accompanied us through the Service. We are looking for volunteers who will walk back to the Church 

7:30 a.m.        Pancake breakfast

8:00 a.m.        Easter Egg Hunt, games and crafts for children

Everyone is warmly welcomed. Last year, we were a group of about 40 persons, between the ages of 4 to 80 years. Please do come. It is a unique experience!

Following this: EASTER SERVICE  

10:00 a.m. Joint Easter Service at the Church, with the Church Choir