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Message from our Pastor
- Rev.
Dr. LaurieAnn Yeisley-Drogin
Resurrection
Reflections
The
Season of Easter
“Alleluia! Christ is
risen! The
Lord is risen, indeed, alleluia!”
Those who were in the sanctuary
on the
Sunday of our Lord’s Resurrection heard my own excitement over the
return of
the Alleluias to our vocabulary. After the solemn season of Lent
and all
our waiting, Jesus has arisen and the burden of death has been removed
from us.
We experience a sense of relief that makes a difference not only in our
personal spiritual lives, but in the life we share with one
another. We
need more than one day of fancy hats and dresses for this sense of
relief and
joy to sink in, and so we celebrate not only the day of Easter, but the
season
that is Easter.
Yes, Easter joy does make a
difference. For at this time of the church year, we experience the
power
of God to overcome all adversity. Like those first witnesses to
the
resurrection, and like those who met the risen Christ along the road,
it might
take some time for us to recognize that everything is now
changed. We have
the power through Jesus Christ to say “no” to sin, to say “no” to evil,
to say
“no” to all that would hold us back through negative forces of division
and
deceit. To borrow words from our rite of Baptism, we renounce them. And
we
renounce them with confidence, because we know that our God is
victorious.
Usually, I’m reluctant to use
power and
victory images in reference to the church, because they have been
skewed and
co-opted by militant and so-called right-wing Christian political
forces over
the years. But in the reflected glory of our Lord’s resurrection,
the time
is upon us to claim the church’s power and to move out of our
self-imposed
weakness. We may not be a mega-church with thousands of members;
we may
not be right about all things at all times; but we are not
weak! We need
not live a faith based in fear – and I’m not talking about the fear of
hell
that drives many into churches in the first place, for that is not our
way as
Gospel people. No, the fear that has plagued the church stems from
putting
the wants of individuals above the ways of Jesus Christ. We have
been
afraid to correct one another and discipline appropriately because
someone
might not like it.We have been afraid to renounce sin and evil because
someone
might not like it. We have forgotten the vows taken either on our
behalf
or by ourselves in our baptism. We have forgotten the power of the
Holy
Spirit that comes with a gathering of the faithful in Jesus’
name. We have
allowed stumbling blocks to joy and faith out of a worldly fear that
has no
place in God’s kingdom. In this season of Easter, the church says “no
more!”
We do not have to be slaves to
futility. We are not weak. Christ is risen! Death and
evil have
lost their sting! This is news to inspire celebration. This
is news
to inspire confidence. We are God’s holy people. We are
empowered to
act as such. This is good news for us as individuals, and this is good
news as
well for our church. Our sanctuary should, can, and shall be a place of
worship, of joy and delight in Jesus Christ Our membership should, can,
and
shall be a people of God, bringing good news to the afflicted, healing
the poor
in spirit with a kind word, sharing in the ministry to which we are all
called
in our risen savior. And so, living in the glory of resurrection,
what a
sense of joy and relief all people of faith might experience during
this
blessed season of victory! Alleluia! Christ is risen! And in him,
all
things are possible to the glory of God!
Pastor LaurieAnn
Keep
Pure
By Monica Allen
Remaining pure, mentally and
physically, in
God’s eyes is a daily battle. This battle is one worth fighting for,
and here
are four ways to try and win that daily battle.
First, spend time with God daily.
Pray, read the Bible; the more you
surround yourself with God’s ideas and things the closer you will feel
to him.
The closer you feel to him the fewer temptations can sneak in. There
will
always be temptations and trails, but if God is first in your life he
will give
you the strength to dismiss the temptations and live a pure life in His
eyes.
Second, find friends that allow you to
be yourself with them, but
also who promote the “better” you. It’s important to have people around
you who
can keep you accountable, build you up and encourage you. So in times
when you
are not strong they can be for you, and help you become strong again.
These
same friends will need you to be strong for them sometimes when you
watch them
slip. This exchange of true friends will enrich your life a thousand
fold, so
go out and search for it.
Third, try hard to monitor closely
your thoughts. When thoughts come into
your head which are not pure and are unwelcomed, imagine God’s hand
coming in
and grabbing those thoughts right out of your head. You are going to
see, hear
and have thoughts that tempt you to be impure; the trick is not to
dwell on
those things. Your friends can help you neutralize those thoughts by
giving you
pure things to think about and enjoy. Turning to God, and asking for
his help
is also another way to get the thoughts under better control.
Fourth and lastly, keep God first in
your life, and your
relationships. If you are dating be honest with your date about the
importance
God has in your life. If the date mocks or scorns you, they are not the
right
person for you. But if they take an interest and respect your decision,
it is
worth continuing the relationship. Tell your date, you want a lifestyle
that is
pure before God.
No one is ever going to be
completely pure. You will make
mistakes, but God loves you no matter what. You can start over.
It is
only through God’s grace that you are able to keep your commitment.
The
Role of
the Cantor
By Randall R. Rice
Director of Music Ministries
When
Christ's people,
the baptized, gather for worship
they receive God's love--in word and
sacrament--
and through the gift of music,
praise, pray, proclaim, and recount the story of
God’s grace
in song.
The Cantor--the
historical term among
Lutherans --is the leader of the people’s song.
The Cantor is
responsible for
leading the musical expression of the people--the assembly, choral
groups, solo
singers, and instrumentalists--among whom organists have been especially important for Lutherans.
The Cantor uses whatever musical resources are available, using them in
a
manner appropriate to the talents of those serving and the needs of the
people
who are served.
The Cantor leads the earthly assembly in a foretaste of John’s vision
of the
heavenly assembly in
which all
creatures give praise, honor, glory, and power to the Lamb.
The Cantor’s work is a worthy
service to God, God's
people, and the world.
It is a high and holy calling.
The
Lutheran church has a long tradition of singing, from Martin
Luther to
the present. Dr. Luther was able to bring the music of the Mass to the
people
through his use of what is called the
"German Mass", where hymns were
substituted for the various parts of the Mass.
It opened and enabled the assembly to sing God's praises each week, a
tradition
we hold to this day.
The greatest of all musicians, and
Cantor of
the Church, Johann Sebastian Bach, has been called the "Fifth Evangelist" for his gifts
of
music is setting the Gospels to music, as well as a wealth of other
music in
all forms. He was Cantor at St. Thomas
Church, Leipzig, Germany,
and responsible for preparing a complete Cantata for each Sunday of the
Church
year.
Traditionally,
the 6th
Sunday of Easter has been designated as "Church Music Sunday," when
we
recall
and celebrate this great heritage in music. This year, Easter VI, falls
on
April 27th, and we will
celebrate this week as always, in song and
praise. This year also welcomes a new hymnal
and worship resource, the ELW,
Evangelical Lutheran Worship, which we continue to introduce
into our
weekly liturgy.
Additionally,
the great Festival of the Ascension of Our Lord, will be
celebrated Thursday, May 1st,
with a pan-Lutheran celebration dinner at 6:00 PM and Festive Eucharist
at 7:00
PM. Come and
celebrate our
heritage of music and liturgy each week, but especially on these dates.
I Want to
Help with . . . FUNdraising!
At
the February meeting of our Church Council, Etta Taylor and Crystal
Ledbetter
generously volunteered to coordinate some fundraising projects for
Resurrection. Since then, Etta has come up with some great ideas
for us
to join together, have some fun and fellowship, and support our
church!
In
the planning stages is a Dinner-Dance fundraiser for this summer.
During
the church’s summer “down” time, imagine the fun we will have dining
and
dancing as we raise much needed support for our congregation and its
ministries. If you are willing to help in the planning or
implementation
of this FUNdraiser, please see Etta Taylor.
Summer
Reading Program at RLC
Pastor
LaurieAnn will be leading a summer reading program for Resurrection’s
Sunday
School children. This will take place during the usual Sunday
School hour
during the months of June and July. If you are interested in this
program,
or in volunteering to work with our children in other fun ways this
summer,
please see either Pastor LaurieAnn or call Monica in the church
office.
Friendly
Visitors Needed
Do
you enjoy spending time with people who are glad for good
company? Do you
have the gift of praying with and for others? Are you looking for
a new
and worthwhile way of living out the joy of your faith?
If
you answered yes to any of these questions, we are looking for
you! One
of the top listed reasons for people being connected with a church is
fellowship with other members. Resurrection has some long time
members
who would benefit from your visits. If you are willing to help
with this
important ministry, please see Pastor LaurieAnn or call Monica in the
church
office. A training for “visiting ministers” will be offered later
this
spring!
We Welcome
into God’s Kingdom. . .
Robert
Griffin III, 13-month old son of Ebony Williams and Robert Griffin,
II.
He is the grandson of Edwina Williams, and Godson of Catrice
Williams.
Robbie was baptized at Easter Vigil, surrounded by his family and many
of his
brothers and sisters in Christ!
Ask the
Pastor. . .
Q: Pastor, what’s up
with all the
giraffes in your office?
A: I’m
glad you asked. I was once young, just like you. In school,
I was
always the tallest kid in class. Sometimes other children made fun
of me
for being so tall. I tripped over my own feet a lot,
too. That’s all
part of growing up. And just like you, I had a choice to make when
children laughed at me. I could get angry or hurt, or I could find
a way
to deal with it. I realized that God made other tall creatures,
too. Like giraffes. Giraffes are tall, graceful, and they are
vegetarians just like me! Eventually, many other children grew as
tall as
or taller than I was. By then, we all knew about differences and
knew better
than to laugh at others. But I still like giraffes!
Note:
Every month, Pastor LaurieAnn will choose a question and answer it in
the
Resurrection Newsletter. This month’s question was submitted by
one of
our young people.
Contacting
Pastor
LaurieAnn
The most effective way to contact
Pastor LaurieAnn is to phone the
church office at 617-427-2066. You may either speak with the
church
secretary directly between 10:30AM and 12:30PM Monday thru Friday or
leave a
message in the voicemail, which is checked at the end of each business
day. Pastor LaurieAnn will return your call promptly or as soon
as
possible. If you would like to meet with the Pastor,
please call
to set up a time that she will reserve just for you.
The alternatives--except in the
case of emergencies--are (1) to
speak to Pastor LaurieAnn personally on Sundays or (2) You may
drop a
note in her mailbox.
Resurrection Lutheran Church,
wishes the
following members a very blessed, happy, and healthy
birthday,
and many more.
Happy
Birthday to:
Randy
Rice
April 5
Jenna
Atkins
April 6
Martha
Williams
April 25
Billy Joe MacLaughlin April 26
Meetings
Women of
Resurrection: Please join us for our monthly meetings.We meet the first
Saturday of each month at 9 a.m. at the church. The next meeting will
be
4/5/08.
FYI
If you or someone you know has any information that
should be added to our newsletter, please forward the information to
Monica
Allen no later than the third week of any month. Information may
also be
emailed to either of these email addresses monicaforhire@yahoo.com or edwinawilliams@comcast.net
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