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March 2010
Central Lutheran Church
925 North Forest St., Bellingham, WA 98225
phone: (360) 734-7180 fax: (360) 734-0788
www.centrallutheran.net; email, office@centrallutheran.net
119 years of faith in the heart of Bellingham
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| Lenten
Schedule
Feb 28th Second Sunday in Lent - Worship 8:30am and 11:00am
Mar 3rd 12:10pm Worship—Pastor Susan Hookham (St. John)
12:30 Lunch—St. John
5:30-6:00pm Simple Supper 6:00-6:45pm Worship
Mar 7th Third Sunday in Lent - Worship 8:30am and 11:00am
Mar 10th 12:10pm Worship—Pastor Chris Berry (WWU) 12:30
Lunch—Central Lutheran Women
5:30-6:00pm Simple Supper 6:00-6:45pm Worship
Mar 14th Fourth Sunday in Lent - Worship 8:30am and 11:00am
Mar 17th 12:10pm Worship—Pastor Justin Johnson (Our Saviour’s)
12:30 Lunch—Our Saviour’s
5:30-6:00pm Simple Supper 6:00-6:45pm Worship
Mar 21st Fifth Sunday in Lent - Worship 8:30am and 11:00am
Mar 24th 12:10pm Worship—Pastor Eric Finsand (CTS) 12:30
Lunch— Christ the Servant
5:30-6:00pm Simple Supper 6:00-6:45pm Worship
Mar 28th Palm Sunday - Worship 8:30am and 11:00am
Mar 31st 12:10pm Worship—TBD 12:30 Lunch—Central
Lutheran Women
April 1st Maundy Thursday
6:00-6:45pm Simple Supper 7pm Worship with Communion
April 2nd Good Friday 7pm Tenebrae (Service of Light)
April 4th Easter Community Sunrise 7am Fairhaven Park
Easter Celebration Worship 10am Worship with Communion
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Grace and peace to all
the
Saints and Sinners of
Central Lutheran Church:
Greetings in Christ!
Orthodox: correct teaching
In the past several newsletters I’ve offered a summary
of the environment of how contemporary Americans define “orthodox.”
Any one definition of “orthodox” will be influenced
by the presuppositions employed as key hallmarks of one’s
theology. In the previous articles, summaries were presented
describing differences in how the ancient church decided those
hallmarks; how those hallmarks were set aside for political
or personal reasons; how those hallmarks were rediscovered during
the Reformation and defined in the confessions; how those hallmarks
were further defined after the Reformation between the object
and the subject style of faith; how the European discovery of
the “new world” and the impact of the scientific
method further developed and defined and diversified the hallmarks
of a theological perspective. Those newsletter articles are
available on the church’s web page.
No definition of “orthodox” would be complete without
first understanding where one’s theology fits within that
framework. For Lutherans, whose heritage is closely related
to educated thinking (as opposed to superstition or fundamentalism
or fanaticism), knowing one’s presuppositions and why
they are held as hallmarks is as important as knowing what one
believes. Therefore, for Lutherans, orthodoxy is defined as
a theological perspective based upon theological principles;
not simply a list of theses. Orthodox Lutherans have a list
of theses which reflect those perspectives and principles. Dogma
and the study of how dogmas fit together to build a set of beliefs
or theological truths is called systematic theology. From time
to time, theologians will actually try to collect and present
the primary beliefs of the church. I have several versions.
So here it is: my definition of what it means to be an orthodox
Lutheran church and congregation:
Orthodox: Correct teaching based upon a consistent , comprehensive
, and coherent interpretation of scripture which defines the
self-revelation of God’s love and mercy given through
the grace provided in/with/under the life, death, and resurrection
of Jesus, God’s only Son, in communion with the Holy Spirit.
As a traditional Lutheran congregation, our perspectives and
principles include that the scripture is the Word of God; that
the Lutheran confessions are a true exposition of the scriptures;
that the church was instituted by God’s Holy Spirit to
be the body of Christ on earth today and to continue the work
of Jesus; that grace is the free gift of God; that you are loved
by God, and God calls you to faith—to live in relationship
with God, yourself, others, and all of creation—in Jesus’s
name. Amen.
Consistent: Applying the same tools and methods of interpretation
and implication to all theological discernment.
Comprehensive: Applying the same tools and methods of interpretation
and implication to the whole of scripture.
Coherent: Applying the same tools and methods of interpretation
and implication so that there is no self-contradictory dogma. |
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Update from Kids’
Central Preschool
Kids’ Central Preschool, which is now enrolling for the
fall, will have an Open House on February 4, from 2:00pm-7:00pm.
Everyone is welcome! Please help spread the word.
Don’t forget that there are lots of ways you can help
raise funds for the preschool without spending any additional
money. Please consider participating in the following:
*Albertsons Community Partners: Donate up to 4 percent of your
total grocery bill—again, without paying anything additional—to
the Kids’ Central Preschool via KCP (Community Partners
ID# 49001023311). Register your Preferred Savings Card at www.albertsons.com/cp
and the money will automatically be contributed by Albertsons.
*Log in to OneCause.com. Earn up to 8 percent of your total
purchases at over 900 merchants; simply designate KCP as your
“cause.”
*Magazines make great gifts! Go to www.magfundraising.com/CentralLutheranPreschool,
and 40 percent of your total magazine purchases will go directly
to KCP
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Mailbag
Dear Dick and Marie [Angel Tree coordinators],
I plan to write both you and Pastor Tim a formal thank you
but just couldn't get too far into the new year without telling
you how grateful I am, as are all the families that you helped
this Christmas season. I asked one of the little girls today
if they waited until Christmas to open their gifts. She said
they did! They waited until it was exactly midnight and then
they opened everything up:)! She said it was the best Christmas
ever. Blessings on you both and on your Central Lutheran Family.
[This emailed note from Kathe Ripley was followed by a card
to the congregation that reads as follows…]
Thank you so much for generously sponsoring the Angel Tree
for the families at Sunnyland Elementary School. Your generosity
and kindness brought great joy to these families. God bless
you all!
—Kathe Ripley
Dear members of Central:
Thank you to everyone who made it possible for 6 families to
have a wonderful Christmas. Not only did we provide gifts to
our 5 original families, but the day we were distributing the
gifts, a family from Everson dropped in to find out how they
could “sign up” for Christmas help. They were looking
for the Opportunity Council people who had already gone home.
Kathe Ripley, our school contact person, comes from a rather
large family (some of whom are members of Bothell Lutheran Church),
and she had solicited her brothers and sisters for money to
buy gift cards to Cost Cutter Foods. In addition, Erin Rush
had donated an abundance of stuffed animals. The 6th family
received $75 dollars in grocery store gift certificates, each
of the children picked out a stuffed animal, and they enjoyed
cider, cookies, and candy before leaving for home. God truly
gave us an abundance, and we were able to share. We hope next
year you will come and join us on the day the gifts are picked
up. The happy smiling faces of the children and the thankfulness
of the parents make Christmas even more special.
—Marie Little
Greetings Friends and Partners of Lutheran Campus Ministry
at WWU!
It is with great joy that we take this opportunity to thank
you for your most generous gift to our ministry and the capital
campaign to purchase the former Roman Catholic ownership of
the Shalom Center. The Shalom Center was founded almost fifty
years ago as an ecumenical Christian campus ministry center.
As we enter a new era of ministry, made possible by our capital
campaign, we see the Center becoming interfaith as well as more
community-centered. …
Again, thank you for your generous support in prayers and finances.
We look forward to seeing you at the Shalom Center in the very
near future. You are always welcome here!
Sincerely,
The Reverend Christopher D. Berry, Lutheran Campus Pastor
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CLCW Mortgage Reduction Spaghetti Dinner,
Dessert Dash, Auction, Silent Auction (etc). CLCW will be hosting
our annual youth fundraiser this year. This is the first of
several activities where the proceeds will be used for debt
reduction (paying down our mortgage). Past auctions have provided
exciting bidding competition and a great opportunity to invite
a friend to come and enjoy life at Central. Tickets will be
pre-sold and are $5.00 each. A new, exciting element added this
year is the Dessert Dash. Diners at each table will contribute
to a free-will offering per table. The amount of money collected
at the offering will be used to select a wonderful dessert during
the Dessert Dash. The auction will follow the dinner.
Dessert and auction items are still needed. Sign-up sheets are
in the narthex. Questions? Please call Carol Reppun (671-4221)
or Peggy Carr (733-7978
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LUTHERWOOD WISH LIST (FROM
WWW.CAMPLUTHERWOOD.ORG)
Program Needs
• Good musical instruments
• Canoes, paddles, and new life jackets
• Archery equipment
• Craft supplies: acrylic paint, magazines, wax, markers,
chalk, baby food jars, paint brushes, scissors, lanyard string,
air hardening clay, cardboard, construction paper, tie-dye,
and beads
• Sporting goods: basketballs, volleyballs, soccer balls,
and bouncy balls
• New water toys and equipment (tubes and inflatables)
• Volunteers
Vehicle Needs
• Older model camp truck (for hauling stuff)
• Minivans for Congregational Day Camp team use
• 15-passenger van
• Skilled labor for vehicles
• Car for congregational visits
Office Needs
• Plain old copy paper (we go through a lot)
• Colored copy paper
• Computer projector
• Someone who does professional printing and publications!
Maintenance Needs
• Donations to buy paint for buildings
• Donations of lumber, gravel, wood chips
• Vinyl for kitchen floor
• Electrical, plumbing, and construction work
• A band saw
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| Opportunities
for Additional Lenten Worship at Central
Join us Wednesdays at 12:10 pm for countywide worship followed
by Lenten lunches. Pastors from the area take turns preaching,
adding new perspectives to your Lenten discipline. See centrallutheran.net
for the schedule.
New this year during Lent: Wednesdays at 6:15 pm we invite
you to participate in informal contemporary worship downstairs,
preceded at 5:30 by a simple soup supper. No need to bring anything!
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The mission of
Central Lutheran Church
is to be a church so deeply and confidently
rooted in the gospel of God's grace,
revealed in Jesus Christ,
that we joyfully give ourselves in witness and service.
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| Newsletter
Deadline
Please note that the deadline for submission of articles, letters,
information,
or reports for the church newsletter is the 20th of each month.
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Bishop’s Message: Disciples Follow
Jesus
by The Rev. Wm Chris Boerger, Bishop
I am very proud of the way in which this synod has responded
to the need for new leaders as Associates in Ministry, Diaconal
Ministers, Deaconesses, and Ordained Ministers.
We currently have more than 60 individuals in
the candidacy process for one of the rosters of this church.
For a synod our size, this is significant work and I thank
you for your past support. I also want to encourage you to
continue raise up leaders for the future of God's church.
I am also aware that often our discussion of
vocation in the church only addresses the vocations of those
employed by one of the expressions of the church. Lutherans
understand that we each have several vocations from God. I
am a citizen, husband, father, pastor, congregation member,
grandfather, etc. All of these vocations come from God and
I am responsible to God for my living in these vocations.
We live in a time when people are being pulled
in a variety of directions by competing interests.
It is important for me to think about how God
is calling me in each of these directions in order to make
sense and give priority to my response. Understanding vocation
also helps us address the competing priorities that we face.
You and I have a responsibility and the privilege
of responding to God's call as we act in a various vocations.
I hear people defining themselves by their job. Their sense
of self-worth seems too connected to that which provides a
pay check. In baptism we have all been given our identities
in Christ. As a child of God I am a husband, grandfather,
etc. My identity comes from God who created and re-created
me.
It is easy to fall into the trap that says one
vocation is superior to another. Luther's understanding says
that God has called me to this vocation. I am not pitting
one vocation against another. I am living in the bounty of
opportunity and gifts that God has provided to accomplish
the work that needs to be done at home, in the community and
in the world.
To what is God calling you? Rostered leaders
serving under call can point to the piece of paper that says
that the church acting under the guidance of the Holy Spirit
has called that individual to that vocation. I would say that
your baptismal certificate is your call to the various vocations
that you have to act with confidence that God is the source
and the strength for living that vocation.
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Updated on March 1, 2010
© 2010, Central Lutheran Church |
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