Holy Cross Lutheran Church

As Fall fast approaches, school will be back in session before we know it. The Holy Cross Sunday School and LOGOS programs will also be starting up again soon. The nurture of children and youth in the Christian faith is a crucial aspect of our ministry, and we are blessed with many people who give of themselves tirelessly in service to and with young people. The whole congregation, really, joins together in support of our various ministries of caring for our youngest members.

It is our hope that through such ministries, children and youth will experience the love, grace, and forgiveness of God. And also that our young people will grow up to be examples of Christian love and service themselves.

I'd like to share with you the following article that I found to be very inspiring and encouraging, as one example of how the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is having just such a positive influence in the lives of young people. The article was posted August 3rd on the website of a weekly newspaper based in New Orleans, the site of the ELCA Youth Gathering held July 22-26, 2009. To me it is a story that speaks volumes, in terms of highlighting the importance of continuing to make youth ministry a priority in our congregation.

The end of July brought the biggest convention to town since Hurricane Katrina, but it wasn't doctors, lawyers or other professionals. In fact, it wasn't even adults. It was 37,000 teenagers and their chaperones from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), who filled hotels all over town for the 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering, which they called "Jesus, Justice and Jazz."

Besides their worship events at the Louisiana Superdome and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, the teens spent much of their five days in New Orleans performing some 200 community service projects, including hosting a health fair in New Orleans City Park, building a two-mile hiking trail around the park's Goat and Scout Islands and adding new plants to the Botanical Garden. Elsewhere, they held reading fairs for children and painted and cleaned houses and schools. Some boarded buses and headed to the Falgout Canal marina to replant marsh grasses; others converged on Holt Cemetery to weed, seed, restore tombstones and, in some cases, rebury the dead. At the end of their busy days, many of them found time to donate blood to the Red Cross. In all, our Lutheran visitors from all over the United States contributed a quarter of a million volunteer hours to the people of New Orleans — and, in many cases, thanked us for the chance to have done so.

We're humbled. Humbled at their generosity. Humbled at the sight of so many young people traveling so far to do so much hard work during their summer vacation. Humbled that the "Katrina fatigue" felt by so many Americans was replaced, for a few days, with an enthusiasm even some of us find hard to muster some days.

Regardless of your faith, or lack thereof, these excited young volunteers were an inspiration, and just one of them accomplished more good than all the preachers and politicians in the world who saw Katrina as either perverse justice or crass opportunity.

Among the many small moments of grace between our young guests and the locals came last weekend at Betsy's Pancake House in Mid-City, which had its usual mix of Sunday morning regulars — sleepy folks with Saturday night faces and regal African-American churchwomen in their Sunday finery. Into Betsy's dining room came nine teenagers, led by a pastor and two chaperones, looking friendly but shy and a bit out of place. Tables were rearranged; coffee was brought. The waitress, with little prompting, welcomed them and told them the tale of the coffee shop during Katrina. The kids were more curious about grits. They opted for white toast instead.

"We could have gone to Burger King, but we saw this and wanted to eat at a place with neighborhood people," said the pastor, the Rev. Dr. Brian W. Armen, shaking hands with people who approached their table. He and his flock were from Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Johnston, Penn. None of them had been to New Orleans before.

Then, the waitress laid a $20 bill on the table. "That man who just left paid for some of your breakfast," she said, and within a couple of minutes bills were being passed to the visitors from around the room — $10 here, $20 there, and the pastor's wife began to cry, saying "Thank you," to which the morning regulars replied, "No, thank you."

How do you thank someone for helping rebuild your city? It's a question with which we've all wrestled during the past four years, and the answer is: You can't. But the simple act of buying a stranger a breakfast said "Thank you" in myriad ways: Thank you for coming. Thank you for caring. Thank you for your sweat and your optimism, for your curiosity and bravery in traveling to a place so unlike your own home. And, when many in the rest of the country seem to have "gotten over" Katrina and can't understand why we can't, perhaps the real message was: Thank you for not forgetting.

Most of all, thank you for reminding New Orleans — a city that's so dependent on the kindness of strangers — that there still are people in this world who come to town and leave behind things more valuable than overflowing cash registers.

As summer begins to wane, our thoughts turn to fall and all that New England has to offer in this marvelous season. Warm days and cool nights, beautiful panoramas of changing leaves, harvests of pumpkins and gourds, back to school activities, football and soccer, and whatever else one might enjoy at this time of year. As you look at your calendars, do not forget about all that is happening at Holy Cross such as start up of Sunday School, Logos and choir, Young at Heart outings, 50’s Night. In addition, there will be multiple opportunities for Bible Study, a chance to dig deeper into the scriptures that inform our faith. We encourage everyone to give prayerful consideration to attending one of these studies. Most importantly, however, is weekly worship where we come to praise God, encounter him in the Word and the Sacraments, speak with him in prayer, and receive his unfailing mercy and grace. Grateful to be part of the Holy Cross community this fall. Vicar Karen

The LOGOS program of Holy Cross will be starting on Wednesday October 7th for children in the 4th through 12th grades. LOGOS is a mid-week program that includes Recreation, Family Time (in the form of a supper meal), Worship and Bible Study. This ministry is open to ALL youth and the youth who attend this program are highly encouraged to bring their friends.

All parents of children who will be joining the LOGOS program for the 2009-2010 year are asked to attend a meeting on September at 6:30 p.m., which will include a LOGOS style meal. In addition we encourage you to bring an adult friend to this meeting, so that they can learn about the LOGOS Ministry here at Holy Cross.

If you are not sure if your child should be in LOGOS, come to this meeting to find out more about the program. If you have any questions before that time, please call Deadra D’Addeo.

Grandson Michael, who was 11 at the time, and I were coming back from an eight week cross country camping trip. We had spent most of the time in New Mexico with Uncle Mike; visiting Santa Fe, Philmont Boy Scout Camp, Cimarron, Taos; Angel Fire and other places. We had left for our journey when school closed in June and both of us had to be back on time to prepare for school opening in September.

On our return trip we drove north from Springer N.M. on Route 25, toward Denver where we would find another route to begin our journey east and eventually New England.. I was pulling a small pop up tent which afforded us shelter every night wherever we were. Michael had became quite a traveler; reading maps; scouting the tourist guide to find the campgrounds we would stop at each night, (usually one with a swimming pool,) He could also estimate how many miles we would travel before we stopped and what time we could expect to be there.

I had been following two travel trailers. Our exit was not far, the markers were there to direct us. As those two trailers before me turned onto the expected exit ramp, my car refused to make the turn and I had to continue to drive eight miles north before coming to a turn-round and go back to the missed exit.

Dark clouds were coming our way announcing the end of an eight week south-west drought . Soon we were in serious wind driven rain, and in darkness even though it was noon. We had not gone far on our new route when we came to three lanes of stopped traffic. We heard sirens coming up behind us and someone shouting on the horns for drivers to squeeze right to let ambulances pass. We waited over an hour before we could move again. As we approached the crest of the bridge we saw the two trailers we had followed earlier had been crushed by a trailer truck that had jackknifed on the wet slick road. Part of one trailer had gone over the side of the bridge and into the river below the other had one side ripped from it. There was debris everywhere. Later we heard on the radio that five people had been killed with two bodies having been recovered from the river.

We moved slowly forward, going over some accident debris. Once over the bridge, the car engine was working too hard, something was wrong. I needed to stop and inspect the situation. The darkness and driving rain made it difficult to even see what lane I was in. Michael and I prayed for God’s help. Soon I could see I was in the middle of three lanes. We also saw a rest area sign. The way was clear for me to pull in for the needed stop where I discovered the right rear tire on the car was flat. I took the jack and spare wheel from the trunk, and was preparing to change the wheel when a man stepped out of the driving rain and said, “No, no lady! That’s not the way to do it, You’ll get hurt that way.“ He stepped up and unhitched the load, jacked up the car, changed the wheel then put everything back in it’s place, saying to me, “Get back on the road, drive to the next exit ramp. At the end of that ramp you’ll see a gas station. A man there will fix your tire. He then walked away and disappeared into the wind and rain.

Driving was better now, the rain had slowed down. I thought to go past the exit, but just as my car had missed the first exit, it now turned smoothly into this one. The station was there as the man at the rest area had said. At the station, I was told by the attendant that the rain after such a long drought was causing many road problems, and cars were also developing problems. All his help was on the road. He was too busy to fix a flat. “But a man in the rest area told me to stop here and someone here would fix the tire.” I insisted. Just then, a large burly man who seemed to step out from behind the garage said to the attendant. “Hold on there, that job is for me, I’ll fix that flat.” The annoyed station owner said, “Mister, I don’t know who you are, but you can help yourself to the tools and go to it.”

The stranger fixed the flat and neatly placed the tire in the wheel well; put back the traveling gear and smilingly said, “You’ll be fine now. “ and I was.

Psalm 91: 09-11 reads: Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the most High your habitation, no evil shall befall you , no scourge come near your tent, For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways. I’ve often thought of those two men who helped us and I believe them to have been angels. I even believe angels drove my car safely past one exit and into another.

Leo

By Donna Simmons

Quite a few years ago I fell hopelessly in-like with the words from a great man. Leo Buscaglia wrote many books and lectured on the topic of joy and love. He was often on public television and whenever we were lucky enough to catch one of his lectures my husband and I would stop whatever we were doing and spend the next hour totally engrossed in this man’s wisdom. Those lectures flew by and always left us wanting more.

Leo spoke of love and the human condition on very basic levels. One time he told the story of taking the red eye flight from the west coast to the east. It was autumn and long before security would have scanned his carry-on luggage. He brought onboard a large cardboard box. Most of the other passengers were sleeping and the cabin attendants looked tired. Leo opened his box and scattered the beautiful colors of fall, leaves he’d gathered that day, red maples, rust colored oaks and golden aspens in the back of the plane. In the middle of the aisle he set a pumpkin. As tired as he was, he waited until every one of the attendants came back to him, all with smiles spread across their faces.

Another one of his stories was about what type of person each one of us is. It was a parable of sorts. One man walked past a lonely ant making its way along the path. This man stepped on the ant and crushed it. A second man walked up the path, saw an ant and stepped aside as not to harm it. A third man walked up to the ant struggling along the path, stopped and pulled a grain of sugar from his pocket. He reached down and fed the ant.

Now I have to say I am like that second man. As long as the ant was doing no harm I would have walked around it letting it live but not providing any help. I realized at the end of the story I had a long way to go in understanding love.

Another story Leo told is so visual in my mind it has stayed with me for decades. He grew up in a large Italian family. They always ate together at dinner time, but before they could sit down, each one of the children scrambled to learn something new. Out of a dictionary or an encyclopedia or through something that happened during the day I imagine each one of them would bring a lesson to share. At the dinner table, his father would turn to him and ask, “So Felice, what have you learned today?”

Leo Buscaglia died in 1998 but his lessons in love live on in my memories. There is no greater love than that of a parent for a child. God gave his Son for us because He so loved us. And He gave us people like Leo to spread the joy of love. “So Felice, what have you learned today?”

RALLY DAY---SUNDAY SCHOOL REGISTRATION

Please join us for the kick off of the new Sunday School year on September 13, 2009 for Rally Day and Pancake breakfast. Be sure to stop by the Sunday School registration table to make sure all your info is correct and up to date. There will be a shortened Sunday School on that day in the Sunday School area. The first full day of class begins on September 20, 2009. Hope to see you there!

MESSAGE FROM THE SOCIAL CONCERNS COMMITTEE

The first “goody” package has been mailed to a marine in Afghanistan. Another will be mailed in the next week. We still are asking for names of anyone in the war zones whom you would like to receive on of these packages. Our funds do not come from the church budget, but by private donations. Should you have a name, or a donation, please send to the church office addressed to Dick Eaton. He is administrating the project on behalf of the committee. Thank you!

YOUNG AT HEART

Join us for a return visit to the lovely Clipper Merchant’s Tea House in Limerick. We will have lunch on Friday, September 25th, carpooling from church at 11:30. Sign up in the Narthex.

The strength and happiness of a man consists in finding out the way in which God is going, and going in that way too.

-Henry Ward Beecher

CONCERT AT HOLY CROSS

Magnificent music on organ and trumpet is returning to Holy Cross Lutheran Church. We are profoundly fortunate to have a return visit by the internationally renowned Zimpel-Pfeifer Duo. Frank Zimpel, a professional concert organist, and distinguished trumpeter Alexander Pfeifer, both of Leipzig, Germany, will present a concert at Holy Cross on Saturday, September 26, at 7:00 p.m. You will be uplifted by their exquisite performance, without a doubt.

Of their last visit to Holy Cross, two years ago, music reviewer, composer, and former music professor Morton Gold wrote in the Biddeford Journal, “It doesn’t get any better than this. The truth is that while I do not know what perfection sounds like, the playing of these two comes as close to perfection as one can get. The torrent of sound from Zimpel, the brilliant cascade of notes exploiting the range and variety of the organ stops, simply overwhelmed me. With respect to Pfeifer, the clarity of his technique as well as the sweetness of his tone was all that one could hope for. His ensemble with Zimpel was such that it seemed the two played as one.”

This musical duo has performed together for the last seven years, giving more than 200 concerts in Germany, Austria, Italy, Denmark, Switzerland, Russia, and Egypt. The concert will be part of their first United States tour together. Their repertoire includes works by Albinoni, Bach, Boellmann, Charpentier, Gárdonyi, Handel, Mozart, Purcell, Stanley, and Vizutti. They have released three exceptional CDs of their organ and trumpet arrangements.

Frank Zimpel was raised in Köthen/Anhalt where he developed his musical talent as an organist. His teachers included Hannes Kästner, Arvid Gast, and Wolfgant Unger. Director of Music at Leipzig University, Frank Zimpel is a multiple laureate of the Bach Music Contest at Köthen and was honored as a finalist and laureate of the International J.S. Bach Contest in Leipzig in 1996.Since October of 2003, he also as been teaching organ and improvisation at the Hochschule fur Kirchenmusik in Halle/Saale. He also served as organist/cantor at the Apostelkirche in Leipzig

Alexander Pfeifer began his musical training playing the violin but found his calling as a trumpeter at the age of 12. He is also from Leipzig where he attended the Johann Sebastian Bach Musical School of Leipzig and later studied the trumpet under Peter-Michael Krämer, Daniel Schäbe and Falko Schob. His most recent education was at Dresden's Carl Maria von Weber Higher School of Music where he studied under Professor Matthias Schmutzler. In September 2003, Pfeifer was invited to become a permanent substitute with the Staatskapelle Dresden, which is considered the oldest ongoing orchestra in the world dating back to 1548

FIFTIES NIGHT

Whether you were around or not, the 50’s were a nostalgic time with great music playing in those juke boxes at soda shops. The Holy Cross version of 50’s nostalgia will be recreated on the night of Saturday, September 12th after the 4:30 worship service. Homemade meatball subs will be made by Jack and Warren. Root beer floats will be featured at the clergy soda fountain, served by Pastor Rich and Vicar Karen. Bring your jitterbug dance moves. Form a girl’s singing group or the 4 aces, preps, ladds, or Lutherettes. Or just come to watch and listen and enjoy the merriment.

BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL

Social Concerns Committee wants to thank everyone who helped with our Blueberry Festival, whether picking berries, making baked goods and crafts, donating tag sale items, helping with setup, service, and cleanup. We appreciate all who came out to support the festival, which raised around $2600, including some matching funds from Thrivent. All proceeds will go to Caring Unlimited and Florence House, two community agencies that provide shelter for abused or homeless women.

BIBLE STUDIES

Do you know very much about the Bible, our source of faith and beliefs? Does reading the Bible intimidate or confuse you? Or are you already very familiar with scripture, having read and studied it for years? There is much to be learned from reading the Bible, whether you are a novice or well versed. Delving into scripture is a wonderful spiritual discipline that can strengthen your faith and deepen your relationship with God. This fall we are encouraging everyone to consider joining a Bible Study group. Some studies are ongoing, some will be new. There will be at least one study offered in the morning, afternoon, or evening, on different days of the week. A variety of topics will be addressed. A two week basic introduction class for those who are not familiar with the Bible will also be offered. Please sign up on the poster in the Narthex so we can order material. For most classes, a donation of between $5-12 is appreciated but optional.

MONDAY EVENING - 6:30-7:30: Book of Faith study on I John, led by Vicar Karen in Luther Hall, new class beginning October 12 for 8 weeks.

TUESDAY EVENING first and third Tuesday of the month, 6:00-7:30 (includes a healthy living meal): topic to be determined, ongoing class led by Elaine Ballute in Luther Hall.

WEDNESDAY MORNING - 8:30 - 9:45: Book of Faith study on Genesis, weekly class led by Vicar Karen in Luther Hall.

THURSDAY AFTERNOON -- 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm: Book of Faith Study called, "A Great-Grandma to a King, a King-maker, a King, and a Royal Pain: Ruth, Samuel, David, and Elijah." Class led by Pastor Rich will meet October 1st, 15th, 29th, Nov 12th in Luther Hall.

THURSDAY EVENING MEN’S GROUP - weekly except the first Thursday of the month, 6:30-7:30: ongoing study on The Sermon on the Mount, led by Tom Moyer at Lord Street House.

SUNDAY MORNING - weekly 9:45-10:45: Adult Forum in Luther Hall.

In addition, there will be a two week class on a BASIC INTRODUCTION TO THE BIBLE for those who need some help in finding their way around in our Book of Faith. The same class will be offered at two different times – Sunday morning as an alternative to Adult Forum from 9:45-10:45 on September 20 and 27 at Lord Street House, and on Tuesday evening, September 22 and 29 at 7:00 in Luther Hall.

PRAYER GROUP

The Prayer Group that met every other Wednesday has evolved into a wonderful time of discussion on prayer and other important matters in the lives of the attendees with a half hour of open prayer at the end lifting up concerns and praises to God. It has been decided to continue this group into the fall. We will meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 6:00 pm in the Sanctuary from September through November. We will take December off and then resume again in January. It is not necessary to attend every time to be a part of this hour of prayer. Please consider joining us once, twice or more as we lift our prayers to God and learn to listen for His response. See Julie Clapp for more information. Thank you!

BACKPACKS

The Social Concerns Committee is once again sponsoring a backpack drive during the month of August. Consider donating a backpack and/or school supplies to the children who are living in Caring Unlimited shelters due to violence in their homes. Please leave the backpacks and school supplies in the corner of the Narthex. The donated items will be picked up after second service on Sunday, August 30th.

JOKE OF THE MONTH

Submitted by Jack Bates

A kindergarten teacher gave her class a “show and tell” assignment of bringing something to represent their religion.

The first child got in front of the class and said, “My name is Benjamin and I am Jewish and this is the Star of David.”

The second child got in front of the class and said, “My name is Mary and I am Catholic and this is the Crucifix.”

The third child got in front of the class and said, “My name is Nicholas and I am a Lutheran and this is a casserole.

Whatever your task, work heartily,

As serving the Lord and not men.

Colossians 3:23 RSV