Season of Easter

The Lord loves those who hate evil; he guards the lives of his faithful; he rescues them from the hand of the wicked. Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name! Psalm 97: 10-12

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The season of Easter ends Sunday. We will extinguish the paschal candle, and light it again throughout the year, at funerals and memorial services, baptisms and affirmations of baptisms. The paschal candle is lit when we are focusing our attention on the sacramental presence of Christ, the promises made and the promises returned when Christ’s people accept him as Lord of their lives.

Next we move to the season of the Holy Spirit breathing through creation and, in a special way, through people of faith. On Pentecost Sunday (a week from Sunday), we will lay our hands on the heads of some of our young people, and pray that they will among those who will live as disciples of Jesus Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit.

No choir. Kathryn is away. Ron and Bob will lead the music of our liturgy and accompany our hymns.

Faith formation at 11 am.

Confirmation and high school students meet with Pastor Johnson during the faith formation hour.

Florence House Open House Wednesday, June 5. Sign up to bring a dessert to church on that day. If you would like to attend the house blessing and open house, and you would like a ride, be at church at 2:30 pm.

Bring in jelly and chili for A Place to Turn in Natick. If we fill up the basket, the food will be delivered to A Place to Turn on Monday.

Sunday we will take time to mark a half-century of service from our Austin organ. Pentecost will be the last day we will hear the Austin, but that day will be filled up with special words and rituals for confirmation. During the summer months, as our new organ is assembled in New York, and installed here, our liturgy and hymns will be accompanied by the piano and other instruments.

Praise the Lord, sun and moon;
sing praise, all you shining stars. -Psalm 148:3

Psalm 148, the Psalm for Sunday, lets us imagine all people, joining all of creation, singing praise to God. In the Gospel for Sunday, Jesus gives his disciples a new commandment: love one another. The disciples praise God in their love for one another.

Flowers Kim Canning, in celebration of her children’s’ baptisms

The choir rehearses at 8:45 am.

Faith formation at 11 am. Confirmation students will meet with Pastor Johnson. This will be the confirmation meeting for the day. June 9 is Pentecost and Confirmation Sunday.

The nominating committee has been asking members of the church to serve on the council. I believe that all who have been asked have said yes. That’s terrific.

Parents’ Night Out and Game Night tomorrow! Saturday, May 18, 6-9 pm.

Our new organ is being constructed at Tim Smith’s shop in Portageville, NY. Sunday, June 9 will be the last day for our present organ. We will say a prayer of thanks for its half-century of service to our worshiping community.

Race Amity Day film and discussion at Peace, Sunday June 9. Time tba.

Memorial Day Camping at Calumet. Speak to Deb Vogt or one of our other Peace campers for more information.

If you know someone who would like to rent a small office in our community arts wing, invite them to contact Pastor Johnson.

Bring in chili, stew and jelly for A Place to Turn in Natick.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23: 6

Thank you to Carol for bringing Mother’s Day flowers!

The fourth Sunday of Easter has for centuries been kept as the Sunday of the Good Shepherd. The people of ancient Israel knew God as their shepherd, ruling over them with a law of righteousness, protecting them from their enemies, and providing for them. John’s Gospel takes up this image and applies it to Jesus. He is the good shepherd, caring for his people.

The image of the good shepherd has quieted troubled hearts and calmed jangled nerves throughout history. As you worship tomorrow, quietly ponder a few of the words of Psalm 23 (in your Celebrate).

The choir rehearses at 8:45 am.

Bruce Goody and Jonathan Moretz will be with us Sunday. They bring their flute and guitar music, free of charge, to audiences all over the Boston area: churches, homeless shelters, hospice houses, nursing homes, and other places. Their generosity is inspiring.

Faith formation at 11 am.

Florence House Open House Wednesday, June 5. We have been asked to bring desserts. Sign up on the table in the narthex.

No confirmation class Sunday. Spend time with your mother, or your grandmother!

The council meets Monday, May 13 at 7:30 pm.

Organ builder Tim Smith will be here Tuesday, May 14. Our organ is being constructed at Tim’s workshop in New York.

Bring in jelly and chili for A Place to Turn in Natick.

Conversion of St. Paul, Laurent de Le Hyre, 1637

Now as Saul was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Acts 9:3-4

Is there a moment in your life that you think of as your conversion experience? I hope that at least some of you can point to a moment in time when your outlook on life changed, and you became a Christian. As Lutherans we speak of the steady presence of Christ to the baptized children of God, but there are moments when the church language becomes a warm, living, personal, faith in your heart. We’ll think about conversion experiences on Sunday. This is not our strong suit, but we’ll give it a try. 🙂

The choir rehearses at 8:45 am.

During the service, Deb Vogt will make a short report about the nominating committee’s work. On Sunday, or in the next few weeks, if you are asked to serve on the council, I hope you will say yes. The present council and the nominating committee have given careful thought to their work.

Joanne, director of A Place to Turn in Natick, has told me several times that jelly, stew and chili and other similar soups are always in low supply. Others who give to the food pantry don’t like to buy these things because they believe they are not healthy. I told Joanne that we will continue to collect jelly and chili.

When our garden produce appears, we will bring herbs and fresh vegetables to A Place to Turn.

Confirmation students and parents (one last time) meet at 4 pm Sunday to finish the arbor for the vegetable garden.

Next Sunday, May 12, A Mother’s Day treat: Jonathan and Bruce will be at our service with their elegant and inspiring guitar and flute music. Invite a friend to church!

Parents’ Night Out and Game Night: Sunday, May 18. Sign up in the narthex.

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe. John 20:27

The Doubting of Thomas, Michelangelo Carravagio, 1603

The story of the resurrection is just getting started as we move into the second week of Easter. Christ is present to his disciples in ordinary ways, especially in John’s Gospel, that blow their minds.

In John, Jesus speaks a blessing of Peace to them, and sends them out with a special vocation in the world.

Easter is the season of Baptism. We will think about the gifts of Baptism that are the same as the gifts Jesus gives to his disciples when he appears to them on the day of the resurrection: a blessing, a vocation, and support to carry out the vocation.

The choir rehearses at 8:45 am.

Faith formation at 11 am.

Nominating committee meets at 11 am.

Confirmation at 4 pm. Wear gardening clothes. Parents, your help will be appreciated. 🙂 Stephanie will continue her supervision of the arbor and the planting of the garden.

Yesterday I brought food we collected to A Place to Turn in Natick. Joanne, executive director, thanked me for the food and said that she is looking forward to vegetables and herbs from the Peace gardens. This month bring in jelly (I know we collected jelly two months ago, but Joanne said that they often run out.)