107 Concord Road, Wayland Massachusetts 01778

I address most of my notes and comments to our members and friends.

Members are the people who take responsibility for the care, support, growth and development of Peace. Members take on these responsibilities for their own spiritual well-being, for the well-being of the next generation, and for the benefit of the community in which they live. Members are individuals, couples and households who have committed themselves to including the activities and purposes of Peace Lutheran Church in the routines of their lives. Members attend Sunday morning worship together. Members of the church believe that they are in some way fed by the word and sacraments on Sunday morning and at special services throughout the year.  Members give their time and money as offerings of themselves and of their week-day work and occupations. Members of the church respond to calls for volunteers, as well as to special appeals and service opportunities, the way members of a family respond to similar calls at home.

Friends normally are those who do not live within driving distance of Peace Lutheran Church but who still keep the church and its members in mind. They send tokens of friendship in the form of encouragement, occasional presence and financial gifts. Friends often visit in the summer or when they are in town at holidays. Friends respond, as they are able, to special appeals, especially to financial appeals. Friends may be Christians who are members of other congregations in other places. Friends may be parents or relatives of present members, former members of Peace, relatives of former members. Friends may maintain interest in or fondness for our church for some other reason.

During the month of April we will celebrate the installation of the solar panels on the church.

This week in Sunday school, our 1^st through 8^th graders will ponder the question, “What was it like for the disciples to meet Jesus when he presented himself to them following his crucifixion and resurrection?” John 20:19-31.  The children will have an opportunity to discuss how they experience Christ in their own lives, never having met him like the disciples did.

This week, Kathryn Welter will meet with our 4^th through 8^th grade students in the sanctuary for ten minutes at the start of class.  She will continue to discuss with them the liturgical music we sing during worship service.

Our preschool through kindergarten students will hear and discuss the time when God chose David, over the others, to be king in 1 Samuel 16:1-13:¹⁰ 

Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen any of these.’ ¹¹Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all your sons here?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.’ ¹²He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.’ ¹³Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.

God chose David over the others because God could see the goodness and the strength in him that others could not.  The children will talk about how God knows them inside and out, too.

I look forward to seeing you and your children together this week in Sunday school.

“The Christian education program at Peace, where your child can experience God’s love through worship, learning, and fellowship with others.”

Kim

From Palm Sunday through Holy Week and Easter the church was alive with your devotion and presence. Thank you to all of you for giving generously of yourselves during these important Christian calendar days.

Here are just some of the ways that members of our church were involved and present. I write your names as a pastoral exercise for myself, as my own way of giving thanks for you.

First, and foremost, many of you attended. Presence at worship means everything. The word doesn’t reach your ears and your heart unless you drive your car into the parking lot and come in at the appointed time. Your presence supports others. We are social animals (most of the time) and we often need just to be with other members of our pack, outside our immediate family.

Kathryn Welter directed the choir and led our singing from the organ and piano benches. It was our turn to host our friends from Church of the Holy Spirit, so Kathryn had an extra task with that on Maundy Thursday. The members of the choir offered their special music-Sharon Jones, Nancy Meshon, Milly Engberg, Barbara Olsen, Larry Gogolin, Bob Holmgren, Dan Olsen, Ron Riggert, Nate Johnson and Frank Maxant. The brass group-Ron Riggert, Nate Johnson, Dan Olsen and Bob Holmgren-rehearsed on Saturday then added their joyful sound to our service.

Mary Ann Borkowski and Mazie Stitt arranged for the flowers here at church and at Colonial Gardens in Concord. Many of you signed up to give flowers. Mary Ann and Barbara decorated the church on Saturday. Worship coordinator Milly Engberg watched over the preparations and saw that everything ran smoothly during the services.

Volunteers came forward to take leadership roles on Maunday Thursday and Good Friday:  Milly Engberg, Kirsten Johnson and Dan Olsen.

Marisa Lutz worked with the high school and middle school youth to prepare for the Easter egg hunt. Leah Scheidemantel. Leah Jonczyk, Gabrielle Ho, Nate Johnson and Pat Canning helped out.

Kim Canning, our Sunday school coordinator, worked with our children, allowing them to take part in the services. She spoke the word of God to them and helped them bring the Alleluia back into our worship.

Children take central roles in our community life. On the Sunday of the Passion, Nicole Canning, Carly Scheidemantel, Leah Jonzcyk, Carter Vogt, Sophia Midgley and Leah Scheidemantel presented the central story of our faith to us. They did a fine job.

On Palm Sunday and again, in an even higher key, on Easter Sunday, our faith community joined Christians around the world in a celebration of the wonderful mystery of life, for which we give thanks to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. The weather supported us and so many of you brought good cheer and friendly faces to our worship and post-worship activities. Send me your pictures and I’ll post some of them on our website and on our blog. You took part in the potluck brunch and stayed around to clean-up. Alan and Deb Vogt stayed until the last dish was washed and the last crumb vacuumed. Thanks to both of them.

The wrap-up meetings from our two Family Promise weeks are happening in these days. The crates have been packed up and stored in the Midgley’s basement. Remember to find a way to volunteer during our next Family Promise week in the fall.

A special thank you to Loren Korte and Dick Stitt for working through a review of the church financial records in these past weeks. They did a thorough job and made a well-organized written report to the council. Loren and Dick are now retired. In their working lives they were chief executives in the fields of publishing and insurance, respectively. As I watched them work on our books I knew that we had some capable volunteers at the task.

Deb Vogt and Milly Engberg will meet this week to continue planning for our 50th anniversary year 2014.

Work day Saturday, April 6. We plan to burn the brush that has been piled up through the last few years around the parking lot. Come if you would like to help.