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The Scroll
St. Luke Lutheran Church
Inside this issue
From Pastor Sarah ........................ 3
Meet Our New Members .............. 4
Altar Guild Volunteers Needed ..... 4
Ash Wednesday ............................ 4
Celebrations .................................. 5
Prayer List ..................................... 6
Thank Yous .................................... 6
Kids’ Page ...................................... 7
Schedules to Serve ........................ 8
Calendar........................................ 9
New London Meal Center
Schedule to Serve ....... Back Page
February 2020 Volume 16, Issue 2
What Does God Want from Me? From Pastor Danny
The Roman calendar only had ten months, because the
Romans did not delineate winter. In the 700s BCE, the
second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, changed that,
adding January and February to the end of the calendar to
demarcate the winter months. The two new months
originally were 28 days long. At that time, March 1 became
New Year’s Day, but later, in 153 BCE, the beginning of the
year was moved to January 1. History does not record how three days were
added to January while February remained at 28 days. Julius Caesar revised the
lengths of the months in his calendar reform. He added an extra day between
February 23 and 24 every four years, making the month last for 29 days. We
(Continued on page 2)
“We are a Spirit driven Christian community
of engaged disciples, called to serve,
love and forgive.”
We are a
Reconciling in Christ
Congregation.
2
What Does God Want from Me? (Cont.)
continue this practice by adding a day at the end of February
every four years. This year, 2020, is one of those ‘leap’ years.
Before we adopted the Latin name, februarius, from
februa, the name meaning to purify, and the day of purification,
the Romans celebrated the Feast of Purification called
Lupercalia, which was held between 13 and 15 February. This
Feast is when people were ritually purified to avert evil spirits
and purify the city. It was also a purification to heal and
enhance fertility. This was done in anticipation of the New Year
on March 1. Valentine’s Day, on February 14, in the middle of
the feast of Lupercalia, is an extension of this Roman Festival.
Lupercalia was observed well into the Christian era. It is
said that Pope Gelasius I (Pope from 1 Mar 492 to his death on
19 Nov 496 CE), introduced the Feast of Purification of the
Virgin Mary, called Candlemas in 494 CE, to counteract the
excesses of the pagan celebrations of Lupercalia. Candlemas is
a celebration of the presentation of Jesus at the Temple when
Mary was purified following His birth (Lk 2:22-29) in accordance
to the Law (Lev 12:1-8). Candlemas is not on February 14, but
on February 2, 40 days after Christmas.
Pope Gelasius I named February 14 St. Valentine’s Day in
honor of St. Valentine who defied the emperor’s orders and
secretly married couples to spare husbands from war. Since this
time, the feast day is associated with love. Still the Roman
influence on this holiday of love is viewed through the Roman
god Cupid, the son of the goddess of love, Venus, and the god
of war, Mars. Cupid signifies desire, erotic love, attraction, and
affection.
Why look at these historical facts about the month of
February? I listed the history of this month for us to take a look
at who we are. In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul
reminds us that we have been transformed by the renewing of
our minds.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of our mind, so
that you may discern what is the will of God –
what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2
We no longer depend on who we were but who we are.
We have been baptized, claimed, and named children of God.
Yet sometimes we allow old practices and desires to creep into
our lives even though we have good intentions. This is why we
discern what the will of God is, what is good, acceptable, and
perfect. John in his 1st letter says the worldly way of living are
“the desires of the flesh or the eyes and pride of life” (1 John
2:16). By instinct, all of us chase those things in pursuit of
happiness and meaning.
Paul tells us to abandon the chase for pleasure,
possessions, and status, to stop trying to live like everyone else.
Changing things that were wrong doesn’t work if we just
substitute something new to replace it but still keep portions of
the old ways. Instead, Paul urges us to be transformed from the
inside out. We must be changed in how we think, to have our
minds renewed, so that we can begin to understand God’s will
for our lives.
God continues to provide us with pleasure, possessions,
and status in various forms, but he urges us to learn how to
look at life with a new question: “What does God want for me?
What is truly a good, acceptable, and perfect use of my life for
God’s purposes and not just my own?”
Pastor Danny
(Continued from page 1)
3
Diversity is a reason to celebrate. God created all people in God’s image. The more we learn about all of God’s people, the more we learn about God. Especially in a world where there is so much violence and misunderstanding between nations, we need to make an effort to learn about,
understand, and love one another. In learning about one another, we find that there are
many differences among us. We enjoy unique foods, celebrate a variety of holidays, wear various types of clothing, and speak a multitude of languages. Researching and experiencing one another’s cuisine, celebrations, and culture is fascinating and fun. You’ll never run out of new foods to try, places to visit or words to learn.
Also, in learning about one another, we find that we have more in common than we think. We all have foods we love, family traditions, and rituals to accompany life passages. Every child around the world plays; only the game changes.
During the first three weeks of February, we will celebrate diversity during the Learning Hour. We will read stories from scripture that highlight God’s love for all people: Ruth the Moabite woman, the Ethiopian Eunuch, and God’s vision for the world in Revelation. Scripture teaches us that God’s love for humanity is broader than any one culture and more inclusive than any one people. We will also read children’s stories from around the world. We can increase our
understanding and empathy for those around us when we read stories from new perspectives.
A major component of our unit will be connecting our Sunday School students with students from Chikumbuso. On February 2, Jeanne Steinnagel will share how life for kids in Zambia is different than life for kids here, and yet there are still many similarities. From her last trip to Zambia, Jeanne has videos of Chikumbuso kids singing songs. Our students will learn one of their songs, record themselves singing it and send it to the kids there. Our Learning Hour offering will be to collect school supplies to support the Chikumbuso school, and we plan to make “Buso Bead” necklaces, with help from Trudy Flanery, as a fundraiser to increase the impact of our support and involve the congregation.
Another exciting piece of this learning unit, is that the we will be working on an art project that celebrates diversity. Robin Nelson, one of our amazing artists at St. Luke, is our consultant and guide for this project. Each person will work on his or her own part and together the pieces will become something beautiful. We hope to reveal and display this art piece during the Easter season. We still need a woodworker for a little assistance to complete our project but with many skilled hands at St. Luke that should be easy to find!
We are called to love our neighbors, and our neighbors are near and far. As we celebrate diversity, we are getting to know our global neighbors. Come learn with us this February!
Celebrating Diversity From Pastor Sarah
4
Meet Our New Members
Altar Guild is currently comprised of seven members who prepare the Lord’s Supper over 100 times each year for Sundays and special services. That is a lot of services for only seven people to cover. We could use some help! Training is available, though it’s not a difficult job. There are tools to make filling those little cups easier! You do not need to provide bread, as we have a sign-up sheet for that. Give it a try! If you enjoy it, make a commitment to join Altar Guild. Contact Cathy Hanson, 860-447-9531, or the Church Office if you are interested.
Altar Guild By Cathy Hanson
Lauren, Michael, and Owen Bynon “We moved here from Chicago and New York for work. We are very excited to find a
friendly community here for our son to grow up in.”
Lauren is a teacher in the Manchester Public School system, and Michael is the Volleyball
Coach for the Coast Guard. The Bynons live in Gales Ferry. In June, Lauren and Michael will be
celebrating 4 years of marriage and Owen will be a year old.
The Bynons will be received as new members and Owen will be baptized on March 1.
Baked Potato Supper
at 6:30 PM
Services at
Noon and 7:30 PM
February 26, 2019
Rudy Croteau Rudy has been an Associate Member of St. Luke since 2011 and will affirm his baptismal
covenant on January 26, making him a full member of St. Luke with voting privileges. Rudy has
been heavily involved in the ministries of St. Luke, most notably heading up the Community
Garden for a number of years. Rudy lives in Niantic with his wife, Carol. They will be
celebrating their 33rd anniversary in September. Rudy Croteau
Lauren, Michael, and Owen
Bynon
5
Celebrations Celebrations
DEADLINE
The deadline for the March Scroll is Tuesday,
February 18. Articles may be submitted as hard-
copy or via e-mail to [email protected]
Scroll Deadline
2/1 Jennifer Nicki
2/2 Doug Meyer
2/4 Wally Stone (call the church
office for new address)
2/8
Matthias Meyer
2/9 Amy Sindel
2/10 Caitlyn Willingham
2/11 Carter Smith
2/16 Amanda Cox
2/17
Chad Frost 2/26
Tom Reynolds
2/27 Curt Frost
2/28 Kim Haugland
2/??
Jack Stevens
2/8
Jessica Dame
2/9
Owen Lessing
2/10
Dina Ballestrini
2/12
Leigh Sammons
2/13
Charlotte Johnson
2/16
Amanda Cox
2/19
Rose Marie Brasel
2/14
Randy & Karen Tiede
Mike & Karen Wuesthoff
Did we miss your
celebration? Please
call the church office,
860-464-7897, or e-
mail Kathleen@
stlukegf.org, so we
can be sure to honor
your special day!
6
Prayer List
Pray for healing: Neb Smith
Sharon Kapner
Erin
Marco
Jorge Verges & family
Nancy Dooley
Alex Hetzel
Sandy Wimmermark
Pat
Linda and her son, Billy
Jeanne Sullivan
Martin
Jim
Charlotte
Ron Podijil
Patty Rennegarbe
Ken Plante
Eric Eitel
Jennifer & Pete Stred
Gloria Breitenbach
Joe Mazur
Christopher Bystrak
Lynn Minichino
Jean Pierce
Melanie Savage
Stephanie Lucas
Sara
Pray for deployed military: Patrick Wimmermark
Abigail Simmons
Pray for homebound: Marnie Reubelt
Ruth Going
Dale Arnold
Pray for those who are
grieving: for Corri Bradley
for Patricia Elliott
for Sandy Brown
Maureen Tembo and her
daughter, Beverly
Pray for those with other
concerns: Ryan, Nicole, & Caleb
thanksgiving for the birth of
Koa to Stephanie and
Mitchell Takenaka
Saditha
Teddy and Aaron
Chikumbuso Project
If you would like to add a prayer request to the Weekly,
please complete the Prayer Request form on the reverse
side of the yellow Connections form. Leave the form in the
pew and the ushers will collect them and turn them in to
the church office. You can also add a prayer request by
calling the office at 860-464-7897.
Thank yous January 3, 2020
Dear Friends,
On behalf of the Town of Groton and this department, we would like to thank you for your generous donation that made our 2019 Christmas Distribution program a success. This Holiday Season we provided food baskets and turkeys to 415 families, feeding over 1000 people and gifts were given to over 450 children!!!!
We are able to make a difference for many Groton families in need each year because of the generous donations we receive from our community. We appreciate your generous support of our community during the Holidays and wish you a Happy and prosperous New Year.
Marge Fondulas Director Groton Human Services January 25, 2020
Dear [St. Luke Lutheran Church]:
Thank you on behalf of Saint David’s Annual Christmas Day Feast Committee for your use of the table for our community event. You help blessed many on Christmas. You help was met with many happy children! I hope you can imagine the joy and smiles on each of their faces that your support made a reality for them.
We are grateful for your support. The assistance from generous people like you is the reason we can continue offering this event. Our success is majorly dependent on the provision that people like you provide us. It is because of you that we can deliver our best to the community.
Thank you once again for making our mission a success and for making a difference in many lives on Christmas Day. We look forward to your support in the future.
Sincerely, The Reverend Mark Santucci Interim Rector St. David’s Episcopal Church
7
Kids’ Page
8
ST. LUK
E—SC
HED
ULE TO
SERV
E – Febru
ary 2
02
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Date
G
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Ush
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2/2
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Jeanett
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Bill K
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Felix Vajd
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2/9
8:1
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Trud
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Mark &
Lou
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Mikayla Zitzkat
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9
Church Calendar of Events February Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1
2
*Healing Ministry*
+Scout Sunday+
2:45 PM
NL Meal Ctr
6:00 PM
Rockin’ Ringers
3
9:00 AM
Grins & Giggles
7:00 PM
Pastor’s Bible Study
4
9:00 AM
Grins & Giggles
2:00 PM
Congregant
Interviews with
Bishop Hazelwood
6:30 PM
Worship Team
5
9:00 AM
Grins & Giggles
Bells of Fire
10:30 AM
Bible Study
5:45 PM
Dinner Church
6
9:00 AM
Grins & Giggles
7
9:00 AM
Grins & Giggles
8
9
12:30 PM
Lifelong Learning
10
9:00 AM
Grins & Giggles
7:00 PM
Pastor’s Bible Study
11
9:00 AM
Grins & Giggles
5:30 PM
Executive Planning
6:30 PM
Fellowship Team
12
8:00 AM
LICEAF
9:00 AM
Grins & Giggles
Bells of Fire
10:30 AM
Bible Study
5:45 PM
Dinner Church
13
9:00 AM
Grins & Giggles
14
9:00 AM
Grins & Giggles
15
16
6:00 PM
Rockin’ Ringers
17
*Presidents Day*
Church Office Closed
7:00 PM
Pastor’s Bible Study
18
SCROLL
DEADLINE
19
9:00 AM
Grins & Giggles
Bells of Fire
10:30 AM
Bible Study
5:45 PM
Dinner Church
7:00 PM
Congregational
Council
20
9:00 AM
Grins & Giggles
21
9:00 AM
Grins & Giggles
22
23
12:30 PM
Mardi Gras Event
24
9:00 AM
Grins & Giggles
7:00 PM
Pastor’s Bible Study
25
9:00 AM
Grins & Giggles
26
9:00 AM
Grins & Giggles
10:30 AM
Bible Study
12:00
Ash Wed. Service
6:30 PM
Potato Suppoer
7:30 PM
Ash Wed. Service
27
9:00 AM
Grins & Giggles
28
9:00 AM
Grins & Giggles
29
9:30 AM
Confirmation
Calumet Adult Winter Weekend
Calumet...
Music Rehearsals :
Sun., 12:00 PM — Concert Handbells
Mon., 5:00 PM — Joyful Noise
Tues., 7:00 PM — Senior Choir
Wed., 12:00 PM — Belles & Beaux
4:30 PM — Ring Masters
7:00 PM — JuBELLation
Thurs., 7:00 PM — Celebrate Team
Sunday Schedule (unless
otherwise indicated)
Worship:
8:15 & 11 AM
Learning Hour:
9:30 AM
Celebrate services:
11 AM, 2nd, 3rd, & 5th Sundays.
Church Office Hours:
Monday—Wednesday: 9 AM—2 PM
Thursday — 11 AM—2 PM
Friday—CLOSED
St. Luke Lutheran Church 1830 Route 12
Gales Ferry, CT 06335
Phone: 860-464-7897
Fax: 860-464-7742
Website: stlukegf.org
A member of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America
A Spirit Driven Christian
Community of Engaged
Disciples, Called to Serve,
Love and Forgive.
New London Meal Center Schedule to Serve
February 2
Cooks:
Heller
LaForge
Sindel
Servers:
Etris
Hansen
Hanson
Koerting
Perkins
March 1
Cooks:
Croteau
Lozier
LaForge
Servers:
Chambers
Etris
Koerting
Perkins
Watson
Wimmermark
Address Changes
Please notify the
Church Office of any
address, phone, or
email address changes.
Addresses for College
students are also
encouraged! 860-464-
7897
St. Luke Lutheran Church
1830 Route 12
Gales Ferry, CT 06335
Ph. 860-464-7897
Fax: 860-464-7742
Emergency #: 860-381-0884
www.stlukegf.org
Office Hours:
Monday—Thursday
9 AM —2 PM
Friday
CLOSED
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Pastor Danny R. Hammons
Lead Pastor
Pastor Sarah Barnes
Associate Pastor
Gina Marie Williams
Director of Music
Suzanne Wingrove
Bookkeeper
Kathleen Bartkowski
Parish Administrator
Organist/Celebrate Accompanist
Bill Brentnall
Sexton
Officers of the Congregation
Marty Wood
President
Dyann Baker
Vice-President
Jen Gilletti
Treasurer