Elder, Usher, and Acolyte Schedules May 2019

Elder and Usher Schedule

Date
8:00
Elder
10:30
May 5Gene Fuller, Gerald Semelka, Richard RossNathan KluenderBob Love, Brian Dirks
May 12Barry Hamlin, Paul GerikeBrian HoopMike Field, Mike Huth, Theron Noth
May 19Craig Culp, Jeff Piper, Lucas PiperMike FieldGreg McNeely, Randy Reinhardt
May 26Daryle Schempp, Nick HitchPaul GerikeBob Love, Brian Dirks, Theron Noth
Ascension
May 30		7PMPaul GerikeGerald Semelka, Nathan Kluender, Steve Parry

Acolyte Schedule

Date
8:00
10:30
May 5JT PiperPastor/Elder
May 12Pastor/ElderMatt Williamson
May 19Clayton PiperPastor/Elder
May 26Pastor/ElderJustin McNeely
Ascension
May 30		7PM??

Bulletin Announcements Easter Sunday – April 21, 2019

THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP:  Luke 24:6-7 – “He is not here, but has risen.  Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”  So Jesus is risen, but is that Good News?  What if He is mad at us for betraying Him, for running away at Gethsemane, and for not believing He would rise?  The Good News is not just that Jesus is risen but that He is risen to bless us.  There is no need to be alarmed.  He still calls us His friends and brothers and means to bring us through death to resurrection as well.  The Lord is risen; He is risen indeed!

FAITH IN ACTION OF BLOOMINGTON/NORMAL:   One ride, one visit, one Senior at a time.  Need a ride?  Want to volunteer?  Need more information?  Call (309) 827-7780; or email: office@bnfia.org or contact Barry Hamlin at (309) 750-9424.

OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL meets at 9:15 a.m. in the Choir Room which is located on the 2nd level (the west side).

THE ADULT BIBLE CLASS meets in the basement at 9:15 a.m.

FROM THE OFFICE:  Copies of the updated Church Directory are available on the table in the narthex.  Pickup your copy today!

TODAY is the deadline for items to be submitted for the MAY NEWSLETTER.   Any announcements you want to be published in the Newsletter should be submitted via email to goodshepherdblm@frontier.com, via mail, hand-delivered, or you may call (309) 662-8905 or (309) 838-1552.  Thank you!

CAN YOU HELP: Good Shepherd is once again privileged to minister to International Students at Illinois State University.  We will provide a meal for them and their guests at Wittenberg Lutheran Center this coming Friday, April 26th at 6:00 p.m.  If you can provide food and/or help serve we have a sign-up on the table in the narthex.  Thank you.

THANK YOU:  Pastor and Toni would like to thank everyone who supported them in the Living Alternatives – Crisis Pregnancy Center Walk For Life.  The walk raised $49,100.00.  If you would like to be more involved in this Pro-Life work they are sponsoring an Open House on Monday, May 5th at both 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. or 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.  Come and check out the ministry and see where you fit in.  They are located at 303 Landmark Drive, Suite 1B in Normal.

FROM THE OFFICE: The memorials for Ruth Gooding totaled $560.00.  The Gooding Family has requested that this money go into the Stained Glass Window Fund.

PORTALS OF PRAYER: The April – June 2019 Portals of Prayer are available on the book rack in the narthex.  Pick up your free copy today.  Large print also available.

FELLOWSHIP HOSTS:  In order to get more people involved in our Coffee/Donut Fellowship for 2019 we have two separate sign-ups: Donut Pick-up and Coffee Set-up.  We would like to encourage you to sign-up for one or the other.  You may also sign-up for both if you wish.  The sign-up sheet is by the door by the north stairwell.

THE LUTHERAN HOUR:  “World Turned Upside Down” is the topic for next Sunday.  The sermon text will be from John 20:19-31. Doubt is a normal part of our present human experience.  Only the presence of the risen Jesus will overcome it.  The speaker will be Reverend Dr. Michael Zeigler.  Hear his message on The Lutheran Hour on WGN (720) at 6:00 a.m.; WJWR (104.7 FM) and WJWR (90.3 FM) both on Sunday at 3:00 p.m.  Also, if you can receive Lincoln, IL radio station WLLM (1370 AM) the program is broadcast two times on Sunday at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.  Tune in!  You can also listen to The Lutheran Hour on your personal computer at RealAudio, www.lhm.org.

FROM THE CHURCH OFFICE:  If you miss church, please be reminded that copies of the previous week’s sermon are available on the table in the narthex.  Also, the sermon will be available on our web site at www.goodshepherdblm.org.  Thank you.

PRAYER CIRCLE:  If you have a prayer request please submit them by email to Mary Anne Kirchner at makirchner@yahoo.com or you may phone a Prayer Request to Mary Anne; her cell phone# is (309) 532-2582.  The Prayer Request box is on the table in the narthex for any written requests.

Sermon Text 4.21.2019 — Against All Odds

April 21, 2019 – Easter                                                                   Text:  Exodus 15:1-8

Dear Friends in Christ,

            Do you like to play the odds?  Odds of winning the multi-state power-ball?  One in 185 million.  If you are a high school baseball player the odds of making the majors?  One in 6,600.  Odds of being struck by lightning?  One in 3 million.  Odds of you listening to most every word of this sermon?  One in 10.  Take a look around who is that attentive human being?

            The most important “what are the odds” question is this.  What are the odds that a man, brutally beaten and then crucified by the Roman Empire, would come back to life?  No one is going to let you lay odds on that because it is astronomical.  But get this – it happened.  It really happened!  Christ is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!

            The goal of this sermon is for us to profess Easter and to possess Easter.  Easter happened.  That’s profess.  Easter is happening in me.  That’s possess.

            We wrap our Lenten sermon series today as we come to Exodus 15.

“AGAINST ALL ODDS!”

            The drama begins in Exodus 1:11 when we are told the Egyptians would be the slave masters of the Israelites.  They would make their lives bitter.  But it gets worse.  You may remember from the sermon on Ash Wednesday that the quota per day for the Israelites was 3,000 bricks – in the heat, all day, every day.  It gets worse.  When they flee the powerful Egyptian army chases them – there is going to be hell to pay.  It gets worse.  They complain to Moses, “Did you bring us out into this desert just to die?”

            Just when they are up against the odds our text states, “Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea.” (v. 4)  No wonder the Israelites sing in verse 2, “The Lord is my strength and my song and he has become my salvation.”  This is the first Hallelujah.  All of this is just a prelude and preview into the Bible’s greatest against all the odds story.

            People opposed Jesus early in His ministry.  Pharisees plot with Herodians.  Detractors think he is demon possessed.   Scribes test with Torah trivia.  His brothers ridicule him.  It gets worse.  Christ will have hell to pay.

            Once arrested, Jesus is bound, accused, blindfolded, and mocked.  But it gets worse.  They strip him naked and beat him into a bloodbath.  But it gets worse.  He is spiked to a tree for six hours.  He is crucified, dead, and buried.

            Just when everyone thought is was all over, the angel announced, “He is not here.  He has risen just as he said.”  Thomas for the ages, “My Lord and my God!”  Against all the odds, Jesus lives.  Hallelujah!  Again our goal is to profess Easter.  Easter happened.  That’s profess.  Easter is happening in me.  That’s possess.  What are the barriers to us possessing Easter?

            Maybe you grew up in a family that didn’t work.  Childhood is a haze and you are broken inside.  Your parents divorced or one had a mental illness.  Maybe you had a dad not around or a mom who controlled you.  You feel the odds are against you.

            Maybe you experienced a devastating loss.  Your spouse died.  Your marriage died.  Your child died.  Your mom died.  Maybe for some of you your dreams died.  You feel crushed.  You feel as though the odds are against you.

            Maybe you are crippled by a destructive habit.  Always on your phone.  Always critical of others.  Gambling.  Drugs.  Work.  Play.  Your problems have you looking around and thinking the odds are against you.

            Lee Capps knows about having the odds against him.  He was flying with a pilot friend when that friend had a heart attack.  It was Lee and the plane and an air traffic controller who told him, “Would you be interested in a flying lesson?”  Lee Capps brought that plane in like a drunk duck.  He was all over the place.  He hit it hard.  But Lee Capps walked away with only a few minor cuts.  Later, the air traffic controller was interviewed and asked if he thought Lee would walk away alive.  His answer, “Folks, Lee Capps made it against all odds.”

            I know.  God knows.  You have a lot of stuff going on in your life.  You are circling the runway and trying to land and your greatest fear is that you will crash and burn.

            Let me remind you of two honest-to-God facts.  Against all odds, Israel made it out of Egypt.  Better yet, against all odds, Jesus Christ is risen today.  We profess Easter with all our being.  We also long to possess Easter with every ounce of our being.

            Paul says we can.  “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” (Rom. 8:11)  Through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, Easter can happen in us.  God promises resurrection for everything that looks so lifeless, so hopeless, so dead!  May the Holy Spirit make all of this real for you.

            In John 14:19 Jesus puts it this way, “Because I live, you also will live.”  Easter happened.  That’s profess.  Easter is happening in me.  That’s possess.  We live now and we will live forever.  We have a word for all of this.  What word would that be?

Hallelujah!

                        Amen.