Grace Notes, June 29, 2010

Every week in Salem's printed announcements that are passed out with our
worship bulletins, I include a short quote from a calendar of church sign
sayings that Judy Bergeson gave me. I used the calendar for an entire
year and liked the little sayings so much that I use some of them in the
announcements, hoping that other readers will enjoy them as much as I did.
When looking for one to use this week I came across one I did not use
(but probably will later). It said ...

"Welcome to the perfect church – for those who aren't."

Sometimes I think of Salem as the "perfect church." I know I am happy and
joyful when I am here and that I feel a part of a larger body -- "a
community of faith" -- made up of people with strong and passionate faith.
People who aren't "perfect" ... because we are all sinners. We are the
people who Jesus suffered and died for, the people who deserved nothing
but were given everything.

I know how much Salem (and it's people) have done for me. I know I have
grown so much in my faith and in my joyous belief. I say joyous because I
believe that God wants our "joyful" belief in him.

Salem's members continually astound me. When I stop and think of all the
people that make up Salem ... the musicians who give their considerable
talents to God's praise ... those who plan services ... lead worship ...
prepare for worship ... participate in worship ... those who serve on
committees ... give their time ... help whenever needed ... those who give
their leadership ... their advice ... those who give monetarily to support
the missions of Salem ... pay salaries ... pay the bills to keep a church
growing ... those who give so much of themselves to Salem as a church, as
a community of faith, and to each other as individual members. I am
pleased and honored to be a member.

Is it a "perfect" church? Probably not ... but I know it's a "perfect
fit" for me.

God's Blessings,
Sue McMillan
Office Secretary
"[T]he only thing that counts is faith working through love."
Galatians 5:6b (Lutheran Study Bible)

"Christ has set us free ... through the Spirit, by faith. Through the
Spirit and by faith, not by the law, we have access to God's
righteousness. Faith working through love signals Christ at work among
us. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of
all, and especially for those of the family of faith." (Lutheran Study
Bible p. 1917 and p. 1918)

Upcoming at Salem …

Friday – July 2
8th Grade Confirmation Students Return to Salem from Confirmation Camp

Saturday – July 3
Worship - 5:00 p.m.

Sunday – July 4
Worship – 8:00 a.m.
Independence Day Trumpet Tribute – 10:00 a.m.
Outdoor Worship - 10:30 a.m. (weather permitting)
followed by Cake and Punch.

Monday – July 5
Office Closed
Salem Softball – 6:30 p.m. Orange Team Sycamore Park Field 10

Have a Happy 4th of July!

Grace Notes June 29, 2010

Every week in Salem’s printed announcements that are passed out with our
worship bulletins, I include a short quote from a calendar of church sign
sayings that Judy Bergeson gave me. I used the calendar for an entire
year and liked the little sayings so much that I use some of them in the
announcements, hoping that other readers will enjoy them as much as I did.
When looking for one to use this week I came across one I did not use
(but probably will later). It said ...

“Welcome to the perfect church – for those who aren’t.”

Sometimes I think of Salem as the “perfect church.” I know I am happy and
joyful when I am here and that I feel a part of a larger body -- “a
community of faith” -- made up of people with strong and passionate faith.
People who aren’t “perfect” ... because we are all sinners. We are the
people who Jesus suffered and died for, the people who deserved nothing
but were given everything.

I know how much Salem (and it’s people) have done for me. I know I have
grown so much in my faith and in my joyous belief. I say joyous because I
believe that God wants our “joyful” belief in him.

Salem’s members continually astound me. When I stop and think of all the
people that make up Salem ... the musicians who give their considerable
talents to God’s praise ... those who plan services ... lead worship ...
prepare for worship ... participate in worship ... those who serve on
committees ... give their time ... help whenever needed ... those who give
their leadership ... their advice ... those who give monetarily to support
the missions of Salem ... pay salaries ... pay the bills to keep a church
growing ... those who give so much of themselves to Salem as a church, as
a community of faith, and to each other as individual members. I am
pleased and honored to be a member.

Is it a “perfect” church? Probably not ... but I know it’s a “perfect
fit” for me.

God’s Blessings,
Sue McMillan
Office Secretary
“[T]he only thing that counts is faith working through love.”
Galatians 5:6b (Lutheran Study Bible)

“Christ has set us free ... through the Spirit, by faith. Through the
Spirit and by faith, not by the law, we have access to God’s
righteousness. Faith working through love signals Christ at work among
us. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of
all, and especially for those of the family of faith.” (Lutheran Study
Bible p. 1917 and p. 1918)

Upcoming at Salem …

Friday – July 2
8th Grade Confirmation Students Return to Salem from Confirmation Camp

Saturday – July 3
Worship - 5:00 p.m.

Sunday – July 4
Worship – 8:00 a.m.
Independence Day Trumpet Tribute – 10:00 a.m.
Outdoor Worship - 10:30 a.m. (weather permitting)
followed by Cake and Punch.

Monday – July 5
Office Closed
Salem Softball – 6:30 p.m. Orange Team Sycamore Park Field 10

Have a Happy 4th of July!

Grace Notes June 16. 2010

Luke 10: 38-42

38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where
a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39She had a sister called
Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40But Martha
was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to
him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the
work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about
many things, 42but only one thing is needed.[f] Mary has chosen what is
better, and it will not be taken away from her."

While my cousin Gunilla from Sweden was our houseguest for 2 weeks
recently, I found myself constantly struggling with a “Mary and Martha”
syndrome. We had been preparing the house and yard for a month ahead to
make everything clean, attractive, and pleasant. With our sons grown, our
basement is like an apartment and she would have plenty of room and some
privacy. She had told us not to fuss and that she would “go with the
flow”. Nonetheless I wanted things just right.

It didn’t take long for Gunilla to convince me that she really wanted to
help and be a part of the family instead of just a houseguest. She
definitely has a servant’s heart. As long as we kept the coffee
pot/carafe full she was content. Yet personally I kept wavering over how
much time to spend on meals and the house and yard and how much to just
sit and get to know her. Overall I think it was a reasonable balance, but
when she comes again (which we hope!) I think I’ll be a little more
relaxed.

Some commentaries suggest that Mary, Martha, and Lazarus’ home was a
comfortable place for Jesus, kind of his “home away from home”. They were
very dear people to him, as evidenced by his grief over Lazarus’ death and
then his restoration of Lazarus’ life. Mary was the one who poured the
whole jar of nard over Jesus’ feet – certainly an act of devotion and also
very personal. Martha seems to be the older sister and more in charge of
the household.

It’s kind of bold for Martha to goad Jesus into making Mary help her with
the meal in this account. She must have felt put upon or left out…after
all, someone had to cook and serve or there would be no meal. When Jesus
repeats Martha’s name twice, it seems a bit endearing – like we would say
to our child or good friend – Martha, Martha – calm down. You’ve got
yourself all worked up and it’s no big deal. I think Gunilla would have
been content if we had cheese and crackers for every meal – she didn’t
care. She was here to get to know us and learn about ministry in an
American Lutheran Church and see how America and Sweden compare. Yet
wouldn’t we have been embarrassed if she went home and said “they didn’t
cook anything at all for me…it all came from a can or a box.”

I think there is a constant Mary and Martha struggle in life, in our
homes, and in our church. How much time do we spend with upkeep and how
much time do we spend with each other? How much time do we spend learning
and how much time ministering? How much money do we spend making the
church beautiful, a tribute to God’s majesty and attractive to others, and
how much money do we give away to the poor? Truly it is a balancing act,
and perhaps our call is to keep checking the scale…in life, at home, and
at church. Lutherans have a theology of “both and”…we are both saints and
sinners, slave and free, lost and found.

Where in your life do you hear Jesus saying “dear one, dear one, let me
help you choose the better thing?”

Blessings on your week,
Carla Vanatta, Associate in Ministry
Salem Lutheran Church

Salem Reminders:
The first Wednesday night cookout and study on the gift of time begins
this evening at 6 p.m. in Fellowship Hall and continues through the first
Wednesday in August. You are welcome at all or any – come when you can
and bring a dish to pass.

Pray for the No. Il Synod Assembly at Augustana College in Rock Island
this Friday and Saturday as they meet to listen, learn, and celebrate what
God has done and is doing in Northern Illinois. There will also be an
election for Bishop.

Between services Sunday Synod Assembly delegates will share highlights of
the assembly and Pastor Janet will lead us in another Genesis story.
Pray for Fathers everywhere that they might be the best example they can
to their children, that they might be faithful to their families and
spouse, and that they may grow to be men of deep faith and love. Pray
also for those who have lost their fathers and feel emptiness.

Grace Notes June 10, 2010

Grace Notes, June 10, 2010

We humans. God made us so we would have free will, be able to make our own
choices, big or small, pursue our dreams be it on the road less or more
traveled. Did God trust us too much? To make the “right” decisions? To
serve one another, to love one another, to know deep down that sometimes
sacrifice of our own dreams and plans is absolutely necessary in order to
help someone else?

Once, years ago, I asked a Lutheran pastor how he “understood” God, as
much as a mere human can. He thoughtfully, carefully chose his words,
saying he believed that the closest he could come to understanding God was
to think of God like he thought of parents. We teach and protect and
nurture our Little Ones. . . and then the day comes when we have to let
them go. They are off to school, to their own lives. It begins with
kindergarten or even preschool. We have prepared them, we hope and pray,
to get along in the world, to have good manners, to shake hands firmly, to
look both ways before crossing, to share, to flush. What we haven't taught
them, they will be taught by the world, the big bad world that doesn't
love and cherish these beloveds the way we do.

Have we done enough, taught enough, shared enough, loved enough so they
are safe?

Every parent, if asked, would confess to having late night questions like
these, painful questions because the later the hour, the tougher the
questions, the more the inadequacies and failures come to mind. Do these
questions stop when one of our children graduates from high school or
college? Gets married? Becomes a parent him or herself? Absolutely not;
all these events are just more 2 AM fodder.

Are we helpless to stop our children from doing foolish things, from fire
or flood or stupid decisions? Can we stop them from drinking too much,
doing drugs, saying horrid things to their friends or family? No. No, we
cannot. No. How painful to watch or to learn of consequences for their
failures in good behaviors. Do we grieve about them? Yes, of course. Do we
get angry with them? Yes, of course. Do we want to intervene, make it
better, fix it somehow? Yes, of course.

What does God think and do? Surely God is saddened by some of our
stupidity, shortsightedness and selfishness, like continuing wars, both
local and international. Like still having homeless, hungry people in The
United States. Like cutting down trees and putting huge piles of waste on
our earth instead of planting trees and recycling what we buy, use,
discard. Surely God is unhappy with us when we think or speak meanly about
someone, be it a neighbor or pew mate or a group of people of different
nationality than ours.

But the everlasting consolation: does God stop loving us? Does a parent
stop loving his or her child? Never. Or rather, sometimes parents DO stop
loving their child. But God doesn't. God always loves us. God always wants
us to confess our sins and come home to nestle in God''s arms. God loves
us to death and back. Thank BE to God.

Judy Bergeson, Diaconal Minister
Salem Lutheran

UPCOMING EVENTS AT SALEM
This Sunday, June 13, at 2:30 the two Salem softball teams play each other
at Sycamore Park. A barbecue follows at the church around 5 PM. Please
come &
bring a dish to pass. Meat will be provided.

Wednesday, June 16, at 6 PM will be a cookout in the Fellowship Hall
followed by Pastor Janet's first of eight classes on the book Receiving
the Day: Christian Practices for Opening the Gift of Time. The $9.50
book is available at church. All are welcome.

Synod Assembly is June 18 & 19 at Augustana College in Rock Island.

Grace Notes June 2, 2010

Grace Notes June 2, 2010

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own
doing; it is the gift of God” Ephesians 2:8 (English Standard Version)
“Grace Notes”…The name of this weekly devotional writing from Salem staff
members is actually a musical term. A grace note is a musical ornament…a
very short note right before the main note of the melody. The grace note
adds much to the melody, but is not as important as the main note. In
fact, the melody will sound pretty complete without the grace note.
Perhaps a bit less interesting, but still identifiable as the tune it is
meant to be. Sometimes performers even skip or leave out grace notes to
make it easier to play a difficult passage of music. The listener will
probably not notice, unless he or she has played the piece themselves.

In our faith as Lutherans, “grace” is definitely not just an ornament.
God’s grace is central to our life as the church and as individuals. We
look for God’s grace in everything. The sacraments are gifts from God.
Homes and daily food are gifts from God. The people we love are gifts from
God. Even the ability to believe at all is a gift from God. Being restored
from our sinful self to a beloved child of God is a gift of God’s grace. I
once learned this definition of grace: “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.”
God loves us so much that he gave his own son’s life to save our lives.
Live in God’s grace. Be thankful for his gift. Share the good news with
words and actions. May these weekly Grace Notes remind us that we live not
by our own doing, but by the grace of God.

Ron Vanatta

Salem Calendar: This weekend we welcome guest Pastor Frances Reilly Olson.

On Wednesday, June 16th, we kick off the study of the book Receiving the
Day: Christian Practices for Opening the Gift of Time, by Dorothy C. Bass.
A copy of the book is available in the Welcome Center. Pick yours up and
join us as we gather to share a meal and conversation. Bring a dish to
pass and bring the kids, too. Programming will be available for them as
well!