As We Gather
In one sense, the Transfiguration of Our Lord provides a sort of climax to the first part of the story of Jesus in the liturgical year. In the glorious vision, Moses and Elijah appear as if to prove that everything written in the Bible in the Law and the Prophets has come true in the advent and appearance of Jesus, “true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary” (explanation of the Second Article). Yet this climactic event is not yet the true and complete climax of the story, but a transition now into the season of Lent and the road to the true climax: the cross of Good Friday, the resurrection of Easter, His ascension into heaven, and the sending of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. There is so much more to tell. This brief glimpse of glory and Peter’s eyewitness account is to give us the strength and encouragement now to bring the story to completion in us, that we become witnesses in possession of the glorious hope of eternal life through the forgiveness of our sins.
Holy Communion
The Lord’s Supper is celebrated today with the confession that we receive the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, in, with and under (a way of saying that Christ is fully present in) the bread and wine. Christ's presence gives us the assurance that our sins are forgiven and to nourish our faith. This is a solemn celebration, “For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves” (1Corinthians 11:29). The Lord’s Supper is meant for our good, not to our judgment. But, before presenting yourself ask these questions:
1. Am I sorry for my sins and need forgiveness?
2. Did Christ die and rise to forgive my sins?
3. Am I receiving the very body and blood of Christ Jesus?
If your answers are yes, you are welcome. If you are not a member of a LCMS church, or have further questions about The Lord’s Supper, please speak with the pastor.
Stewardship
Matthew 17:8 – “And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.”
Jesus is enough. Moses and Elijah point to Jesus and are happy to fade into the background. With our eyes focused on Him – and Him alone – the rest of our lives come into focus. He is primary; all else is secondary. When that order is right in our lives, things truly fall into place.
Lutherans For Life
“I am extremely thankful for the many doctors and nurses who stand firm in their opposition to assisted suicide and euthanasia, although they are finding themselves being pressured to change their position. Please pray they remain firm in their For Life stance. May we also pray that … they boldly … maintain the ethical standards their professions were created to provide to society and that the Gospel clearly proclaims.” Virginia Flo, Lutherans For Life – A Life Quote from Lutherans For Life • www.lutheransforlife.org
Benevolence
There are numerous passages exhorting us to care for the needy. Jesus implicitly shares the call to give food to the hungry, a drink to the thirsty, invite the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit the prisoner (Matthew 25:31-46). The prophet Isaiah declared God's desire for us to provide food for the hungry and shelter for the poor wanderer. The early church in Acts famously gave their possessions to anyone in need, enjoying the favor of the people and growing the church. (Online to donate: https://www.shalimar.church/human-care)
Altar Flowers
The Altar Flower Chart is posted on the bulletin board in the Narthex by the drinking fountains. Check chart for donation opportunities and availability.
American Heritage Girls Troop 1517
American Heritage Girls (AHG) is a Christ-centered scouting program for girls ages 5–18, focused on faith, service, and fun. AHG builds character and leadership through badge work, outdoor adventures, and community service. Girls grow in confidence and develop practical skills in a supportive, all-girl environment grounded in Christian values. Join AHG to grow in faith and friendship!
For more information contact Adrienne Cook.
Updated Schedules
Thank you for your willingness to serve the Lord through the congregation. Updated schedules for the next quarter are available at www.shalimar.church/volunteers.
Ash Wednesday
Mid-Week in Lent on Wednesdays:
Ash Wednesday
Meal @ 5:30 PM
Worship @ 6:30 PM
On Ash Wednesday ashes are placed on our foreheads to remind us of death, of the sorrow we should feel for our sins, and of the necessity of changing our lives in response the love shown to us on the cross. The practice, which dates from the early Middle Ages, is common among Roman Catholics, Anglicans and Episcopalians, and Lutherans.
Board of Elders Meeting
Meeting with the Called Ministers and the Board of Elders to discuss, plan, and implement strategies to carry out corporate worship, and addressing the spiritual health of the congregation.
For more information contact Joe Staton
Board Of Outreach Meeting
Philemon 4-6. The Board of Outreach has a two fold mission: To Communicate the Gospel of Christ through the members of our congregation and in the endeavor to identify the congregation with the Gospel in the local community. Meets with Pastor Klemme in the Cafe.
Children Sunday School
The Sunday School students study the story of “Lydia” this week. Just as God worked His miracle beside the river, clothing Lydia with Christ in Baptism, so God works His miracles in pulpits and fonts around the world this week, destroying the work of Satan, ripping believers from the jaws of death, washing away sins in water tinged with Jesus’ blood, and clothing believers with His righteousness. Parents could ask, “How did God use water to save Lydia and us? Who does God use to reveal His Word to us this week?”
Marionette Puppets
God has promised to be with us wherever we go. When Joshua was leading God's people into the promise land, they encountered a culture that put their faith into the strength the walls that they built. God shows us that in Him all things are possible. We need not be afraid.
Council Meeting
Let us do everything with love. The Church Council is a gathering of elected advisers who serve and guide the ministries of the congregation toward our given mission. (Matthew 28:19-20). We meet in the library.
Easter Lilies
We are adorning our sanctuary for Easter with Easter Lilies. For those who wish to purchase an Easter Lily to help beautify our sanctuary, the cost is $10 per plant. Place your cash/check in an envelope and write LILIES on the envelope along with your name and envelope number, and place in the offering plate. You may take your plant home after the late service on Easter Sunday, or the following Sunday.
The Tradition of Easter Eggs: Second-century Christian missionaries encountered people in the North with pagan celebrations and evangelized to them using the symbols familiar to that culture. Christianity changed the pagan symbolism of the egg (nature’s rebirth) and linked it to the empty tomb – to Christ’s Resurrection and His victory over death.
Lore that has developed around the decoration of Easter Eggs includes a tale about the mother of Jesus at the foot of the cross and Mary Magdalen’s visit to Jesus's tomb. Mary is said to have given eggs to the soldiers at the cross so that they would be less cruel. Her tears fell upon the eggs, spotting them with dots of brilliant color.
Another tale explains that when Mary Magdalen went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus, she had with her a basket of eggs. Upon arriving at the tomb she discovered the eggs had taken on a rainbow of colors.
These stories are not biblical but are useful examples of how Christians in the past took advantage of secular symbols to share the Gospel with the world around them. The prize found in today’s Easter Eggs can be an opening to describe the prize won for us through Christ’s work.
Imposition of Ashes @ 6:30 PM
Meal @ 5:30 PM
Worship @ 6:30 PM
If you want ashes during the day you may stop by during office hours and Pastor Klemme will do imposition of ashes on an as needed bases.
Legacy Deo
Looking for a way to get your family involved in charitable causes you care about most? How does providing sustainable funding for Good Shepherd sound? Are you a board member for a charitable organization that needs a source of funding? Then consider establishing an endowment fund. Legacy Deo, our legacy giving partner, serves as trustee for more than three hundred endowments. They’ve been around since 1960 and have the necessary expertise. Get to know them better at www.legacydeo.org or call 1-800-880-3733 for more information.
Easter Marionettes Puppets
Join us in upholding our long-running tradition of sharing the Easter story through captivating marionette performances on Resurrection Sunday. The quality of our show shines through the dedication invested in our rehearsals. We're seeking enthusiastic youth and adults to operate the puppets. Your participation will make all the difference!
Curtis.
Mite Boxes
Lutheran Women in Mission use the Mite Box to gather loose change throughout the month to support national, district, and local ministries. Lutheran Women all over, raise funds through this voluntary offering. The first Sunday of the month is when we receive your collected mites in the LWML Mite Box.
Passion Movies
Over the years Hollywood has made a number of films about the life of Jesus; King of Kings (1961), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), Jesus of Nazareth (1977), The Robe (1953), The Passion of the Christ (2004), and Son of God (2014). Each film brings a different perspective to the biblical story. Fridays in Lent @ 6:30 PM we are watching one of these films to evaluate their depiction of Jesus with the Jesus of Scripture.
Thank you for your generous donation to POBLO International! Your financial partnership allows us to continue meeting the physical, social, and spiritual needs of those we come in contact with in the United States and beyond.
Properties Board Meeting
For the maintenance and repair of the congregation’s facilities; to enable the congregation and its members to carry out our Christ centered ministries. Meets in the Library. For more information contact Jeff Adams
Lawn Team Recruitment
We are in need of additional team members. Our 2-person teams keep our Church grounds attractive and welcoming to visitors! The normal frequency is for each team to work every 6 weeks for about 3 to 4 hours.
For more information contact Jeff Adams or any member of our Lawn Teams.
Sharing and Caring
A ministry supported by our congregation through donations of non-perishable food items, placed in the collection basket in the inner Narthex. Sharing and Caring serves individuals and families in need by providing food, clothing, and emergency assistance. It brings hope, encouragement, and practical support to those experiencing hardship or crisis.
Smokes and Jokes, a Christian Fellowship
Enjoy an evening of conversation and light refreshments as we relax together, share stories, and encourage one another in faith and friendship. Feel free to bring a snack or a joke to share, and come ready for a warm, casual time among friends. If you’d like to join, please contact Pastor Klemme directly for date, time, and location.
The Way Cafe
Join us for Ash Wednesday Worship at 6:30 PM, as well as Lent Worship through the month of March at 6:30 PM (preceded by a meal at 5:30 PM). Way Café will continue through these services and return to the Café space on January 7th.
Youth Group
Lent Meals
The Youth Board is sponsoring meals prior to Wednesday services during the Lenten Season. Dinner is served from 5:30 until 6:15 PM. Tasty desserts provided by the Board of Fellowship.
Commemoration of Silas, Fellow Worker with Paul
The Church honor's saints for showing us how living out faith can be done.
Silas, a leader in the church at Jerusalem, was chosen by Paul (Acts 15:40) to accompany him on his second missionary journey from Antioch to Asia Minor and Macedonia. Silas, also known as Silvanus, was imprisoned with Paul in Philippi and experienced the riots in Thessalonica and Berea. After rejoining Paul in Corinth, he apparently remained there for an extended time. Beyond that there is little further mention of Silas and his association with Paul.
Source: LCMS Calendar of Commemorations.
Commemoration of Aquila, Priscilla, Apollos
The Church honor's saints for using their gifts for the Kingdom of God. In so doing, it strengths faith insofar as it demonstrates God's Grace. The inspiration that the Saints offers is in showing us how living out our faith can be done.
Aquila and his wife Priscilla (Prisca), Jewish contemporaries of St. Paul, traveled widely. Because of persecution in Rome, they went to Corinth where they met the apostle Paul, who joined them in their trade of tentmaking (Acts 18:1-3). They, in turn, joined him in his mission of proclaiming the Christian Gospel. The couple later traveled with Paul from Corinth to Ephesus (Acts 18:18), where the two of them established a home that served as hospitality headquarters for new converts to Christianity. Apollos was one of their numerous Jewish pupils in the faith. An eloquent man, Apollos "spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus" (Acts 18:25). He later traveled from Corinth to the province of Achaia, where he "showed by the Scriptures that the Messiah is Jesus" (Acts 18:28). Aquila, Priscilla, and Apollos are all remembered and honored for their great missionary zeal.
Source: LCMS Calendar of Commemorations.
Commemoration of Valentine, Martyr
The Church honor's saints for showing us how living out faith can be done.
A physician and priest living in Rome during the rule of the Emperor Claudius, Valentine become one of the noted martyrs of the third century. The commemoration of his death, which occurred in the year 270, became part of the calendar of remembrance in the early church of the West. Tradition suggests that on the day of his execution for his Christian faith, he left a note of encouragement for a child of his jailer written on an irregularly-shaped piece of paper. This greeting became a pattern for millions of written expressions of love and caring that now are the highlight of Valentine's Day in many nations.
Source: LCMS Calendar of Commemorations.
Commemoration of Philemon and Onesimus
The Church honor's saints for using their gifts for the Kingdom of God. In so doing, it strengths faith insofar as it demonstrates God's Grace. The inspiration that the Saints offers is in showing us how living out our faith can be done.
Philemon was a prominent first-century Christian who owned a slave named Onesimus. Although the name "Onesimus" means "useful," Onesimus proved himself "useless" when he ran away from his master and perhaps even stole from him (Philemon 18). Somehow Onesimus came into contact with the apostle Paul while the latter was in prison (possibly in Rome), and through Paul's proclamation of the Gospel he became a Christian. After confessing to the apostle that he was a runaway slave, he was directed by Paul to return to his master and become "useful" again. In order to help pave the way for Onesimus' peaceful return home, Paul sent him on his way with a letter addressed to Philemon, a letter in which he urged Philemon to forgive his slave for having run away and "to receive him as you would receive me" (Philemon 17), "no longer as a slave, but as a beloved brother" (Philemon 16). The letter was eventually included by the church as one of the books of the New Testament.
Source: LCMS Calendar of Commemorations.
Commemoration of
Philip Melanchthon, Confessor
The Church honor's saints for using their gifts for the Kingdom of God. In so doing, it strengths faith insofar as it demonstrates God's Grace. The inspiration that the Saints offers is in showing us how living out our faith can be done.
Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560) was a brilliant student of the classics and a humanist scholar. In 1518 he was appointed to teach along with Martin Luther at the University of Wittenberg. At Luther's urging, Melanchthon began teaching theology and Scripture in addition to his courses in classical studies. In April of 1530, Emperor Charles V called an official meeting between the representative of Lutheranism and Roman Catholicism, hoping to effect a meeting of minds between two opposing groups. Since Luther was at that time under papal excommunication and an imperial ban, Melanchthon was assigned the duty of being the chief Lutheran representative at this meeting. He is especially remembered and honored as the author of the Augsburg Confession, which was officially presented by the German princes to the emperor on June 25, 1530, as the defining document of Lutheranism within Christendom. Melanchthon died on April 19, 1560.
Source: LCMS Calendar of Commemorations.
Commemoration of Martin Luther, Doctor and Reformer
The Church honor's saints for using their gifts for the Kingdom of God. In so doing, it strengths faith insofar as it demonstrates God's Grace. The inspiration that the Saints offers is in showing us how living out our faith can be done.
Martin Luther, born on November 10, 1483, in Eisleben, Germany, initially began studies leading toward a degree in law. However, after a close encounter with death, he switched to the study of theology, entered an Augustinian monastery, was ordained a priest in 1505, and received a doctorate in theology in 1512. As a professor at the newly-established University of Wittenberg, his scriptural studies led him to question many of the church's teachings and practices, especially the selling of indulgences. His refusal to back down from his convictions resulted in his excommunication in 1521. Following a period of seclusion at the Wartburg castle, Luther returned to Wittenberg, where he spent the rest of his life preaching and teaching, translating the Scriptures, and writing hymns and numerous theological treatises. He is remembered and honored for his lifelong emphasis on the biblical truth that for Christ's sake God declares us righteous by grace through faith alone. He died on February 18, 1546, while visiting the town of his birth.
Source: LCMS Calendar of Commemorations.