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The Wondrous Love of Easter

The beginning of April coincides with the beginning of the Easter season. The season of Lent is a season that intentionally precedes Easter. The season of Lent moves on the calendar as the date of Easter moves. In the larger picture of Church life, what we do revolves around Jesus and what He has done. The most important thing that He has done (as any good Sunday School attendee can tell you) is die and rise from the dead. Yes, we celebrate His birth, but that is not important if He does not die to take away our sins. Even His death is not important if He does not rise, and so the resurrection is the most important event in the life of Christ and therefore the most important event in the life of the Church.

This Lent we have been preparing for Easter under the theme of O Wondrous Love. In our mid-week services we have looked at love from a variety of different angles as it intersects with the cross. We have looked at our own responsibility to love others. We have looked at how some of Jesus’ disciples loved Him at the time. We have looked at all of these things knowing that Easter is coming, which means that there is a love coming that overshadows all of the love that you or I or Jesus’ disciples could muster. Easter is about God’s love for us. It is about God’s love for you.

Many look to the cross as the ultimate symbol of Christ’s love, yet the cross is emptied of its power without the resurrection. The cross is the symbol of great sacrifice and great love. The empty tomb is the symbol of that sacrifice and love applied to you. The cross is the only way that our sins are taken away, but that does not help us very much without the eternal life of Easter. Easter is Christ victorious over death. Because of Easter the supper of which you partake and the baptism with which you have been washed connect you not only to the cross but the empty tomb as well. You not only have your sins forgiven but you get to live an eternal life free of those sins.

Eternal life free from sin is a wondrous gift and so wondrous love is displayed by God when that gift is given to sinners like you and me. No wonder so much in the church revolves around Easter. No wonder we worship on Sunday, the day Jesus rose from the dead. This wondrous love of God is entirely worthy of being the Church’s centerpiece as well as your own. He is risen, He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Announcements — April 1, 2018

† IN OUR PRAYERS  Janet C., recovering from knee surgery; Carol L., recovering from surgery for a ruptured ulcer; Andy S., recovering from an infection; Jack H., Lydia N., recovering from surgery; Rhonda N., recovering from a fall; Lee Ann C., undergoing physical therapy at Joplin Health and Rehab; Earl G., suffering various serious health issues; Jody G., on hospice; Kathy P., suffering health issues; Sara P., undergoing treatment for cancer; Stephen Ministry and their care receivers.

† SINGING SAINTS  A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who helped out with hosting the Singing Saints at Good Shepherd!  Special thanks to all those who housed and fed all the students and chaperones.  It was a  wonderful concert and we could not have done it without all of your help!

† EASTER EGG HUNT  Once again the Board of Education (with a lot of help from our Lutheran Youth Fellowship) is sponsoring the annual Easter Egg Hunt.  The excitement begins right after the breakfast today, at 9:30 am, so get ready for some egg hunting fun.

† MEALS FOR NEW PARENTS  GSLC would like to start providing meals for families when they come home from the hospital with a new baby.  This project will be organized by Megan Mehl.  If you would be willing   to help with this project, please use the sign up sheet hanging in the narthex on the bulletin board designated Christian Education.  This will provide Megan with a list of people she can call on when members are blessed with a new baby!

† EASTER BREAKFAST LOVE OFFERING  This year the Easter breakfast love offering will be going to Peterson Outdoor Ministries.  This is a faith based organization that offers getaways for Veterans and their families.

† EASTER LILIES  Thanks to all who helped make our church look so  beautiful by purchasing lilies to adorn the altar!

† VBS PLANNING MEETING on Sunday, April 8, after the late service.  We would love to have anyone & everyone interested in being involved in VBS this year at our planning meeting.  It would be great to have a large group involved in the planning process.

† NURSERY/CRY ROOM  Should your child become distressed or distract  others during the service, a furnished nursery/cry room is located in the narthex for your use.  Please ask one of the ushers if you need directions.

† GRADUATES  In the May issue of the Shepherd’s Staff we want to recognize all those who are graduating or have graduated this school year from either high school, college, or trade school. Please submit a photo along with a bio to the church office by April 20. Please let us know all about your accomplishments and about your future plans.

† SUNDAY SCHOOL OFFERING  The offering from both Adult Bible Class and Sunday School for the spring quarter will be going to Ronald McDonald House.  We are hoping to get enough money to purchase a couple of their “Dream BIG items”.  This could include two high chairs and a hedge trimmer.  It would take around $300 to purchase these items.  That seems like a reasonable goal for the quarter and what a great way to help out this great organization.

† MOM’S GROUP  The Christian Education Committee is trying to help establish a Mom’s Group here at Good Shepherd.  This month GSLC will be hosting a Brunch for moms on Saturday, April 28 at 10:00 am in the Fellowship Hall.  Brunch will be provided.  If you are interested in getting together with other moms and visiting, sharing advice, having devotions/bible study and just enjoying fellowship time together, this is the group for you!  Any and all moms are invited to join us.

† PRAYER BEARS are in the sanctuary pews and available to be signed out (notebook in narthex by nursery) and given to anyone that needs God’s love, comfort, and peace.

† ASSISTIVE LISTENING  If you are having a hard time hearing the service, assistive listening devices are available from the ushers.  They work like a transistor radio and you can control the volume.

 

Announcements — March 25, 2018

† IN OUR PRAYERS  Andy S., recovering from an infection; Judy G., Jack H., Lydia N., recovering from surgery; Rhonda N., recovering from a fall;  Lee Ann C., Carol L., undergoing physical therapy at Joplin Health and Rehab; Earl G., suffering various serious health issues; Jody G., on hospice; Kathy P., suffering health issues; Sara P., undergoing treatment for cancer; Stephen Ministry and their care receivers.

† SINGING SAINTS  GSLC will be hosting the Singing Saints from Saint Paul Lutheran High School in Concordia, Missouri, this evening.  The choir will perform at 7:00 pm in the church sanctuary.  The Fellowship Committee is providing a dinner for the Singing Saints and our congregation at 5:00 pm.  If you are attending the dinner please bring a dessert to share for our famous dessert bar.  The Sunday School kids have been working on a song to sing with the Singing Saints during the concert.  They would like to have the kids here to practice with them at 6:15 pm.  Please join us for this wonderful evening of music and fellowship.

† SINGING SAINTS HOUSING  For those providing housing for the Singing Saints, the students will go home with you right after the concert.  Please provide them some breakfast the next morning.  They will need to be returned to the church between 7:15 & 8:30 am Monday morning.

† HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE  

Maundy Thursday Communion Service – 11:00 am, 7:00 pm

Good Friday Worship Service – 11:00 am, 7:00 pm

Holy Saturday Prayer Vigil – 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Easter Early Communion Service – 7:30 am

Easter Breakfast – 8:30 am

Easter Egg Hunt – 9:30 am

Easter Worship Service with Communion – 10:45 am

† EASTER EGG HUNT  Once again the Board of Education (with a lot of help from our Lutheran Youth Fellowship) is sponsoring the annual Easter Egg Hunt.  The excitement begins right after the breakfast Easter Sunday at 9:30 am, so bring your own basket and get ready for some fun.

† MEALS FOR NEW PARENTS  GSLC would like to start providing meals for families when they come home from the hospital with a new baby.  This project will be organized by Megan M.  If you would be willing to help with this project, please use the sign up sheet hanging in the narthex on the bulletin board designated Christian Education.  This will provide Megan with a list of people she can call on when members are blessed with a new baby!

† EASTER BREAKFAST LOVE OFFERING  This year the Easter breakfast love offering will be going to Peterson Outdoor Ministries.  This is a faith based organization that offers getaways for Veterans and their families.

† HOLY SATURDAY PRAYER VIGIL  There is a sign up sheet for our Saturday, March 31, Prayer Vigil on the narthex round table.  Please consider signing up for a 15 minute slot.  Certainly you are welcome to come in for prayer at anytime and you can stay as long as you want, but we would like to have someone here in prayer through the entire 6 hour time period.

† EASTER LILIES  If you would like to purchase one or more lilies to help adorn our sanctuary on Easter, please use the sign up sheet in the narthex.  The cost is $8.00 each.  Please pay Diana E.

† VBS PLANNING MEETING on Sunday, April 8, after the late service.  We would love to have anyone & everyone interested in being involved in VBS this year at our planning meeting.  It would be great to have a large group involved in the planning process.

† NURSERY/CRY ROOM  Should your child become distressed or distract others during the service, a furnished nursery/cry room is located in the narthex for your use.  Please ask one of the ushers if you need directions.