Pastor’s Ponderings Continued...
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church
This is the central message of the story of Job, the man who loses all that he has: family, property, even his own health.
He famously states: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and
the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21) Then (Job’s) wife said to him, “Do you still persist
in your integrity? Curse God, and die.” But he said to her, “ Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?” (Job 2:9-10)
T.E.L.L.
Of course Job and his friends go round and round about why the calamities have struck Job. It surely has been something that Job did that G-d believes G-d must punish him. And after listening to Job and his friends talk for about 37
chapters, finally G-d answers:
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Evangelical Lutheran Church
MAY 2017
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:
The Pastor’s Ponderings
“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who
stretched the line upon it?
(Job 38:1-5)
In other words, G-d chastises Job and his friends for questioning the wisdom of G-d—the sovereignty of G-d. Who are
they to even question the works of G-d – who has been from the beginning and shall be to the end? And G-d continues:
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:
“Gird up your loins like a man; I will question you, and you declare to me. Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you
condemn me that you may be justified? (Job 40:6-8)
G-d continues to chastise Job asking him if he will be angry at G-d and condemn G-d simply to justify the bad things that
have happened to him. Of course this is something that is easy to do. It is easy to be angry at G-d when things go badly
for us, or our loved ones, either in areas like our health, our fortunes, or our successes and failures. Someone needs to be
blamed, right? That is the way of humanity. If things do not work out, there must be someone or something to blame –
even if it is G-d. Finally Job realizes his mistake, trying to make a connection between life’s fortunes and failures with
faithfulness.
Then Job answered the Lord:
“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye
sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:1-6)
Finally Job gives a response that we all need to hear: “I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful
for me, which I did not know.” There is wisdom in these words that move us to the brink of the unknown – and that unknown is the ultimate wisdom and workings of G-d. In our own limited knowledge of the universe, the earth, and G-d, we
try to make sense of things we just cannot understand or know to any satisfying conclusion. I hate the saying “It is what it
is!” – yet, in some ways, things happen because they happen. Often we are to blame, and are unwilling to accept that
blame – like realizing the consequences of unhealthy living, addictions, and desires. Other times we just happen to be in
the wrong place at the wrong time, and the statistics would work out that one out of a million people will have space junk
land on them in their lifetime, and that someone is someone you know, or love.
Many of those answers are completely unsatisfying, but have absolutely nothing to do with G-d’s love for all people, and
G-d’s desire for all people. Yes, we are bound to live a fuller life, a more faith-filled life, a more satisfying life if we follow
the commands of G-d and the teachings of Jesus. But faithfulness does not guarantee happiness, health, and wealth.
Faithfulness guarantees life with Jesus in the world to come – and a legacy of love, grace and forgiveness that will serve
as a model for others to emulate. That may be our greatest legacy – how others will see how we continue to battle the
problems of this life with the trust and faith in the Lord our G-d and the Son Jesus Christ – how we continue to worship
and serve our Lord through good times and bad with the words of Job ringing in our ears:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;
blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Look for more responses to your questions to come!
Pastor Dave
Upcoming Events

May 12—Paint Night

May 16—Election
Day

May 21—Church
Music Sunday

May 29—Memorial
Day (Church offices
Closed)
Inside this issue:
Family Promise
2
Frey Village Strawberry
Festival, Bible Quiz, Card
Shower
3
Prayer Request, Military
Corner, Happy Birthday!
4
Church Calendar
5
Music News
6
Thank you, Candyland
Party, Paint Night
7
Pastor’s Ponderings continued...
8
I was listening to the radio the other day,
and I heard an emergency doctor tell this
story. Someone asked him to tell his most
unusual story about someone coming in
for treatment in the emergency room. He
said he looked at the chart for his next
patient to see the complaint, and in the
chart it said “Feels too good”. He walked
into the room to find out what this meant,
and upon asking the patient to tell his
story, the patient said “Doc, I don’t know
what is up. I feel too good. I usually feel
terrible but today I feel too good so something must be wrong with me.” The doctor
sent him on his way in about two minutes.
Have we become too accustomed to feeling bad? Is your life just a series of complaints and problems that happen so frequently that you expect to always feel hurried, troubled, sad, discouraged, sick, or
depressed? Do we expect the worst to happen so frequently that when we do have a
day where we feel good, happy, energized,
or perky, we need to remind ourselves
that life is not supposed to be this way?
Life is hard. I know I am not the first person to tell you that. Life is hard, and life
will sometimes be hard for all people, and
will always be hard for some people. Yes,
bad things happen to all people, not just
good people. And life is hard for all people, not just the poor, the sick, the homeless, or the imprisoned. Even wealthy and
religious people have bad days, they just
are better able to mask their sadness or
hardships: the rich with stuff to take their
minds off their troubles – and the religious, well, they have a different take on
the meaning behind trouble.
In the exercise I used in my sermon on
April 23, I asked the congregation to write
one question on a slip of paper and drop it
in the offering plate.
The question was supposed to be about anything regarding their faith, religion, the
church or scripture. Some asked the questions “Why do bad things happen to people
of strong faith?” and one like it “Has G-d
forgotten the promises G-d made to the
faithful?” Those questions, and many like
them, have been asked by people for millennia. G-d promises to be faithful to people
who are faithful to G-d. And Jesus says
“Ask, and it will be given unto you”. Well,
many have been asking and pleading with G
-d, only to have their pleas and requests fall
on deaf ears, or so it seems. And when we
feel as if G-d has forsaken us, then it is easier to just feel bad and forgotten, rather than
joyful and loved.
(One quick aside, some have asked why I
write the name “G-d” without the “o”. Many
of you have asked that question. My answer
is simple – I do this as a devotional tool for
myself to respect the name of G-d. In the
Old Testament, we hear how the people
would not say the name of G-d, but would
write it out as YHWH. This was their effort
to respect the name of G-d. I do it for the
same reason. You do not need to do the
same. It is a tool for me to remind myself of
the first and second commandments “You
shall have no other G-ds before me. You
shall not make for yourself an idol, whether
in the form of anything that is in heaven
above, or that is on the earth beneath, or
that is in the water under the earth. You
shall not bow down to them or worship
them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous
God”, and “You shall not make wrongful
use of the name of the Lord your God”)
Anyway, back to my answer: my friends, the
problem is not that G-d has forgotten or forsaken us; G-d never tires of G-d’s love for us
and G-d has promised not to forsake us. But
we cannot relate good or bad fortune in this
life with our love for G-d or G-d’s love for us.
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T . E . L. L.
MA Y 2 0 1 7
Candy Land Party
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You…
What do I say to the families? (submitted by Kristina Marshall)
Sometimes meeting new families or coming to volunteer can be a little intimidating. What do you say?
What shouldn’t you say? How do you build a relationship out of thin air??
Here are some suggestions for ways to build relationships with our families:
-Say hello! Introduce yourself and then “take their temperature” from there. If they are chatty, go
ahead and engage. If it seems they need a little space or are unsure, there’s no need to add any
pressure. Just give them a little space.
-Ask them about the kiddos. What parent doesn’t love to share about their child? Ask them basic
questions you would any person – how old is your child? What do they like to do? What are they
best at in school?
-If you aren’t sure what to say or aren’t good at making conversation, that is okay! Just be yourself.
Let them know that you are there to help or talk if they need something, and then they will know
they can come to you if they need something.
-Bring something along in case the families want some privacy or have little ones that go to bed early.
Try to remember that if they need private family time, it is not personal. It doesn’t mean they
don’t want to talk to you or don’t like your congregation. They may have had a tough day. Maybe
they are more introverted, or perhaps they are just stressed!
-Be open. Share about yourself, but remember you’re there for them.
-Think of a fun activity to do with the kiddos. Playing with the kids can be a really good way to open
up or engage the parents and open those waves of communication!
Tony Milner, Family Promise affiliate director, said it best, “Volunteers should simply say, “Hi,
I’m the Evening Volunteer. My name is so-and-so. What’s your name? Nice to meet you,” and then
just kick off their shoes and hang-out, watch TV or read, be a listener and not a talker – in other
words, be ‘present’”.
I am sure that we all notice how
many things seem to miraculously be
taken care of here at Trinity. We are
blessed to have many “willing workers” who see things that need attention and simply quietly take care of
them.
Thank you to Bert Fry for taking the
wonderful photos of the council members and putting them in the nice
frame in the Narthex!
MA Y 2 0 1 7
Parents, hop with your children down the rainbow path
to the Conrad House (200 S. Humer Street,
Enola) for a delicious Candy Land Party on
Sunday, May 7th. The games begin at 4pm
and end at 6pm. Hot dogs and assorted confections will be served.
RSVP to Sally Conrad 717-732-4225
Hope to see you there!
If you see these sneaky “willing
workers” doing things around the
Church, please let Jessica know so
they can be properly thanked!
Paint Night is Coming
On May 12th there will be a painting event here at Trinity. Connie Higgins of
Paint and Enjoy will be our “teacher.” The cost for this evening is $35.00 per person. The proceeds will benefit Build Up Trinity. There is limited space available
so make your reservations early! Checks should be
made payable to “Trinity Lutheran Church” and should
be marked “Paint Night.” The deadline for registration
is May 7th.
There will be babysitting available.
We are looking forward to this evening of fun and fellowship!
If you have any questions regarding the event, please
contact Heather Doyle, Colleen Karl, or Jane Wigand.
We hope to see you there!
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T . E . L. L.
MA Y 2 0 1 7
MA Y 2 0 1 7
I would like to thank all of the musicians who took part in Holy Week Services.
They have put in many hours of rehearsal to prepare all of the special music
that we had for Holy Week Services and Easter Services. We are extremely fortunate here at Trinity to have so many musicians who are willing to give their
time and talents. These last few weeks have been extremely busy for them, and
I am so thankful for their service. I enjoy getting to work with them. Our ensembles have developed a fun and family-like atmosphere of people who love
making music together. That is something very special here at Trinity.
I would also like to thank all of the individuals who have helped to direct for
the ensembles. Marianne Moran, Jeff Sims, and Kristopher Hartman and myself have all taken turns working together to conduct for both the bells and
choir. I still lead and teach rehearsals, but with occasional conductor changes, it
has allowed me the opportunity to play bells or accompany the ensembles.
I would also like to thank the Bell choir for their flexibility and willingness to
take on new roles. With the recent absence of many of our bell choir members
due to health and family matters, our bell choir has rearranged their bell responsibilities to cover parts and fill in the holes. Many of our bell choir members are pulling double duty by playing more bells than what they normally
play. Again, this is another special quality of our musicians here at Trinity.
They are flexible and willing to work together in various situations.
Please continue to keep the Karl family, the Dinsmore family, and the Yovicich
family in your thoughts and prayers.
Mark your calendars for Church Music Sunday on Sunday May 21st! Our ensembles are working very hard to showcase old and new favorites!
As always if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at
PAGE 3
Bible Quiz
Card Shower
In honor of the 95th birthday of longtime member, Frances Moore, we would like to shower her
with many birthday cards! If you would like to
send a birthday card or well wishes to Fran, please
use the following address:
Frances Moore
122 South Seventh Street
1st Floor
Lemoyne, PA 17043
Acts 17 describes Paul speaking about God to the
people of Athens in front of—incredibly!—a site
that still exists. What is the site?
A. The Panathenaic Stadium
B. The Areopagus
C. The Acropolus and the Parthenon
Frey Village Annual Strawberry Festival
The Annual Frey Village Strawberry Festival will be held on Saturday, June 3, 2017 from
8:30am-1:30pm. The Friends of Frey (formerly the Auxiliary) hope that you can lend a helping hand to make it a success this year. You can participate in the following ways: Silent
Auction Donations-donate new or slightly used items to Frey Village from 4/17-5/15; Share
you Talent—Baked goods may be dropped off the day before the festival on
June 2nd to be sold at our Bake Sale; Join the Fun—Enjoy vendors, strawberries, silent autciton, raffles, etc.; Be a Vendor—Do you enjoy making and selling
crafts? Contact Tracy at [email protected] if you are interested. Please see the
5th street bulletin board for a flyer containing more information.
[email protected] or 717-364-4898. Thank you for your support!
God Bless,
-Emily
D. The Temple of Hephaestus
Answer: B (See Acts 17:22)
Dear Trinity,
T . E . L. L.
Highmark Walk
You may be wondering why this is in our TELL … There is a good
reason! St. Barnabas Center for Ministry is one of the many organizations in the Harrisburg area who are participating in this annual
walk. St. Barnabas is a ministry that we here at Trinity support
each summer by providing meals for the Summer Campers. It is a
non-profit ministry that depends on donations to survive. This Walk
is one of its biggest fundraisers. If you are a walker, please consider
signing up (maybe bring a whole team). If you are not a walker but
would like to contribute in some way, you can form a “virtual” team
and sign up to donate. If you have any questions, please see Jane
Wigand or Bert Fry.
PAGE 4
T . E . L. L.
MA Y 2 0 1 7
MA Y 2 0 1 7
Sean Reeser & The Reeser Family….friends of Barbara
Beam
Amy Dell………..……..granddaughter of Nedra Schubert
Denise Null…………….……………………………..member
Barry Fallon…………………...…friend of Joanne Souders
Bryan & Donna Kennedy…….....friends of the Gasswints
Mark Gasswint……….…….….brother of Kevin Gasswint
Paul & Mary Odermatt…….…...friends of Barbara Beam
Haley Weir………………...………..friend of Judy Yovicich
Robert Wentzel………...family member of the Gasswint’s
Diane Kennedy…………....neighbor of the Threnhauser’s
Heath Dodson………………………nephew of Dan Dodson
Lauren Hamlon…...granddaughter of Jerry & Sue Seiler
Marion Conrad……………………….mother of Chris Sims
James Marshall…………………………………..…..member
Military Corner
Matthew Schott—Jack Zobel’s nephew
Hillary Rivera III— Juan Rivera’s daughter-in-law
John Souders—nephew of Joanne Souders
Timothy Wells, Jr.— grandson of Jerry & Sandy Wells
Andrew Klinger—member
Marty Dempsey—friend of Barbara Beam
Jared Richter—member
Christopher Dempsey—Marty Dempsey’s son
Tracy Barrick— member
Robert Cross—Jerry & Sandy Wells niece’s husband
Peter Roden-friend of Emily White
Brody Witmer—Rhonda Harlacher’s nephew
Steve Reyes—friend of Terry Yovicich
Patrick Brown—nephew of Sue Seiler & Barbara Beam
Lauren Brown—niece of Sue Seiler & Barbara Beam
Jason Itter—Art Itter’s grandson
Ian Campbell—nephew of Sara Jane Briner
Enjolina Campbell—niece of Sara Jane Briner
PAGE 5
May 2017
Please Remember in Your Prayers
Debbie Kirsch—member
Paula Kirsch— member
Helen Dietrick— member
Cathy Behler— member
Gary Null— Denise Null’s brother
Nancy Miller— Cindy Schmied’s
mother
Tim & Brenda Wells— son and daughter-in-law of Jerry & Sandy Wells
Ed Dellinger— Stephanie Threnhauser & Jackie Mikkelson’s father
Dennis Seiler— relative of Jerry & Sue Seiler
Zelda Evanoff—Brenda Gasswint’s mother
Rich King—friend of Terry Yovicich
Brie Miller—friend of Terry Yovicich
Chris Bixler—friend of Terry Yovicich
Travis & Tammy Wentzel—relatives of Brenda Gasswint
T . E . L. L.
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
5
6
11
12
13
1:00 Bible Study
6:45 Worship
(Library)
7:20 Bell Choir
7:00 Paint
Night
19
20
26
27
9:00 Quilters
5:00 Trinity’s
Table
6:30 Bible
Study
7:30 Choir
6:00 Yoga (rain
location ONLY)
9
10
7
8
8:00 Worship
9:30 Sunday
School
10:45 Worship
6:00 Yoga (rain
location ONLY)
6:00 Reformation Meeting
7:00 Worship &
Music Meeting
14
15
16
17
18
8:00 Worship
9:30 Sunday
School
10:45 Worship
6:00 Yoga (rain
location ONLY)
Election Day
7:30 Church
Council Mtg.
9:00 Quilters
9:30 PMTA
Meeting
6:30 Bible
Study
7:30 Choir
1:00 Bible Study
6:45 Worship
(Library)
7:20 Bell Choir
21
22
23
24
25
9:00 Quilters
9:30 PMTA
Meeting
5:00 Trinity’s
Table
7:30 Choir
1:00 Bible Study
6:45 Worship
(Library)
7:20 Bell Choir
9:00 Quilters
5:00 Trinity’s
Table
6:30 Bible
Study
7:30 Choir
Abby Ballentine—niece of Andrea Leach
Happy May Birthday!
1—James Marshall
2—Cory Marshall
7—Trish Klinger
8—John Zobel, Jr., Kurt Moran
10—Kyle Jackson, Kimberley Richardson
15—Frances Moore
16—Shirley Engle, Barbara Lyter
21—Gerald Wells
22—Kelly Cropper, Patti Snover, Suzi (Exely)
Heiges
25—Christie Saurman
26—Joe Morgan, Andrea Snedaker
28—Laura Doyle, Miranda Conrad
30—Miriam Warfield
31—Paul Shuey
*If you know of any birthdays that are missed
in the TELL, please contact the church office
(763-7555)
8:00 Worship
9:30 Sunday
School
10:45 Worship
Church Music
Sunday
1:00PianoRecital
28
8:00 Worship
9:30 Sunday
School
10:45 Worship
23rd 2pm Piano Recital
6:00 Yoga (rain
location ONLY)
29
30
Church
Office Closed
31
9:00 Quilters
7:30 Choir