Tidings of Trinity
April, 2017
THE REFORMATION 500th CELEBRATION…2017
This year, 2017, is a year precious to all Lutherans…the 500th birthday of Martin Luther’s blessed
re-discovery of the Gospel and his rebellion related to the beliefs and celebrations of the Roman
Catholic Church.
This article is the third of a series covering topics and events leading up to October 31, 1517, date of
the posting of the 95 Theses on the Castle Church doors in Wittenberg, Germany.
A multitude of forces came together at the time of the Reformation. Luther was a force for the
church, but alone, he was just one voice. There were powerful political forces waiting to protect the
status quo, and there were powerful forces waiting in the church as well, not likely to welcome Luther’s invitation to change. Here is a quick study of one of Luther’s most powerful friends, Frederick
the Wise. It comes to us courtesy of the Synod website, www.LCMS.org:
Frederick the Wise was the son of Ernest of Wettin. Only a year before Ernest’s death in 1486,
the land of the House of Wettin was divided between Ernest and his younger brother, Albert.
Trinity Lutheran Church
410 E 1935 North, Cedar City, UT 84721 Office: 435-586-7103
Pastor Bob: (cell) 435-233-8085 and (home) 435-867-6166
Website: www.cedarlutheran.org Email: [email protected]
April, 2017
Page 2
Albert took the title of “duke” and ruled over his half (Ducal Saxony, or Albertine Saxony). Ernest, who adopted the title of “elector,” had the larger but poorer area of Saxony that would be
known as Electoral Saxony, or Ernestine. At the age of 22, Frederick assumed his father’s title of
elector of Saxony. The chief castle was in Torgau, but Frederick had other castles in Saxony, including Wittenberg, Coburg and Wartburg. These would be important landmarks in Luther’s life.
Frederick was a devout Catholic with an extensive relic collection. His relics included fragments
of the cross, the cradle, the swaddling cloths and others. At the end of his life, Frederick had more
than 19,000 relics. He had been taught that venerating relics would aid in getting to heaven.
He made his relics available to the public for this purpose. They served another use, though:
They were a tourist attraction and moneymaker. He also believed in indulgences, the practice
of purchasing remission of sins. The idea was that Christ and the saints had accrued more good
works than were necessary for their entrance into heaven. You could purchase an indulgence
that would move some of the saints’ line of credit to your account and thus take some of the
years off your sentence in purgatory. Frederick used some of the money from indulgences to
build a bridge near Torgau and to fund the building of his university at Wittenberg. He employed
a monk named Johann Tetzel to sell indulgences.
Tetzel came around again in 1517 selling indulgences for the building of St. Peter’s Basilica in
Rome. It was here that Frederick drew the line. It was one thing to “tax” the citizens for infrastructure, but it was quite another to let good German money leave the area for Rome! Nevertheless,
Tetzel could conduct business just over the border. The parishioners of Luther’s church in Wittenberg queried their priest about Tetzel’s practice, prompting Luther to post his 95 Theses. His
theses were an invitation to debate the practice of selling indulgences, among other theological
concerns. The theses were posted Oct. 31, 1517, the day before Frederick put his relics on display
for All Saints’ Day.
Frederick kept an open mind and listened to Luther’s thoughts, which were based on Scripture.
His motives may not have been purely theological, but instead more political. Luther’s ideas fit
well into Frederick’s ideas of German nationalism, and protecting his young monk/professor
was beneficial to both parties. To ensure his safety, Frederick arranged to have Luther “kidnapped” and hidden in the Wartburg castle after the Diet [Conference] of Worms, at which
Luther refused to recant his writings. Frederick was respected amongst princes and popes for his
wisdom. This respect was possibly a reason that other nobility listened to and supported Luther’s
ideas at the Diet of Augsburg.
Although there is no evidence that Luther and Frederick ever met face to face, the two had a
symbiotic relationship. At the end of his life, Frederick, who never openly renounced his Catholic
faith, received the Lord’s Supper in the manner of the Reformation, in two kinds (the body and
blood of Christ in, with and under the bread and wine of the altar).
LutheranReformation.org
THE LUTHERAN CHURCH—MISSOURI SYNOD
ConcordiaHistoricalInstitute.org © 2016 LCMS
THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD
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April, 2017
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THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD
Easter this year is on April 16. We will celebrate with a special schedule. At 800am we
meet for an early breakfast. As the newsletter is being prepared, the Sign-Up sheet is
fully subscribed to provide dishes for the breakfast. Continue to check the sheet as the
day approached. LWML will take charge of breakfast so check with Diana or Cookie for
opportunities to help out. The annual Easter egg hunt will take place following breakfast
out on the south lawn, weather permitting. Bible Study will be suspended for the day.
Worship will follow at the regular time of 1000am. Easter bonnets have gone the way of
the Easter Parade, but Easter is still a wonderful time to gather the family and head to
church. We will have a joyous time thanking God for the miracle of Jesus’ Resurrection
and declaring that CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN, INDEED!
So bring the whole family and invite a neighbor too. Our Alleluias will ring out with special
joy. See you in church at Easter!
Midweek Bible Study
After a hiatus of almost two months, mid-week Bible Study will resume on
Wednesday April 26 at 530pm. We will continue our study of the life of
King David. I am sure the Bible students will be glad to get back
to studying God’s Word. It is a good opportunity for others to
join in. Please consider coming for a week or two to hear what
goes on and to decide whether you would benefit from attending.
Choir is scheduled to rehearse immediately following Bible Study.
It is just a short walk from the Fellowship Hall into the sanctuary. Certainly, choir would
welcome a few new voices, or many.
Little Alex in Church
Thanks to Carl Dahlia
One Sunday morning, the priest noticed little Alex standing in the foyer of the church,
staring up at a large plaque. It was covered with names with small U.S.A. flags mounted on
either side of it. The seven year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the
priest walked up, stood beside the little boy, and said quietly "Good morning Alex." "Good
morning Father," he replied, still focused on the plaque. "Father, what is this?" he asked
the priest. The priest said, "Well, son, it's a memorial to all the young men and women who
died in the service." Soberly, they just stood together, staring at the large plaque. Finally,
little Alex's voice, barely audible and trembling with fear, asked "which service, the 8:00
or the 10:30?"
April, 2017
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Trinity Tea Ladies
Just in case you’ve misplaced last month’s newsletter, here’s a
repeat of our events for 2017 starting with afternoon tea at the
welcoming country home of Sharol Kleinschmidt on Friday April
28th at 1 PM.
April 28th — 1 PM at the home of Sharol Kleinschmidt Devotions, fellowship, refreshments
May 26th – 1 PM at the home of Diane Molnar — Devotions, fellowship, refreshment
June 23rd – 1 PM at the home of Charmaine Beckman — Devotions, fellowship, refreshments
July 28th – 10 AM on the SUU Campus — “Christmas in July” craft fair followed by lunch
at The Grind on Main St.
August 25th – 1 PM at the home of Travis Hoppes — Devotions, fellowship, refreshments
Sept. 22nd – 1 PM at the Iron Gate Inn — Tea on the garden terrace (cost $12.50)
Oct. 27th – 1 PM at the home of Cookie Heddings — Devotions, fellowship, refreshments
Nov. No meeting scheduled due to Thanksgiving holiday
Dec. 12th – 10 AM at the Iron Gate Inn — Christmas brunch and program jointly with
LWML (cost $12.50)
All ladies as well as friends and guests are always welcome at our Tea Ladies events. Consult your church directory for phone numbers and addresses if you need directions. See
you there!
Trinity Council
Congregation members are always welcome to attend council meetings, which are held on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 5:30 PM.
If you have a topic to bring before the council, it must be included
on the agenda. To get your item placed on the agenda, contact the secretary,
Lynette Webber, at least three days before the scheduled meeting.
The next Council meeting will be Thursday, April 20th at 5:30 PM in the fellowship hall.
The Elders meet the same day at 4:30 PM.
Trinity Church Book Club (TCBC)
This month’s selection is Frank Peretti's "This Present Darkness." The discussion date is Wednesday, April 26th at 11:30AM. We meet in one of the
classrooms at the Cedar City Library-On-The-Park. Bring a lunch to eat
while we meet.
April, 2017
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News
Please join us for the LWML on Saturday April 1st at 10:00am. All woman of the church
are invited. Lunch will be available come join in the fellowship.
March Attendance and Offerings
WORSHIP DATE Attendance Collection
March 5 43 $ 2,963
March 12 40 $
March 19 52
$ 1,018
March 26
37 $
Total
172
$ 5,922
Midweek services
97
986
955
Our operating budget for 2017 calls for monthly collections of about $5,900.
Our midweek services, which began on Ash Wednesday, March 1, added a total of 97
worshippers. Collections for the midweek services are added to the subsequent Sunday
collection. Please con­tinue to be generous in your support of the ministries here at Trinity, especially in light of the February repair of the sanitary sewer which cost totaled over
$5,000.00.
Galatians 6:9 …Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if
we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and
especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Cedar Area Interfaith Alliance
(CAIFA) Community Sewing
Event
Thanks to all who participated in this joyful gathering of quilters
and stuffers on March 15th. We completed 47 small quilts and 118 teddy bears which were donated to our local Family Support Center. During our
lunch break we heard from the director of the Family Support Center, Connie
Sowards, and were moved by her heartbreaking stories of children in need right here in
our community, and her appreciation for our efforts to provide comfort for some of these
children with quilts and teddy bears. Watch for next year’s event in March when we plan
to sew flannel pajamas for children.
April, 2017
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Children’s Ministry Matters
This year Easter falls on the third Sunday of April, the 16th. It is a wonderful and mysterious celebration for the Church and more especially for the children. Because of the
activities like the egg hunt between Easter Breakfast and the worship service, the children will be extra excited. Be sure to share your excitement with a child that morning and
thank them for being in church. God bless and keep all the children of our congregation.
I am thankful for the Children’s’ Ministry and for the devoted saints who bring children
and grandchildren to church or who sustain the Children’s Ministry by teaching Sunday
School or helping out in the Nursery when infants are brought to church. Allowing a young
mother to sit quietly and worship in church while her infant is being attended to in the
Nursery is a wonderful blessing. Have you been encouraging the children of the congregation? Many of the saints at Trinity are grandparents, but living in Utah places them
far from their grandchildren. Reaching out to pray for, encourage and greet the children
warmly is a great example of Christian love.
Check out who is teaching in April:
Date
Sunday School
Nursery
4-2
Cookie Heddings
As God Provides
4-9
Catherine Webb
As God Provides
4-16
Catherine Webb
As God Provides
4-23
Charmaine Beckman
As God Provides
4-30
Ellen Janis
As God Provides
Cedar Area Interfaith
Alliance (CAIFA) Hosts
National Day Of
Prayer Event
This year’s National Day of Prayer breakfast will be held on Thursday, May 4th at 8 AM
in the Gilbert Great Hall on the SUU campus. The event includes a hot breakfast, special
musical numbers, and heartfelt prayers by local community members. It’s a wonderful way
to start the day. Tickets are $10 each and may be purchased from Lynette Webber.
More Ladies With Typewriters
And this one just about sums them all up -The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new campaign slogan last Sunday: "I Upped
My Pledge -— Up Yours."
April, 2017
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Lilly
Submitted by Sharol Kleinschmidt
Last month I told you about our little hen, Brownie.This month, I want to tell you about a
scary incident that happened to our white hen Lilly. First to describe Lilly...... She is a large
white hen with a ring of gray feathers around her neck like a collar. She came to us from
another town. The owner could not keep her. She quickly became one of the "rulers of the
roost".
One morning I heard a loud call from my husband near the chicken yard. {Yes, he does take
care of the chickens!} He yelled out that one of the hens was out of the 6 foot yard that
they occupy. This is a very large yard as chicken yards go. We have 2 dogs who have not
been around a loose chicken before and therefore the panic on my part! Miraculously, they
did not try to chase her. I did not want to take any chances as it had been my experience
at another location and another dog, that once a chicken starts running and flapping its
wings, there is no hope for the chicken!
My husband opened the chicken gate and stood back. I went around behind Lilly and tried
to shoo her inside. I lost count of how many times we went around and around before she
finally went into her yard! She did not seem to absorb what a close call she had. She was
safe! This event led me to compare how many times we as Christians get out of our "pens"
and are led back by our patient Lord. Sometimes we are not even aware of the danger
both physical and spiritual that we may encounter. I am sure that if we think about it, we
can all recall such dangers in our lives. Thanks to God....we are all still here and able to
praise Him for his patience with us!
He is Risen Indeed!! All glory to our God!
New Contact Info
Mike Scott
343 West Bristlecone. He's moved across the street!
The remainder of his address remains the same, as does his phone number.
Byrd Bargman
Byrd Bargman has arrived safely in Rawlins, Wyoming to start her new job monitoring
environmental issues. She reports that she has found a small LCMS church, Christ
Lutheran, where she was welcomed warmly on Sunday. She sends greetings to all and
hopes for a warm and early spring in Wyoming! Here's her temporary address:
BYRD BARGMAN
PO BOX 1348
RAWLINS, WY 82301
Cookie Heddings
New email address: [email protected]
Jill Dillard
New phone: 435 691-3325
April 2017
SUNDAY
2
MONDAY
3
Lee Webb’s Birthday
8:45am Bible Study
Frank Nichol’s B’day
10am Worship Service
Pastor’s Day Off
(Communion)
10am Sunday School
4PM CAIFA
POTLUCK
9
8:45am Bible Study
10am Worship Service
10am Sunday School
16
10
Pastor’s Day Off
17
TUESDAY
4
3PM Service at Bella
Terra (formerly Kolob)
WEDNESDAY
5
3pm Confirmation Class
11
12
13
9AM Ladies’ Breakfast
at Denny’s
Peyton Canary’s
Birthday
9am Breakfast at IHOP
24
8:45am Bible Study
10am Worship Service
Pastor’s Day Off
10am Sunday School
Newsletter Deadline
30
8:45am Bible Study
10am Worship Service
(Communion)
10am Sunday School
3pm Confirmation Class
19
9am Breakfast at Denny’s
SATURDAY
1/8
April 1
10am LWML Mtg
6pm Soup Supper
7pm Lenten Service
18
FRIDAY
7
9am Breakfast at Pork
Belly’s
EASTER!
8am Easter Breakfast
Pastor’s Day Off
Easter Egg Hunt
10am Worship Service
(Communion)
10am Sunday School
23
THURSDAY
6
14
GOOD FRIDAY
SERVICE 7 PM
7pm Maundy
Thursday Worship
20
15
21
22
Shanda Badger’s
Birthday
No Confirmation Class
Mike Riley’s
Birthday
25
4:30pm Elders’ Meeting
5:30pm Council Meeting
26
27
11:30am Trinity
Church Book Club
1pm Ladies’
Tea at Shoral
3pm Confirmation Class Kleinschmidt’s Home
9am Breakfast at Pork
Belly’s
5:30pm Mid-Week
Bible Study
28
29
Freda Aquilina’s
Birthday
31