The Messenger
“ST. MATTHEW’S CHURCH: A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL PEOPLES”
April/May/June 2017
Volume 70, Issue 4/5/6
That Interesting Meal...by Peter W. Marty
Inside this issue:
Parish Nurse
4
Around St. Matt’s
6/7
Service Assistants and
birthdays
8
9
Humor
Bishop Eaton
10
Prayer Calendar
12
Ask the Pastor (Banwart)
14
Pr. Mark Panahon & the
Filipino Congregation
15
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St. Matthew’s Church
of Burbank/Glendale
If you knew absolutely nothing about the Christian faith and entered a service of worship this
Sunday, one element of the experience would almost certainly baffle you. The meal. What the
bulletin in your hand labels the “Lord’s Supper,” “Holy Communion” of the “Eucharistic Meal”
is likely to appear to your eyes as nothing more than a strangely cultish something-or=other with
very stingy portions.
Where are the helpings? Are these people kidding themselves? Did the chef not show up? All I
see are some miniature shot glasses. What does that gigantic cup have in it anyway?
At the outset, you heard the pastor mumble some words about eating and drinking. But is this all
there is? The spread you see unfolding bears little resemblance to the pepperoni pizza and root
beer you put down in front of the TV last night.
The bulletin says this meal is “holy,” but if that is supposed to mean “special,” where is the specialness? Your stomach is growling for a succulent meal. No menu is posted. No aroma is evident.
Figuring that you must be missing something obvious, you re-read the fine print in the bulletin.
There you find that the Lord, whose identity remains a complete mystery to you, is said to be “in,
with and under” the bread and wine. You see the pastor lift that big fancy cup high in the air. You
figure she must be looking to see if Christ is playing hide-and-seek underneath. Nope. It turns out
there is nothing under there. The ritual continues. More wod and gestures follow.
Welcome to the meal that no money can buy and no person can fully comprehend. Your discomfort and bewilderment grow as you realize that the worshiper standing next to you knows every
liturgical word by heart. Anxiety begins to course through your veins. The temperature of your
face rises appreciably. You unbutton your shirtsleeves to cool off. There, beneath the fabric, you
feel your forearm flesh. Just like the man beside you who just confessed his imperfection along
with everyone else, you sense some common ground. Here are two imperfect people, both with
skin— sinners side-by-side.
Sin is the unfortunate bargain that goes with being human. You’ve heard of this bargain before.
In trying to connect the dots, you wonder if this peculiar meal might address the sin in you.
Unfortunately, the welcome-to-communion wording in the bulletin isn’t as welcoming as someone thinks it is. The statement feels like a screening device disguised as friendliness. Which worshipers meet the approval criteria, and which ones need to get in a little more required learning?
You worry that your biblical ignorance may cost you a seat at the table. You become fearful that
newness to the world of faith may be a depressing minus rather than an exciting plus.
Many of our awkward attempts to welcome people to this sacrament of grace are grounded in
serious intent. No one wants to play lightly with the riches of God. This meal is special. It has its
origins in betrayal, sacrifice, love and last things.
What we need to be clear about, however, is that the significance of this “feast” has nothing to do
with our knowledge or intellect. Its power does not rest upon some successful completion of
fourth-grade communion instruction.
So what kind of words might engender a meaningful welcome to all who are nervous about receiving communion? I don’t have exact words to recommend. But what I would call the “Ricky
Test” may prove helpful for settling on language that is more graceful than graceless.
Ricky must be in your congregation, or at least in the one right up the street. He is that 28-yearold “kid” who has never lived a day without cerebral palsy. Twisted in his wheelchair like a high
altitude bristlecone pine, rick hasn’t spoken a word of discernible English his entire life. Yet he
communes every week. Never misses. Who in their right mind would pass over him? The server
touches a bread wafer into the wine and gently places it on Ricky’s tongue. He smiles proudly.
Ricky has found his place at the table. There must be one for you there also.
The Messenger
Volume 70, Issue 4/5/6
Page 2
Lutheran Bible Translators ….”I heard it in my heart language”
While preparing to leave Tanzania a number of years ago, LBT
missionary Dr. Michael Megahan visited each of the churches in the
East of Lake Victoria diocese. During one visit, a young woman
approached him, asking if he remembered her. He did not.
She then explained that her father was one of the shamans Michael had
regularly ministered to in previous years. “My father never came to
faith,” she said. “But every time you came to talk to him about Jesus
Christ, I stood behind the wall and listened to what you were saying.”
The woman, who was a prostitute at that time, realized she was a sinner.
“But I heard you say, ‘God loves you’, and for the first time I heard it
in my language.” Even though she regarded herself as the lowest of the
Alvina Federwitz, LBT missionary sponsored
low, the assurance that God cherished her brought her to faith.
by St. Matthew’s Church
That’s Michael's favorite story from over 30 years of ministry.
He, along with wife Jo Ann, shared this and other stories with LBT
staff during a recent visit to LBT’s international offices to celebrate their retirement from full-time service—
and their new status as adjunct missionaries serving with LBT.
The Megahans, along with Rev. Larry and Mae Johnson and Alvina Federwitz, have reached that much sought
after retirement milestone, but their service with LBT continues. Collectively, they have 100 years of experience in Bible translation. “We want to tap into all that knowledge and expertise,” said Rev. Rich Rudowske,
LBT’s director for program ministries.
LBT’s participation in the Bible translation movement is evolving from the days of operating every facet of a
language program. “While we still send full time resident missionaries for some of the work we do, other
situations require only periodic intensive engagement,” said Rich. “This is best accomplished by those with the
wealth of experience the Johnsons, Meaghans, and Alvina bring—experience hard earned through years of
residential cross cultural work and continuing professional development. The adjunct missionary role is a way
that we can engage them on a part time, project specific basis.”
In fact, Michael has already begun a dialogue with two language groups in Tanzania, East Africa. The Kerewe
and Kara people live on Ukerewe Island in Lake Victoria. Michael will help establish translation projects for
these remote communities. Larry, who served as a translator and translation consultant in West Africa and
Southern Africa, will periodically assist the Khwedam translation team in Botswana as well as new projects
starting up. And don’t be surprised to see Alvina—missionary in Liberia for over 40 years—representing LBT
at conventions and churches across the U.S.
These veteran missionaries have left the foreign mission field and full-time service, but their hearts are still very
much engaged with the mission of LBT. Their titles may have changed, but as adjunct missionaries they will
still depend upon faithful supporters to pray and cover the costs related to the important work they will be
doing. If you are already supporting them, we thank you and ask that you continue our prayer and financial
contributions.
Editors note: The “Noisy Coin Offering” in January, February, March has been dedicated to LBT and the
ministry of Alvina Federwitz and her family. St. Matthew’s has supported Alvina and LBT for many many years
and congratulates her on her retirement from active ministry. We are happy to continue in our support of LBT
and the adult children of Alvina who have followed in her LBT missionary footsteps.
For more info on Alvina and her family see Page 14.
The Messenger
Volume 70, Issue 4/5/6
Page 3
Declaration 20 years old
5 facts about Tubman’s faith
Twenty years ago the ELCA issued the “Declaration of
the ELCA to the Jewish Community,” acknowledging
rejecting and expressing sorrow over Martin Luther’s
anti-Semitic writings.
A copy of the 1994 declaration hangs across from
Emily D. Soloff’s desk. She is the American Jewish
Committee’s national associate director for interreligious and intergroup relations.
The ELCA declaration, Soloff said, “represents the
fruit of the hard work of dialogue when we
acknowledge our mistakes and declare ourselves ready
for new understandings and relationship. It is not
enough to regret the past. Today’s challenge is to recommit to authentic partnership.”
Kathryn Lohre, ELCA director for ecumenical and interreligious relations, said the 20th anniversary of the
declaration “is an opportunity for us to remember our
commitment to building cooperation and understanding between Lutheran Christians and the Jewish community. It is also an occasion for us to renew our resolve as we seek to confront today’s global rising tide
of anti-Semitism as a contradiction and an affront to
the gospel, a violation of our hope and calling.
“The declaration has called the church into a continual
process that does not end by simply rejecting that in
our history which is shameful, but that challenges us to
live into a reconciled future by reaching out in right
relationship to our Jewish sisters and brothers.”
Harriet Tubman will
replace Andrew Jackson
on the $20 bill, making
her the first AfricanAmerican, the first woman in more than 100 years
and the first unabashed
Christian to be portrayed
on a bill.
Tubman was born in slavery and died in 1913 a
free woman.
Here are five faith facts
about the abolitionist and famed conductor of the
Underground Railroad.
Religious makeup of Congress
While the number of Americans who claim no
religious identity continues to rise, 91 percent of
representatives in the current Congress self-identify as
Christian, according to the Pew Research Center.
This number is about the same as in 1961. However,
Congress is becoming less Protestant.
Today Congress is 56 percent Protestant and 31 percent
Roman Catholic, a change from 75 percent Protestant
and 19 percent Catholic in 1961. Of today’s Congress,
291 of the 293 Republicans identify as Christian, and
80 percent of the Democrats identify as Christian while
the remaining 20 percent identify as Jewish, Buddhist,
Hindu and Muslim.
.”
1. Her nickname was “Moses.” Tubman returned
to the South more than a dozen times to help
lead hundreds of slaves to freedom along the
Underground Railroad. This earned her the nickname “Moses,” which came from her faith in
God.
2. She believed she had visions. As a teenager,
Tubman received a blow to the head that caused
her seizures, vivid dreams and hallucinations
throughout her life. She believed these “visions”
came from God and relied on them to lead herself and others out of slavery and into the North.
3. Her favorite hymn was “Swing Low, Sweet
Chariot,” and it was sung at her funeral.
4. “The Lord” told her to go on a hunger strike
for $20. Sometime after Tubman escaped to
freedom, she learned her parents, still enslaved
in Maryland, were in trouble. She staged a sitdown hunger strike to secure the $20 to rescue
them. While she slept, supporters slipped $60
into her pockets and she was able to lead her father to freedom. Another $20 fact—Congress
awarded her a monthly pension of $20.
5. Her dying words referred to heaven. At the
end of her life, Tubman was active in the African Methodist Episcopal Church of Zion in Auburn, N.Y. According to her obituary in the Auburn Citizen, the last words she uttered were
ones of faith. “I go to prepare a place for you.”
Make it special…
“Mother’s Day” at St. Matt’s...Sunday, May 14
The Messenger
Volume 70, Issue 4/5/6
Page 4
Lutheran Health Ministries of the Foothills
By Parish Nurse: Elsie Ford, RN
Caregiving hints and thoughts
Do you provide care for someone? According to the Mayo Clinic a caregiver is anyone who provides
help to another person in need, such as an ill partner or spouse, a disabled child, or an aging relative.
There are about 40 million people who provide unpaid care, helping family members with daily activities
such as bathing, dressing, toileting, cooking, managing medications and transportation. Caregiving can be
very rewarding but also very stressful. Caregiver stress, both emotional and physical, is common.
A caregiver may not realize that his or her own well-being is suffering from too much stress. Some signs
of too much stress are constantly worrying, feeling tired most of the time, sleeping too much or too little,
gaining or losing weight, being easily irritated, or having frequent headaches or other physical problems.
If a caregiver doesn’t take care of him or her self, he/she won’t be able to care for anyone else.
Following are some ideas for helping to manage caregiver stress.
Focus on what you are able to do. You may feel guilty at times for not being “perfect,” but try as you
might, you will not achieve perfection. So do what you can reasonably do and know that you are doing
your best.
Accept help. If you can afford to hire someone, there are a number of agencies that can provide a caregiver help. These home care agencies frequently have a minimum number of hours for a single visit (usually
four to six), but you can schedule for only the number of days you want. If hiring someone isn’t possible
(or even if it is), be ready and willing to accept help from others. Make a list of ways that others could
provide help, so that when someone asks, you’ll be ready with suggestions.
Be realistic. Prioritize, and break large jobs into small steps.
Join a support group. A support group can provide encouragement as well as problem solving. People in
support groups understand what you’re going through and often can provide sources for services.
Stay connected with family and friends. Set aside some time each week that you can spend with a friend
or family member.
Take care of your health. Follow a good sleep routine, be physically active, eat a healthy diet and drink
plenty of water.
Take a break. Besides having someone come to your home to provide care, there are adult care centers
and short-term nursing homes. If, in addition to providing care, you also work outside the home, look into
the possibility of utilizing the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Look into services available in your community. Call your local Area Agency on Aging and/or county information service (211 in Los Angeles area). Check with the VA or fraternal organizations if your loved
one is a longtime member. Many communities provide free or low-cost transportation. Home Health may
be able to provide some services such as physical therapy or a social worker. Home Health must be ordered by your loved one’s medical care provider. Meals on Wheels is another resource. There are online
resources, too. Eldercare Locator, Family Caregiver Alliance, A Place for Mom, the Caregiver Action
Plan, or AARP. For those whose loved one suffers from some brain impairment, the Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center can be very helpful. Still another resource is organizations specific to your loved one’s
illness, i.e. Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and COPD.
As the world-renowned cellist, Pablo Casals, once said, “The capacity to care is the thing that gives life its
deepest significance and meaning.” But caregiving is still hard work. You might not realize just how
stressful it is at first, but the stress can build over time. For those of us who are not currently caregivers,
perhaps we could look for ways we can “care for the caregivers”.
The Messenger
Volume 70, Issue 4/5/6
Page 5
Health
Don’t exercise when angry!
Goodbye to migraine triggers
If you’re really angry and
upset, beware of using a
strenuous gym workout or
extra-long run to help you
blow off steam.
A large international study
found that anger plus heavy
physical exertion more than triples the risk for
having a heart attack within an hour.
Published in the journal Circulation, the study
looked at more than 12,000 people in 52 countries who had suffered their first heart attack.
Researchers found that patients who were angry
or upset or had engaged in “heavy physical exertion” in the hour before their first heart attack
more than doubled the risk for a rapid onset of
heart attack symptoms. Combining both more
than tripled the risk.
This doesn’t prove that exercising while angry
is bad for you, but only that going to extremes
maybe harmful.
To keep anger at bay, the American Psychological Association recommends these tips:
Breather deeply from your gut and repeat a
calming phrase like “take it easy.” Visualize a
relaxing image or experience. Do some slow,
yoga-like exercises.
You may think a migraine is solely a head issue but a
new University of Cincinnati study found tat what you
put in your stomach plays a role. If you’re at risk,
follow these rules:
Skip the aspartame
This sweetener is a migraine trigger
for some, so check the ingredient
list on lowfat yogurts to make sure
there’s none hidden inside.
Find a new favorite cocktail
Beer and red wine have been linked
to headaches—researchers point to
chemicals in the drinks as culprits.
Cut out gluten
It may activat a migraine if you
have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. Talk to your doctor; a blood
test can confirm those issues.
Keep drinking coffee
Particularly if you sip it every morning. Forgoing your
joe one day means you’ll likely have a full fledged
headache the next.
Need energy? Use your hands!
If you feel like you’re dragging and even coffee
won’t help, here’s hope. A new study in the
Journal of Positive Psychology found that creative activities such as cooking a new dish, knitting and journaling can pep you up and increase
your overall well-being. Experts suspect the lift
comes from the inspiring groove you get into
when working on an interesting task, and the
burst of joy that comes from making something
with your own two hands. And it doesn't’ have
to be a major undertaking to reap the perks.
Next time a slump hits, try doodling it away.
Fidgeting is good
Attention all leg jigglers; You’re doing your body a
favor, says a recnt study in The American Journal of
Physiology Heart and Circulatory Physiology.
Lower-body fidgeting increases circulation in the legs,
which cn combat some of the negative effects of sitting, including cramping and reduced blood flow to the
heart (a contributor to arterial disease). So go ahead,
bob your leg—heck, do both at once to maximize the
perk.
385 calories
That’s how many extra calories you consume the day
after a night of missed sleep, Sleep plays a role in regulating hormones, including those that help you control
hunger and fullness, so logging fewer hours may throw
the process out of whack. decnthourwith the
12,500…. number of steps per day needed to “cancel out” the ill effects of
drinking two 20-ounce sodas.
The Messenger
Volume 70, Issue 4/5/6
Page 6
Around St. Matt’s
“Noisy Coin
Offering”
The “Noisy Coin Offering”
continues to be a success
and is taken on the third
Sunday of every month and
is received with great and
noisy enthusiasm. Congregants are invited to save
their coins and make a joyful “dump” with them into
the metal pans circulated by the ushers.
The special offering is designated quarterly to a
special charity. The first quarter of the year designated Lutheran Bible Translators. the second quarter
will go to went to ELCA Disaster Relief and the third
quarter to Burbank Temporary Aid Center.
Recycling is our middle name at St. Matt’s
Our Men’s Group has been collecting aluminum cans
and recyclable bottles for years and using the proceeds to improve and beautify our church campus.
Dalton Siirila will be happy to give you info on how
you can help.
We’ve also been collecting soda pull tabs and square
bread ties for Ronald McDonald House and Pilgrim’s
Place. See Sandra in the office for details.
Box Tops for Education...see Judy Dellinger
BUT here are some other things that can give meaning a second time around:
baby clothes and blankets
magazines
used postage stamps
used phones
women’s cosmetics, clothes and supplies
current year calendars
greeting cards (used and new)
Please see Sandra in the Church Office with any
questions.
Easter Schedule of Events
It’s not too late to feel the joy and exhilaration of the Resurrection at St. Matt’s.
We began our Lenten journey with Ash
Wednesday and shared fellowship
throughout March with soup-suppers,
evening vespers and an afternoon
film/Bible study. Now, join us on
Thursday, Apri 13 7PM Holy Thursday
Friday, April 14 7PM Good Friday
Sunday, April 16 8:15AM
Easter Brunch
10AM Easter Service
11:15AM Egg Hunt
He is risen, He is risen indeed!
Lutheran World Relief needs us
now more than ever…
With the global refugee crisis growing at
an alarming pace the need for LWR kits is
greater than ever and St. Matt’s is always
ready to help.
Join us in April as we create personal care
kits. We need towels, soap, toothbrushes
combs clippers (please see Sandra for specific details.)
In July we begin our annual drive to create
LWR school kits.
November is the month we collect miscellaneous goods for Lutheran Maritime Ministry and in December we collect and donate socks to Glendale’s Ascensia
(homeless agency) and Christmas gifts for
the children of Burbank Temporar Aid
Center clients.
It’s a big job for a small church but we
love the challenge and never fail!
Thanks to everyone for their support on Souper Bowl Sunday.
We collected $150 and over 50 cans of food for Burbank Temporary
Aid Center!
The Messenger
Volume 70, Issue 4/5/6
Page 7
Matt’s Mailbox
To St. Matthew’s
Church,
this is a remembrance
gift in the name of Jerry
Hultquist. Her funeral
was very inspirin to me
as well as the lives of her daughter, Carolyn
Ambrose and niece, Judy Dellinger.
May St. Matthew’s Church continue its ministry of love, compassion and truth in the name
of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
In appreciation,
Sylvia Nielsen-Ioka
Dear St. Matthew’s Church,
Thank you for your active financial participation with all of us who together serve in mission through Lutheran Bible Translators.
Lives are being transformed as people interact
with God’s Word meaningfully for the first
time. You are directly participating in the work
of Bible translation for those who do not yet
have God’s Word in the language of their heart.
Serving in Christ,
Dr. Mike R. Rodewald
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your continued kindness in support of Burbank Temporary Aid Center. As
always, your generous contribution of $263.41
will directly impact the work we do. Because
of you, we are able to provide the poor, working poor, and homeless of the local community
with the basic services they need to live with
dignity. Thank you once again for helping us
to fulfill our mission—it is truly appreciated!
Wishing you the best,
Barbra Howell, Executive Director
HMF Courtyard Party &
Silent Auction
Add June 17 to your calendar
so you won’t forget to attend
the Annual Health Ministry
of Foothills Wine and
Cheese Party.at St. Matthew’s Church in Glendale.
There will be exciting items
to bid on, wonderful food and libation, fun events
for the kids and a great way to support the ministry that serves and supports so many.
Lutheran Social Services-
What image ills your mind when you hear the word
povery? Is it somebody begging at the street corner, or
a homeless individual pushing a grocery cart down the
sidewalk? We encounter people like that every day.
But there are other poor individuals who don’t get
seen in public. As a result, they often fall through the
cracks and lose total control of their lives.
Wealthy people have options of every kind. They can
purchase what they want, travel where they desire and
do whatever they choose. Extremely poor people have
very limited options. They can apply for food stamps
and other forms of public welfare.
Those caught in the middle—often called the working
poor—have no options at all. They earn just enough to
disqualify them from government aid, but not enough
to care for their family’s nees. A disproportionately
large number of these individuals are women and children. That’s what poverty looks like in Southern California, and as people of faith, we must do something.
From 2009—2013, the percentage of California single
mother households living below the poverty level increased from 25% to 29%. For single mothers with
children under 18 years, the numbers went from 34%
to 41%. The trend continues each year.
Lutheran Social Services encounters 15,000 different
families every year. They come to LSS because they
know we will help them with food, clothes and also
listen to their stories—all of which will be offered
with patience and genuine compassion.
Your gifts provide emergency services like food, hot
meals, clothing, housing, transportation and more.
LSS also operates over 50 specialized programs offering training that equips individuals and families with
tools and resources that move them toward independence.
A recent study found ….
By age 4 high-income children had heard 40 million
more words than poor children.
Please give generously to Lutheran Social Services!
The Messenger
Volume 70, Issue 4/5/6
Page 8
April, May, June Service Assistants
Ushers & Greeters
4/2
4/9
4/16
4/23
4/30
5/7
5/14
5/21
5/28
6/4
6/11
6/18
6/25
Dalton/Rein
Carolyn/Roberto
Marv/Rein
Dalton/Carolyn
Ramona/Sandra
Marv/Rein
Carolyn/Roberto
Dalton/Rein
Dalton/Marv
Rein/Roberto
Ramona/Sandra
Marv/Roberto
Ramona/Rein
Acolyte
Daniel
Sound Engineer
Marv
Altar Guild
Counters
4/2
4/9
4/16
4/23
4/30
5/7
5/14
5/21
5/28
6/4
6/11
6/18
6/25
4/2
4/9
4/16
4/23
4/30
5/7
5/14
5/21
5/28
6/4
6/11
6/18
6/25
Carolyn (purple)
Judy (scarlet)
Carolyn (white)
Ramona (white)
Pat (white)
Carolyn (white)
Pat (white)
Judy (white)
Barbara (white)
Pat (red)
Ramona (white)
Judy (green
Barbara (green)
Communion Assistant
4/2
4/9
4/16
4/23
4/30
5/7
5/14
5/21
5/28
6/4
6/11
6/18
6/25
Karen
Mark,Sandra,Dalton
Mark,Sandra,Dalton
Sandra
Dalton
Sandra
Mark
Dalton
Adam
Dalton
Mark
Sandra
Karen.
Marv & Carolyn
Bob & Rajeshh
Judy & Janet
Priya & Karen
Marv & Carolyn
Bob & Rajeshh
Judy & Karen
Marv & Carolyn
Janet & Priya
Judy & Karen
Janet & Marv
Judy& Rajeshh
Janet & Priya
April:
Sandra
May:
Lynn
June:
Choir
Birthdays and Anniversaries in April, May, June
Birthdays:
5/1 Gian Rajeshh
5/2 Alan Wilson-Wolffe
4/3 Celina iba
5/3 Justin Lat
4/4 Arisai Marqez-Opjord 5/5 Jack Black
4/9 Alexzel Provencher
5/8 Sarah Kline
4/13 Jay Erickson, Jr.
5/10 Ruth Kaye
4/14 Leora DeBoer
5/12 Courtney Murray
4/16 San Pedro Tapongot
5/15 Iris Tadena
4/19 June Aasen
5/15 Bella Tualla
4/20 Tracy Becht
5/16 Ma Cecilia Ibay
4/22 Enelita Tapongot
5/16 Vivian Lewis
4/23 Ramona Rainey
5/16 Juana Whitehead
4/24 Leila Alejandro
5/16 Warren Whitehead
4/24 Lisa Koontz
5/17 Nancy Erickson
4/25 Jeremy Daguio
5/18 Julie Black
4/25 Rodolfo Villarey
5/26 Darryl anahon
4/26 Katherine Erickson
5/26 Neriliza Villarey
4/27 Karla Whitehead
5/29 Kristine Schonerock
6/4 Moises Calibo
6/4 Thea Rajeshh
6/10 Courtney Becht
6/10 Jordann Hopkins
6/10 Sandra Simon
6/10 Kevin Whitehead
6/14 Sylvia Johnson
6/14 Valarie Whitehead
6/16 Fe Soriano
6/20 Judy Hultquist
6/21 Bruce Whitehead
6/22 Rajeshh Raghavan
6/23 Robert Wilson-Wolffe
6/24 Jessicah Hopkins
6/25 Madeleine Bazzano
6/29 Aurora Steuer
6/30 Gladys Cappiello
6/30 Karen Schoenrock
Anniversaries:
4/1 Vivian & William Lewis
4/7 Jim & Heather Aasen
4/25 Jazel & Anthony Austria
4/28 Priya & Rajeshh Narayanan
5/2 James & June Aasen
5/3 June & Luz Calibo
5/8 Carolyn & Bob Ambroe
5/14 Kevin & Juana Whitehead
5/18 Josie & Renato Buenaventura
5/30 Warren & Krla Whitehead
6/3 Rick & Phyllis Ainsworth
6/4 Antonio & Levie Allas
6/15 Marv & Pat Schoenrock
6/23 Nancy & Jay Erickson
6/25 Ernest & Judy Dellinger
The Messenger
Volume 70, Issue 4/5/6
Page 9
Humor
A single guy decided life would be more fun if he had a pet. So he went to the pet
store and told the owner that he wanted to buy an unusual pet.
After some discussion, he finally bought a talking centipede,(100-legged bug), which
came in a litte white box to use for his house.
He took the box back home, found a good spot for the box, and decided he would
start off by taking his new pet to church with him. So he asked the centipede in the
box, “Would you like to go to church with me today? We will have a good time.” But there was no answer
from his new pet. This bothered him a bit, but he waited a few minutes and then asked again, “How about
going to church with me and receive blessings?” But again, there was no answer from his new friend and
pet. So he waited a few minutes more, thinking about the situation.
The guy decided to invite the centipede one last time. This time he put his face up against the centipede’s
house and shouted, “Hey, in there! Would you like to go to church with me and learn about God?”
This time, a little voice came out of the box, “I heard you the first time! I’m putting my shoes on!”
You’ll never regret being kind
My daughter starts middle school tomorrow. We've decorated her locker, bought new
uniforms, even surprised her with a new backpack. But tonight just before bed, we did
another pre-middle school task that is far more important than the others. I gave her a
tube of toothpaste and asked her to squirt it out onto a plate. When she finished, I calmly
asked her to put all the toothpaste back in the tube. She began exclaiming things like "But
I can't!" and "It won't be like it was before!" I quietly waited for her to finish and then
said the following: "You will remember this plate of toothpaste for the rest of your life.
Your words have the power of life or death.
As you go into middle school, you are about to see just how much weight your words carry. You are going
to have the opportunity to use your words to hurt, demean, slander and wound others. You are also going to
have the opportunity to use your words to heal, encourage, inspire and love others.
You will occasionally make the wrong choice; I can think of three times this week I have used my own
words carelessly and caused harm. Just like this toothpaste, once the words leave your mouth, you can't take
them back. Use your words carefully, Breonna. When others are misusing their words, guard your words.
Make the choice every morning that life-giving words will come out of your mouth. Decide tonight that you
are going to be a life-giver in middle school.
Be known for your gentleness and compassion. Use your life to give life to a world that so desperately needs
it. You will never, ever regret choosing kindness."
An e-mail from God
One day God was looking down at earth and saw all of the rascally retirees' behavior
that was going on so He called His angels and sent one to earth for a time. When the
angel returned, he told God, ‘Yes, it is bad on earth; 95% of retirees are misbehaving
and only 5% are not. God thought for a moment and said, 'Maybe I had better send
down a second angel to get another opinion.' So God called another angel and sent her
to earth for a time. When the angel returned, she went to God and said, 'Yes, it's true.
The earth is in decline; 95% of retirees are misbehaving, but 5% are being good...'
God was not pleased! So He decided to e-mail the 5% who were good, because he wanted to encourage
them, and give them a little something to help them keep going.
Do you know what the e-mail said?
Okay, I was just wondering, because I didn't get one either.--
The Messenger
Volume 70, Issue 4/5/6
Page 10
Divine foolishness
by Elizabeth A. Eaton, Presiding Bishop
For the message about the cross is foolishness
to those who are perishing, but to us who are
being saved it is the power of God. For it is
written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment o the discerning I will
thwart. (I Corinthians 1:181-19)
Uh oh. Paul wrote this to the Corinthians who were going astray. They were quite smitten with the elegant formulas of the Greek philosophers. The wisdom of the wise was a good thing. Foolishness, on the other hand, was considered a moral defect. They had become boastful, and Paul had to remind them that not many of them were wise
or powerful or noble according to the standards of the world.
The Corinthians had begun to believe that their own effort and understanding was the basis of their life and faith.
It’s clear they had not read Martin Luther’s explanation of the third article of the Apostles’ Creed.
Their cultural context is not so different from our own. We value knowledge and power and privilege. And while
it might have been true that not many in the Corinthian church were “wise by human standards, not many were
powerful, not many were of noble birth” (verse 26) we are now. We can’t claim to be the 99 percent. We are the 1
percent. So what does that mean for the church today?
I remember the moment in a lecture hall in divinity school when I came to the abrupt and shocking realization
that theology was not rocket science. This was quite disappointing because I was in a university full of actual
rocket scientists. How could I hope to be taken seriously by other disciplines in the university – by the law
school, the medical school, the business school – when what I was studying was the life and times of a Galilean
preacher? I longed for a lab coat, a briefcase, even a calculator – anything that would demonstrate that my discipline was just as sophisticated and therefore valuable, as any other.
I wonder, sometimes, if the church is a little embarrassed by the foolishness of the cross. The foolishness is not
just that the brutal and humiliating crucifixion of Jesus is actually the way God’s love was manifested, but that
God’s love is so complete. This is the overwhelming simplicity of God. God loves us completely. There is no
way or any need to dress that up. It just is.
A contemporary Christian mystic said, “The relationship with God is so simple and deep and true and the church
just wants to glitz it up.” Because this simple, deep, true relationship does not rise to the level of a complicated,
technical, theoretical system.
We often obscure God with our “realistic,” “wise” and ”clever” schemes. So we set about launching programs.
We develop five year plans. We make sure that all of our congregations are fitted with correct signage. We look
for synergies and metrics. Then we think out of the box, push the envelope, put language to it and circle back so
that, at the end of the day, we’ve achieved a critical mass.
This is ot to discount secular best practices or expertise. Heaven knows the church can learn a lot from the business world. But it is to say that our starting point is our helplessness. Our starting point is to get human agency
out of the way.
In a sense, Paul’s letter to the Corinthians is a “come to Jesus moment.” Do we want wisdom? Well, here it is –
Christ crucified, God’s clearest and most complete act of love. Come to Jesus. Do we believe it? Can we live it?
This is what people are looking for – to be completely loved by the One who knows us completely.
theologian Detrich Bonhoeffer wrote that discipleship is “not hero worship but intimacy with Christ.” Strangely,
that intimacy actually propels us out into the world. In God’s love we have been given our life so that, in love, we
can give our life away. That is a divine foolishness.
The Messenger
Volume 70, Issue 4/5/6
Page 11
Sweet Charity: Older people give more
More than half of all donations to charity are made by those over 60. And it’s
not just because those people have more money.
A new study shows that older adults become ore altruistic and less self-centered
as they age—and that the evidence even shows up on MRI scans of their brains.
For the study, Ulrich Mayr, chair of psychology at the University of Oregon in
Eugene, and his colleagues enlisted 80 university employees ranging in age from
18 to 67. They then scanned the volunteers’ brains while they passively observed
money going either to charity or to themselves.
The scans showed different levels of activity in the areas of the brain related o reward. Among volunteers
over 45, the brain’s reward areas tended to become more active when they saw money go to charity, while
among the younger participants, the brain’s reward areas became more active when they received the money themselves.
“It’s not their money,” so any pleasure they might derive from the scenario in which a charity received the
money would be purely altruistic, Mayr emphasizes.
Leonardo Christov-Moore, a postdoctoral fellow at the Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior at the University of California, Los Angeles who has studied altruism, is not surprised by Mayr’s findings. “Your odds of experiencing suffering and others’ suffering goes up the longer that you’re around,” he
says. As a result, “you become more benevolent, more altruistic as you get older.”
“Father’s Day”” is a big deal….
join us in celebrating all dads on Sunday, June 18!
New ELCA Federal Credit Union open
“With the church as its sponsor, the ELCA Federal Credit Union operates in ways that are consistent with the church’s values, making it a
socially responsible way to do your banking,”
the credit union’s website, elcafcu.org explains.
The credit union opened its doors in early June
to give ELCA members an alternative in banking. Now the fourth financial ministry of the
ELCA, the credit union is the first to offer consumer loans—including auto loans and personal
loans.
“As a not-for-profit financial cooperative, the
credit union exists to serve its members—not to
make a profit. Earnings are returned to members
through more competitive rates on deposits and
loans, fewer fees and enhanced services,” says
Chief Operations Officer Luis Reyes.
The credit union supports the ELCA’s mission
to promote wise stewardship of members’ finan-
cial resources and is a separate entity from the ELCA
churchwide organization.
Currently, individual members of the ELCA can join
the ELCA Federal Credit Union by opening a savings
account with a $25 deposit and maintaining that $25
balance. Members have access to an array of financial
products and services, including savings accounts,
checking, certificates of deposit, loans, and credit and
debit cards. Members have free ATM access through
a worldwide network of ATMs, and deposits are insured up to $250,000.
Members also get the convenience of online baking,
online bill payment, e-statements, a mobile app,
direct deposit, account-to-account transfer to link
with your accounts at other financial institutions and
person-to-person fund transfers.
Learn more and become a member of the credit union
by visiting its website, elcafcu.org.
The Messenger
Volume 70, Issue 4/5/6
Page 12
Prayer Calendar: April, May, June
1. William & Vivian Lewis
2 Lutheran Health Ministry
3 Celina Ibay
4 Arisai Marquez-Opjorden
5 Lutheran Bible Translators
6 Lutheran Social Services
7 Jim & Heather Aasen
8 Presiding Bishop Eaton
9 Alezel Provencher
10 Calif. Lutheran University
11 President Trump
12 All Pastors
13 Jay Erickson, Jr.
14 Leora Deboer
15 Bishop Erwin
16 Tyler San Pedro Tapongot
17 Lutheran Maritime Ministry
18 Governor Brown
19 June Aasen
20 Tracy Becht
21 Leila Alejandro
22 Enelita Tapongot
23 Ramona Rainey
24 Lisa Koontz
25 Jeremy Daguio
26 Katherine Erickson
27 Karla Whitehead
28 Rudy Villarey
29 Rajeshh & Priya Narayanan Unni
30 Anthony & J. Caren Austria-Provencher
1 Gian Rajeshh
2 Alan Wilson-Wolffe
3 Justin Lat
4 James & June Aasen, Sr.
5 Jack Black
6 Luz & June Calibo
7 Bob & Carolyn Ambrose
8 Sarah Kline
9 Ma Cecilia ibay
10 Ruth Kaye
11 Vivian Lewis
12 Courtney Murray
13 Bella Tualla
14 Iris Tadena
15 Juana Whitehead
16 Warren Whitehead
17 Nancy Erickson
18 Julie Black
19 Kevin Juana Whitehead
20 Renato Josie Buenventura
21 Lutheran Health Ministry of Foothills
22 Lutheran Bible Translators
23 Lutheran Social Services
24 President Trump
25 Governor Brown
26 Darryl Panahon
27 Nerlliza Villarey
28 Kristine Schoenrock
29 Presiding Bishop Eaton
30 Warren & Karla Whitehead
31 Bishop Erwin
June
1 President Trump
2 Governor Brown
3 Rick & Phyllis Ainsworth
4 Thea Rajeshh
5 Moises Calibo
6 Antonio Levie Allas
7 English Ministry
8 Sandra Simon
9 Courtney Becht
10 Jordann Hopkins
11 Kevin Whitehead
12 Presiding Bishop Eaton
13 Sylvia Johnson
14 Valarie Whitehead
15 Marv & Pat Schoenrock
16 Fe Soriano
17 Armenian Ministry
18 Filipino Ministry
19 Bishop Erwin
20 Judy Hultquist
21 Bruce Whitehead
22 Rajeshh Ragavan
23 Bob Wilson-Wolffe
24 Jessich Hopkins
25 Madeleine Bazzano
26 Jay & Nancy Erickson
27 Ernest & Judy Dellinger
28 Aurora Steuer
29 Gladys Cappiello
30 Karen Schoenrock
The Messenger
Page 13
Volume 70, Issue 4/5/6
The Messenger
Volume 70, Issue 4/5/6
Page 14
Ask the Pastor by Pastor Keith Banwart, Jr.
WHAT IS THE LATEST NEWS FROM OUR MISSIONARY FAMILY, THE FEDERWITZ'S?
Recently, our Financial Secretary, Janet W, reached out to Alvina (the matriarch of the Federwitz Family) on the occasion
of our LUTHERAN BIBLE TRANSLATORS Sunday in mid-February. Janet received this detailed response about where
each member of the family is and what they are up to:
Dear Members of St. Matthew,
Thanks for the birthday greetings I received from you congregation. (They came with) the DeLoach
mail. Don’t know if you remember that my daughter, Becca, married Danny DeLoach back in 2001 and
they are blessed with three children, the oldest just turned 13 on Saturday. Danny made us all proud when
his got his PhD in Missiology last June at Fuller School of World Missions in Pasadena. They lived and
worked in Papua New Guinea (PNG) for about 15 years first of all facilitating the use of the Scripture
among the Wantout people and then moved into working with other indigenous people facilitating the use
of God’s Word in the local languages. Danny’s PhD focused on the research he did in making good use of
translated Scriptures.
Pastor Dale and I had bought a house in Waxhaw, NC in 2001 and then in 2002 he made a hasty
trip to heaven due to pancreatic cancer and no longer needed an earthly house. Due to illness in the family,
Danny and Becca needed a place to live in January 2015 and I was happy for them to use my house as I
was still in Liberia. Thus the reason why the card you sent ended up in their mail.
As you may remember, I left Liberia to relocate in the States last year as my two oldest grandchildren were starting college and it made more sense for me to relocate in the States than their parents
(Jonathan and Carrie) and siblings who really wanted to continue their work and education in Ukarumpa,
PNG, where Jonathan continues to be “plane crazy” as he heads up mission aviation and Carrie teaches at
the missionary boarding school in Ukarumpa.
I moved into my house on January 28th so am finally living at 8001 Hope Lane. I continue to work
with LBT as an adjunct missionary focusing on getting funding for national Bible translation and literacy
organizations, such as LIBTRALO that continue the work LBT had been doing in their country. It was of
course our hope they would be self-sustaining, but due to the economy in their countries they need outside
financial help. Ongoing work with LBT limits the time I have for unpacking the 45 years of things Dale
and I collected. Leaving Liberia was difficult for me and my Liberian colleagues, but deep down I know it
was best for them and for me.
Son, David and, Valerie and family still live in Ghana, but David is gone a lot as he is West Africa
LBT Regional Director for Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Paul and Ali and family
are also in Ghana. They moved from rural Ghana to Accra, where Ali serves with MMCT (Missionary
Member Care Team) and Paul is LBT’s IT person around the world including LBT USA.
As you no doubt know, all of my children and their families have a passion for the unreached to
have God’s Word in the heart language. We are grateful to congregations like you who support us with
your gifts and prayers.
Alvina Federwitz LBT Mission Participation Coordinator
Additionally, Bob Federwitz, Alvina's brother-in-law (who used to bring us yearly updates in January
while serving here as an Assistant to the Bishop) has come out of retirement to once again serve as an Assistant to the Bishop - this time for the Bishop in Philadelphia where he and his wife, Ellie, now live.
Blessings to all the Federwitz missionaries and thanks be to God for each one of you who continue to support their ministry through your gifts to LUTHERAN BIBLE TRANSLATORS via St. Matthew's.
The Messenger
Page 15
News from our Filipino Congregation by Pastor Mark Panahon
Volume 70, Issue 4/5/6
S T. M AT T H E W ’ S C H U RC H
A H O U S E O F P R AY E R F O R A L L P E O P L E S
Sunday Worship Schedule
10:00 AM
12:30 PM
1:30 PM
3:00 PM
English Worship (with Children’s Church)
Filipino Worship
Filipino Bible Study
Armenian Worship
www.MatthewChurch.com
818-842-3138
[email protected]
Like us on Facebook:
St. Matthew’s Church of
Burbank/Glendale
The Rev. K.G. Banwart, Jr.
Senior Pastor
818/842-3138
Pastor Marcos Panahon
Filipino Pastor
213 709-7772
St Matthew’s Church
1920 W. Glenoaks Blvd.
Glendale, CA 91201