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Text Box: Trinity Lutheran Church 301 E. Stuart St. Fort Collins, CO 80525 Pastor Paul Schairer Church Musician Marcia Yernberg Chancel Choir Director Dr. James McCray Youth and Family Directors Erin and Andy Sprain TLC Preschool Director Brenda Harju Office Manager Linda Bleich Financial Secretary Debbie Schwartz Church Phone: 482-1226 FAX: 482-0817 TLC Preschool: 221-9852 Website: www.trinitylutheranfc.org Email: trinity@trinitylutheranfc.org Office Hours: 9 am - 3 pm Mon - Thurs. 9 am - noon Friday Radio Broadcast 600 KCOL 9:30-10 am Bulletin Deadline: Wed., noon Tidings Deadline: 18th of the Month The Tidings is published monthly as a ministry of Trinity Lutheran Church. Worship Times Saturday Praise- 5 pm Sunday - 8 & 10 am Fellowship Hour –11:20 am Children’s Faith Village - 9 am Church Office Hours Monday - Thursday 9:00 - 3:00 Friday 9:00 - 12:00 Tidings at a glance… G.I.F.T...p. 13 Faith Village & Youth...p. 14 & 15 JOY Luncheon ...p.6 Morning Book Club...p. 6 Outreach...p. 8 November Birthdays...p. 9 TGIF...p. 6 TLC Preschool...p. 12 Text Box: On Sunday, October 18, we gathered together as one community to begin the grieving and mourning process following Pastor Jim’s sudden death.  Following is the sermon that Pastor Stadtmueller preached and combined with the healing service that Pastor Jim had planned.  Grace to you and Peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. I want to start by sharing a few words from Pastor Jim that he had placed as a word of welcome on your website. “We are never sure where faith will lead us. But, in faith, we confront whatever comes. And because of faith, because of our centering in God's love, because of God's forgiveness that keeps us alive and in ministry, we live each day as people of God. Faith-centered lives welcome the future, set goals within that faith for a continual and growing ministry, Yes, there are changes along the way. For our God is living. And faith means God is alive in us!” Jim… you nailed it. Some days we as preachers can do some explaining, and some days we can even be a little entertaining, but days like today call for only one thing. And it’s the one thing we should always be doing…. Proclaiming…. Proclaiming that Jim Rasmussen has joined the Saints who have gone before us redeemed for Jesus sake. Proclaiming that the waters of baptism give us hope for the world, even when things don’t always make sense. Proclaiming that the promise that we have through Christ Jesus is one that we can hold onto for ourselves in the face of death. Proclaiming that we are called into Christ’s resurrection and therefore we know that death’s shroud is one that only has a grip on us in this kingdom. Indeed in the kingdom to come death has no sting. And Proclaiming that the present darkness that has appeared in our lives cannot overcome the light of the world. Death rarely makes sense. And in light of the present tragedy I will not give you pleasant niceties to ease the pain of our loss. I only invite you to wade into the waters of baptism with me. I remind you that this church is built on a promise, and that promise is not a long life, good health or happy days although I wish for you all of these things. It is a promise that in whatever we face God will be with us. That Jesus Christ’s Grace not only overcomes sin, but overcomes death and the grave. It is through our baptism that we encounter the cross of Christ through which we have experienced Grace. But Jim’s death is a new burden that we all suddenly carry. A burden we didn’t see coming. A burden we do not want. I chose today’s gospel because I’m always struck by the imperative, “Do not be afraid.” It strikes me that the power of that statement rests in the power of the one saying it. My 5 year old, the one I lifted up to you in Thanksgiving 5 years ago in this same spot when we celebrated Thanksgiving together. Well he along with my 2 year are loved dearly by their dad. And my love for them has been made known unto them through our relationship together. Now…when my children are fearful as they peer into the darkness, I proclaim, “Do not be afraid.” And their fear is lessened. I am aware that in this darkness that we peer into, It is our trust in the father’s imperative that gives us comfort. It is the lord who now says to us, “Do not be afraid.” You see the power is not in the promise alone, but in the one who makes the promise. And it is Jesus who has taken all of our burdens and journeyed to the cross to bear the weight of sin for the world. It is Jesus who rises out of the darkness with the light of the resurrection and says, “See I am making all things new.” It is Jesus who renews our faith, who takes our hands and leads us as little children through the darkness. I’ll remind you that this is who we are. We are people of this promise. Yet sometime the burdens of this world, whether sickness or grief can overwhelm us. As it says in the explanation of this healing service today on page two, “Sickness is a sign for the community, a reminder that we too, are fragile.” Unfortunately today we are painfully reminded of the fragility of life, but again let me proclaim to you, do not fear for God is with you. Today the other congregations of Fort Collins mourn with you, and offer you a gift of healing . A gift of healing that was intended to be carried out by Jim and the healing ministers of Trinity Lutheran. But due to your burden today we’d like to anoint you as individuals, but as individuals who are part of a community that is sick with grief. Each of the other ELCA congregations in Fort Collins and their healing ministries are represented and have come to anoint you with oil today. We don’t come without our own struggles, but we trust in the power of God’s healing word. We want to give you this gift today because we understand that you carry a great burden. Please understand that the healing power in this anointing rests in the promise from God. The promise that stirs in the waters of baptism. As Luther might have said, “we know that the promise of God occurs to us without this anointing that we share today, but we share it that it may be today known unto you. That today it may pierce your grief filled hearts and renew you to be proclaimers of the message we share. Please also understand that we have every expectation that Trinity Lutheran will rise up from this difficult day and carry on the proclamation of healing hope in Christ Jesus. But today we ask that you allow us to share this gift with you. Let our Amen rest upon you that we might be renewed in our collective witness to Fort Collins and beyond that Christ has conquered death and all of it’s minions that strike us. That Christ is alive and through that knowledge we will bring forth life for the world. Amen. Pastor Michael Stadtmueller

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November 2009

10/18/09 Sermon

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