bayshorelutheran

From the Pastor, March 9, 2022

March 9, 2022 by BayshoreLutheran Leave a Comment

Dear friends,

Lent has truly begun, and I find myself already struggling with my chosen fast. My prayer time, however, has been grounded in my renewed practice to pray over my first cup of coffee. (Did I tell myself that I cannot have coffee unless I pray, as an incentive? Yes, I did….)

Perhaps you are struggling to get your prayer time started. Perhaps it seems just, well, not achievable.

I understand, I do.

When I struggle the most, I have a theologian that I turn to–Henri Nouwen. I find him to be deeply spiritual, deeply honest and real. I also found out very recently that he and Fred Rogers were close friends and shared a frequent correspondence. That makes sense. So I share with you Henri’s Prayer for Lent. I pray it helps you this season.

Blessings and peace,

Pastor Sarah

The Lenten season begins. It is a time to be with you, Lord, in a special way, a time to pray, to fast, and thus to follow you on your way to Jerusalem, to Golgotha, and to the final victory over death.

I am still so divided. I truly want to follow you, but I also want to follow my own desires and lend an ear to the voices that speak about prestige, success, pleasure, power, and influence. Help me to become deaf to these voices and more attentive to your voice, which calls me to choose the narrow road to life.

I know that Lent is going to be a very hard time for me. The choice for your way has to be made every moment of my life. I have to choose thoughts that are your thoughts, words that are your words, and actions that are your actions. There are not times or places without choices. And I know how deeply I resist choosing you.

Please, Lord, be with me at every moment and in every place. Give me the strength and the courage to live this season faithfully, so that, when Easter comes, I will be able to taste with joy the new life that you have prepared for me. Amen.

From the Pastor, February 17, 2022

February 17, 2022 by BayshoreLutheran Leave a Comment

Greetings, Bay Shore!

This Sunday, we thankfully return to in-person worship at 9:30 a.m. followed by our 2021 Annual Congregational Meeting. Both will be in the sanctuary, and masks continue to be required when you are in any part of the building.

I am truly excited to begin in-person worship again because we have some more things to share—we will return to singing.

Yep, you read that correctly. We are returning to singing hymns in church. But to do this, we are asking for your continued help and support of being safe as we worship together.

Please wear a tight-fitting mask, preferably the N95/K95s that the CDC recommends. We will keep our masks on the entire service except when you partake Holy Communion in your pew. To keep our services still short, we will not sing every verse in the hymns or have a postlude. We will have a prelude, and it will begin promptly 5 minutes before the start of our services.

We will also continue sitting every other pew in our sanctuary. This allows social distancing, especially as we add singing. Please do space yourselves out in the sanctuary and remember if you arrive a little late—there is an expanded aisle halfway back that allows access to the other side’s pews.

We will continue to use the packaged communion cups and wafers. Like before, please come forward to receive communion, and then return to your seats where you can open it and complete communion in the pew. Also remember, Pastor and the Assisting Minister will hold the trays out, but will not touch the communion packages. If you or your child would like communion, please take it from the trays. We will say the words when you take the package.

It goes without saying, if you have recently tested positive for COVID, been closely exposed to COVID, or simply do not feel well for ANY reason—please stay home and watch our service online. We are asking our members to monitor this themselves, and we thank you for doing so.

I feel that this Sunday we are one more step closer to “normal.” In truth, I believe we will continue to have some changes that stay, and others that we will all be glad are over in our communities and places we visit. I am grateful for the infection and hospital numbers going down, a new vaccine for children in the pipeline, and more. I continue to pray for our healthcare workers, the National Guard deployed, and all who serve front line during this long pandemic. Council will continue to watch the best practices of mask wearing in our schools, communities and the guidelines we have available. Please join me in thanking our Council for their thoughtful leadership during these challenging times.

Blessings and peace,

Pastor Sarah

From the Pastor, February 3, 2022

February 3, 2022 by BayshoreLutheran Leave a Comment

What can a can of soup do?

No, it’s not meant to be a tongue twister, but a sincere question! What can one can of soup do?

A can of soup can literally be the one meal for a person for the day.

In the case of the soup can here, this literally is a quick way to receive some nutrition and fill a belly. The can here requires no can opener, and it’s been cooked already so it could, if (sadly) necessary, be eaten cold. It can also be heated on a stove or in a microwave. It requires no water or milk and provides 22% of the recommended daily protein for the average adult.

I do realize that this is not a perfect meal, and for some—way too much sodium and preservatives. I understand that. But I also understand hunger, and when you’re hungry—none of those things matter. What matters to a hungry soul is how easy it is to cook, and how fast my child can eat it. Items that require tools, special pans, and added ingredients—those are stumbling blocks to the hungry. So that’s why I buy soups like this one. I keep it simple.

Souper Bowl of Caring has been around a long time, and through this food drive, churches stock up the shelves during lean times—when businesses and others do not donate for the holiday season. And yet, it’s still winter, people are still hungry, and the food banks see increases in people seeking assistance. Food insecurity is real, and a serious problem in our community. Souper Bowl brings this to our attention and through a fun advertising gimmick pushes us to compete and stock up those shelves.

Our collected canned offerings will go to a local food bank here in Milwaukee—I have three that I will be calling to see who has the greatest need, and we will deliver what we have there. The funds we receive will be collected and then given directly to the Hunger Task Force to use to buy food in bulk and to pass out to those in need in our county.

You are welcome to contribute in any way you can (yes, that’s a bad pun). If you are unable to drop off cans of soup when the church is open, perhaps you are able to send a check in the mail. But since this is NOT a competition, just buy some soup and drop it off yourself somewhere. I am sure wherever you drop it off, they will need it and be grateful.

Sometimes loving your neighbor is by providing a can of soup. Yes, sometimes it is that easy to love.

Blessings, peace and love to you,

Pastor Sarah

MLK Jr. Day of Service!

January 9, 2022 by BayshoreLutheran Leave a Comment

Greetings, Bay Shore!

Our first MLK Jr. Day of Service is right around the corner! And yes, we are planning on proceeding with this event on Monday, January 17, 2022, beginning at 10:30 a.m. and ending by 1 p.m.

To work around current concerns, we have made some updates to the event to offer both in-person and remote volunteering options. We continue to welcome more volunteers and additional donations, and hope that this change encourages you to participate, even if you do not feel comfortable or safe gathering in person.

Here are some highlights to know:

In-person volunteers will assemble kits and sandwiches inside the church, with 20-40 additional volunteers. Stations will be spaced out throughout the church to allow for social distancing. Masks are required, and we ask that only individuals who are fully COVID-vaccinated participate in the In-Person option.
Remote volunteers will stop by the church parking lot by 11a.m. to pick up supplies for making kits/sandwiches at home, and will return the assembled kits/sandwiches by 1p.m. on the same day. Remote volunteers will be provided with everything they need, including instructions and food prep supplies.
BOXED Lunch will be provided to all volunteers (both In-Person and Remote) who register by January 12^th as a thank you for helping!
Consider donating items that we still need! We will be assembling Winter Care Kits, Personal Care Kits, and sandwiches. Supply needs range from gently used hats and mittens, to bottles of shampoo, tissues, and lip balm. All donations go directly to the kits we are assembling, and the more donations we receive, the more we can donate to our neighbors in need.

Register to volunteer or to donate items, via the church website: MLK Jr. Day (bayshorelutheran.org) You will find links on the webpage to sign up to volunteer, to donate items and more.

Questions? Please email our chair of the event, Julie Murphy at [email protected].

This is a wonderful way for Bay Shore to be actively engaged in our community and serve those in need. Feel free to welcome your neighbors and more to participate and donate, too. With the ability to do your projects at home, this is truly open to all. I pray that you consider helping as much as you are able. Jesus called us to serve—this is just one way we can do so this January!

In Christ,

Pastor Sarah

Special Message from Pastor Sarah

January 6, 2022 by BayshoreLutheran Leave a Comment

Greetings, Bay Shore!

As I write this, the snow is falling softly, and my body is aching—yes, Pete and I have been sick all week with “whatever this is.” It’s been a hard week, I won’t sugar-coat it, and I pray you all are healthy and well. I know Pete and I will recover soon, but it will take some time.

We have all seen the headlines this week and last about the rapid spread of Omicron in our area, affecting the vaccinated and unvaccinated. Several of my colleagues have been down the past 7-10 days, so I was not surprised to become ill. But the spread is still happening. There is a lot of concern being shared, and I know you all are invested in our community’s welfare.

The Wisconsin Council of Churches has issued a statement, supported by our Bishop Ericksson, to cease in person worship for the next 4-6 weeks. I have connected with our staff and the Executive Committee for Council to discuss the recommendations. In response, we will do the following:

This Sunday, we will have Zoom Worship at 10 a.m. This will allow me to lead worship from home, and also keep the rest of the staff at home as well.
After Sunday, the staff and I will review our health situations and decide if Sunday, Jan. 16 will be on Zoom or through livestream (staff only in the building) at 10 a.m.
On Tuesday, Jan. 18, the Council will meet via Zoom and review our current practices in line with the WCC’s recommendations.
Each group using our building at this time may use discretion about in person gatherings, but as you will see in the Calendar—most are moving to Zoom meetings for the time being. The preschool was closed this week as well.

I know, this feels like a step back. The good news is that we have the vaccines now, and more and more are getting vaccinated, and the experts last night on the news stated this “wave” has a shorter life cycle than Delta. I do not feel we will be in virtual worship mode for long, but it is best to follow the guidance we are given at this time.

You will see in our eNews that we are continuing forward in our plans as best as possible. The staff and I appreciate your support and patience as we maneuver through the latest situation. I will keep you all updated as best as I can through email, Facebook and our website. Let’s stay as connected as possible in the weeks ahead—call one another, join in the Zooms, and participate as you are able.

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul. 3 John 2:1 (NRSV) This is my sincere prayer for you and our community in the weeks ahead. Please join me in praying for one another.

Peace to you and your loved ones,

Pastor Sarah

This Sunday’s Virtual Worship will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom.

The recording of the service will be uploaded to the YouTube Channel following the service.

Fellowship will also happen immediately after the worship service, using the same Zoom room.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82399763795?pwd=M2pYMVdHOC9jb1RtMjN2WU1MbmVWdz09

Meeting ID: 823 9976 3795

Passcode: 135606

One tap mobile

+13126266799,,82399763795#,,,,*135606# US (Chicago)

+19292056099,,82399763795#,,,,*135606# US (New York)