GLIMPSES OF GLENDALE: Weekly Newsletter

Thursday, January 27, 2022

Weekly Newsletter

Glimpses of Glendale

Glendale Lutheran Church Newsletter

January 27, 2022

I want to lift up one of the unsung heroes of Glendale Lutheran church, our administrative assistant, Michelle Fiala. God uses her to make our church a better place. Monday through Thursday from 8:00am to 4:30pm, she is our smiling face. She is the first person that strangers see and she represents you with grace and excellence.

Michelle has worked here for eight years, which includes Pastors Wise, Biermann and me. She has been the connective glue that keeps things together. Being a church administrative assistant is hard sometimes. When people are upset about something, she is too often the one to receive the blows even when it has nothing to do with her. It saddens me that some people do not treat Michelle with love and respect, or treat her in a way they never would treat their Pastor. We are loved by God and that love should be reflected in how we treat our people.

Every Monday, Michelle and I sit down together. We share our weekend experiences, prayer requests from the congregation, and the schedule for the days ahead. She takes a lot of pride in doing a good job with the bulletin, the directory, managing room schedules, overseeing worship volunteers, and communicating with membership. I am very grateful to God for Michelle and I know many of you are also. Thank you to those who brighten her day with kind words and a warm smile.

Daily Bible Reading

Annual Report

Glendale Lutheran's 2020-2021 Annual Report has been published. Hard copies are located on the wall next to the staff and council mailboxes, or it can be accessed via the "Annual Report" link on our website, or by clicking here.

Birthday Bags!

It is soon to be February and we will be gathering all the goodies for BIRTHDAY BAGS for the 7th Year! There is a change. We will no longer be gathering food for the meal plans for the month of February. Our connection at Operation Food Search said that focusing on the Birthday bags would be more helpful to them because they have fewer contributions of those this year. She was very pleased that Glendale will be contributing because the bags we send are so beautiful.

If it is difficult for you to get out to shop but you want to contribute to the gifting to children, you can leave money in an envelope in my mailbox (Hempel) or Michelle's (church Secretary) or Pastor Scotts'. Be sure to mark for Birthday Bags and put your name on them if you want the amount listed on your contribution report.

I am hoping that we will have the usual generous contributions to share with these children who have very little. Thank you!

Marcia

Children! Really?

“Children,” our pastor called us. And so we are! Children of the heavenly Father! Why is that so important? Because our pastor also admonished us: “As a child of God, you better be imitating the words of God!” His point – as I understood it – was that if we identify with Jesus and make ourselves known as Jesus’ followers, our words and behavior need to match the teachings of Jesus in God’s Word.

But Pastor Scott’s insistence that we “better be in our lane” as devout Christians is not as harsh as it may have sounded and as I initially heard it. The caution to walk the Christian talk is the privilege of being in God’s family. As remarkable as it may seem, we have what Jesus had (and has). We have his spiritual DNA.

As the "Second Person of the Trinity," Christ had (has) the Spirit of God within him. As God's children, we have the Spirit of God within us. “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you” (1 Cor. 3:16)? Also, “Because you are his children, God h

as sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, ‘Abba Father’” (Gal. 4:6 NLT).

Before my retirement, when I served as a pastor, I frequently wore a clerical collar. When I was in my clergy garb, I remember how alert I was to what I said to grocery store clerks and how I engaged the passer-by. I was no longer an anonymous Christian who might "get away with" an unkind word or a non-response to a friendly smile just because I might be feeling out of sorts. The clerical collar reminded me who I was. A cross on a necklace or ring can provide the same physical prompting to pay attention to how we are interacting with others.

Whether or not we wear a physical symbol of WHO lives in us, it is helpful to remember this Gospel truth. God chooses us as his children to live in his lane. Pastor Scott’s encouragement to stay in our lane is really a reminder of God’s grace. We are able to stay in our lane because the Spirit of God walks with us. The Spirit of Christ is our strength and courage and empowers our will to walk the narrow but very rewarding lane to heaven.

Your deacons are here to serve you.

article by Joel Hempel

Altar Flower Sign-Up

You can sign up for dates to provide flowers by clicking here, or let Michelle know via phone or email (michellefiala1895@gmail.com, 314-966-3220) what date(s) you want to sign up for, and what the dedication will be.

If you have any issues with the online process, please let Michelle know!