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Thursday, April 2, 2020

Weekly Newsletter

Glimpses of Glendale
Glendale Lutheran Church Newsletter
April 2, 2020
Pastor Dale Griffin is one of those Gospel centered people who makes an impression on your life. I met Dale three years ago and I couldn’t believe how quick his mind was and how vast his wisdom. We would talk theology and the church for hours. He was the type of Pastor I hope to be: generous, loving, deep, and gracious.

Likewise, Dale has chosen deep and gracious scripture passages for his burial. The first is 2 Corinthians 5:11-15. 

  • Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Dale is known to God. That was central to his identity. Everyone who knew him knew that whether it was his housekeeper, his physical therapist or his neighbor. Glendale Lutheran church sure knows it. This week I’ve been asking everyone I call if they heard about Dale’s passing. I hear a disappointed yes on the other end but it quickly turns to a smile as they remember him. His faith was woven into the fabric of our church. Long time member Jack Rutter told me that his family came to Glendale Lutheran because of Dale. Jack heard Dale on KFUO radio and wanted to know the person behind the voice. Dale and the church welcomed the Rutter’s in with open arms.

This passage also speaks of the believer no longer living for self but for him who for their sake died and was raised. That was Dale. He was selfless even when it must have been hard not to be. His body wore out but he never complained. He was interested in hearing about your life and the life of his friends in the church. Dale lived for Jesus and he invested in others.

Dale also chose Psalm 121.

  • I lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence does my help come? My help comes from the Lord,  who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved,  he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel  will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper;  the Lord is your shade  on your right hand. The sun shall not smite you by day,  nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil;  he will keep your life. The Lord will keep  your going out and your coming in  from this time forth and for evermore.    

This week I was struck by the phrase “He who keeps you will not slumber.” Dale did a lot of sleeping lately. He told me not to come visit him before lunch because he’d be in bed. Even when I came in the afternoon, sometimes he’d be back asleep. The last time I gave him communion he fell asleep between the bread and the wine. He couldn’t help himself. His body was wearing out. But we can take solace in the fact that the Lord never sleeps. Our faith depends on him who is always at the controls and not us. The Lord kept Dale’s comings and goings before and he keeps them now. God is faithful and Dale rests in that. 

Another Dale passage is 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

  • But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

I can hear Dale comforting us with these words. He was comforted with this passage when his beloved wife Marge died. That is another thing I’ve heard over and over again about Dale is his love of his wife. Their marriage had a big impact on the people of my congregation. They saw how they loved each other in life. They saw how Dale mourned her in death. And now they rejoice to know that they experience the resurrection of the dead. We say every Sunday that we believe in the resurrection of the dead. Dale held onto that hope dearly. It blessed him in his time of mourning and it will bless us during our time.

The final scripture chosen by Dale was John 20:26-30, the story of Thomas.

  • And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

This is an unusual text for a funeral but it fits Dale. He was born on St Thomas Day so of course he would pick it. He had such a love for history, the church and tradition that this became special to him. I think he had some things in common with Thomas as well. Some think of doubt as the opposite of faith when it is really a companion to it. Thomas may not have been stubbornly denying the resurrection but curious and wanted to experience the risen Lord himself. Dale was a very curious person who voraciously investigated historical and theological topics. His Bible studies and sermons were legendary for their biblical details. He helped create publications for Concordia Publishing house. Dale organized teaching resources for church workers through synod. He studied the scriptures like Thomas studied the hands and side of Jesus. He was fascinated and changed by the scriptures and this illuminated others. 

I am sad and miss my friend and mentor. It is ok to mourn our loss. We’re disappointed that we couldn’t have a church funeral where his friends and family could gather. But we also rejoice over the life Christ gave him. He lived from the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 to the Coronavirus epidemic of 2020. In between, Pastor Dale Griffin lived a rich life, dedicated to the Gospel. He was a blessing to his family, his church and everyone who ever met him.
Daily Bible Reading
Next Sunday's Bible Readings
Acts 10:34-43; Colossians 3:1-4; Matthew 28:1-10
Financial Update
The Word Within the Word

Worship Bulletin - April 5, 2020


Welcome to Glendale Lutheran!

Pastor Scott Jonas would love to talk to you. You can contact him via cell 805-345-6658 or email scottjonas314@gmail.com. 

Adult Bible Class will be streamed online beginning at 10:30. Join us!

For those who would like communion, Pastor Scott is in his office during the week Monday through Thursday 9am-5pm. Text or call his cell at 805-345-6658 to make sure he isn't on a home visit. If you are unable to leave your house and require a visit let him know.
Palm Sunday
Saturday 5:00pm; Sunday 9:15am
Organ Prelude
Greeting and Welcome
Lighting of the Candles
Hymn of Invocation – All Glory, Laud, and Honor, LSB 442

All glory, laud, and honor
To You, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.

You are the King of Israel
And David’s royal Son,
Now in the Lord’s name coming,
Our King and Blessèd One. Refrain

The company of angels
Is praising You on high,
And we with all creation
In chorus make reply. Refrain

The multitude of pilgrims
With palms before You went;
Our praise and prayer and anthems
Before You we present. Refrain

To You before Your passion
They sang their hymns of praise;
To You, now high exalted,
Our melody we raise. Refrain

As You received their praises,
Accept the prayers we bring,
O Source of ev’ry blessing,
Our good and gracious King. Refrain
+ Preparation +
Greeting
P:+The grace of our Lord + Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C:+Amen.

P:+Hosanna to the Son of David!
C:+Hosanna in the highest!

P:+Blessed is He who comes,
C:+who comes in the name of the Lord.

P:+Hosanna!
C:+Hosanna in the highest!
Processional Gospel – Luke 19:28-40

P:+The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the nineteenth chapter.
C:+Glory to You, O Lord.

+When [Jesus] had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

P:+This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C:+Praise to You, O Christ!
+ Word +
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P:+The Lord be with you.
C:+And also with you.
P:+Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, You sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross. Mercifully grant that we may follow the example of His great humility and patience and be made partakers of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C:+Amen.
Old Testament Reading – Isaiah 50:4-9a
+The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.
+The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward. I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.
+But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord God helps me; who will declare me guilty?

P:+This is the Word of the Lord.
C:+Thanks be to God.
Epistle – Philippians 2:5-11
+Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

P:+This is the Word of the Lord.
C:+Thanks be to God.
Holy Gospel – Luke 19:41-44
P:+The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the nineteenth chapter.
C:+Glory to You, O Lord.

+And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

P:+This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C:+Praise to You, O Christ.
Children’s Song – The King of Glory Comes, AGPS 227

The King of Glory comes, the nation rejoices;
Open the gates before Him, lift up your voices.

Who is the King of Glory; how shall we call Him?
He is Emmanuel, the Promised of ages. Refrain

In all of Galilee, in city or village,
He goes among His people curing their illness. Refrain
Children’s Message
Hymn of the Day – Ride On, Ride On in Majesty, LSB 441

Ride on, ride on in majesty!
Hark! All the tribes hosanna cry.
O Savior meek, pursue Thy road,
With palms and scattered garments strowed.

Ride on, ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.
O Christ, Thy triumphs now begin
O’er captive death and conquered sin.

Ride on, ride on in majesty!
The angel armies of the sky
Look down with sad and wond’ring eyes
To see the approaching sacrifice.

Ride on, ride on in majesty!
Thy last and fiercest strife is nigh.
The Father on His sapphire throne
Awaits His own anointed Son.

Ride on, ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.
Bow Thy meek head to mortal pain,
Then take, O God, Thy pow’r and reign.
Sermon - Jesus Weeps
Apostles' Creed
C:+I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
+And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
+ I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church

+ Celebrating birthdays this week: 6 - Carol Dowell, Ellie Steele; 8 - Gail Metzler, Ryan Lane; 9 - Cathie Albers; 11 - John Brugere, Marcia Hempel

+ Baptismal birthdays: 6 - Kadyn Hempel; 7 - Avery Scholeman; 9 - Dennis Dowell, Vivian Kattentidt, Brent Steele; 10 - Shelley Albers

+ Wedding Anniversaries: 10 - Ken & Rosemary Orloff; 11 - Ken & Jeanne Clark

Special Celebrations and Needs:
+ Church family members: The Griffin family as they mourn the death of Dale; Phyllis Phelps recovering from a broken wrist; Shelly Albers who is unable to go back to work.

+ Those who are homebound or in nursing facilities: LaVerne Eifert, Mary Guion, Corinne Gutzler, Anne Hammann, Vivian Kattentidt, Lucille Massie, Bettie Welch, Joan Winkler
Offering
We are excited to announce a new option for electronic giving using your mobile device. Please scan the following QR code or visit https://tithe.ly/give?c=815174 to make a donation.
Offertory
+ Sacrament +
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P:+Thank You, Lord of all creation, for not leaving us forsaken in our sins, but for redeeming us by Your love shown us in Jesus, who humbled Himself, being born as a human being; who taught and healed and cast out evil and forgave; who confronted the proud and lifted up the lowly; who gave Himself into betrayal, torture, and death on a cross; whom You raised on the third day in triumph over all evil. For this bread and cup, Christ’s body and blood, given and shed for the forgiveness of our sins, we thank You, we praise You, and we adore You.
C:+Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P:+Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My + body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.” In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My + blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Proclamation of Christ
P:+As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C:+Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P:+O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C:+Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Distribution
Blessing
Post-Communion Thanksgiving
P:+Let us pray. Gracious Father, Your Son, our Lord Jesus, made Himself nothing, taking on the form of a servant, dying for us on the cross. We are filled with the forgiveness of sins flowing from this bread and cup of His body and blood. Form us as servants of the One who came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many; in the name of Jesus.
C:+Amen.
Benediction
P:+Let your eyes be fixed on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

P:+The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and + give you peace.
C:+Amen.
Closing Hymn – Hosanna, Loud Hosanna, LSB 443
Hosanna, loud hosanna, the little children sang;
Through pillared court and temple the lovely anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them, close folded to His breast,
The children sang their praises, the simplest and the best.

From Olivet they followed mid an exultant crowd,
The victor palm branch waving and chanting clear and loud.
The Lord of earth and heaven rode on in lowly state
Nor scorned that little children should on His bidding wait.

“Hosanna in the highest!” That ancient song we sing;
For Christ is our Redeemer, the Lord of heav’n our King.
Oh, may we ever praise Him with heart and life and voice
And in His blissful presence eternally rejoice!
Postlude
+ + +

+ WORSHIP LEADERS +
Preacher/Celebrant/Liturgist – Pastor Scott Jonas
Pianist – Athena Reinhard

Acknowledgments
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.