1

From the Pastor:

As I was leaving my polling place after voting in the Illinois primary I had a brief

encounter with a man in the parking lot. I was wearing my clerical collar, so he knew I

was clergy of some sort. He said to me something like, “Do you suppose that God is tell-

ing us something?”

There really was not an opportunity to have a discussion, so I just responded, “I’m sure

God is with us through whatever this is.”

I suspect that his comment might have come from the school of thought that the current

coronavirus pandemic is some sort of warning or punishment from God – that God has sent another plague on humanity because of our sinfulness.

I firmly believe that such an understanding is completely contrary to the message of East-er.

In the Easter story from Matthew (Matthew 28: 1-10, that we will hopefully hear in con-

gregational worship on Easter Sunday), Mary Magdalene and the other Mary go to the tomb of Jesus on the first day of the week. As they approach the tomb an earthquake rat-tles the ground at their feet and the stone in front of the tomb is rolled away.

“ (continued on pg. 2)

Inside April 2020 Newsletter

Important “Please Note” Message Pg. 2

Easter Week Service Schedule Pg. 3

Bible Study Pg. 4

Ruth Circle, Martha Naomi, Quilters, pg. 4

Women of the ELCA West Conference Spring Assembly Pg. 6

Committee Meeting Dates, Lunch Bunch Pg. 6

Church Women United of Rock Island/Milan Pg. 6

Calendar Pg. 7

Volunteer Server Schedule Pg. 8

NIS Women of the ELCA 2020 Spring Retreat Pg. 10

Women of the ELCA Spring Assembly Pg. 11

From the Pastor:

2

Now, I’ve never been through an earthquake, but I can only imagine that I would be terrified.

The world, it must have seemed, was crashing at their feet. And yet from this devasting event a

voice comes to them from a messenger of God. “Do not be afraid: I know that you are looking

for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.”

In the midst of an apparent world altering event the word of God to the two Marys is, “Don’t be

afraid. God has not abandoned you. Jesus is alive and with you.”

We, too, seem to be living in the midst of a world crashing around our feet. As I write this letter

the news about the coronavirus changes hour by hour, and sometimes minute by minute. We

don’t know what will ultimately happen with the virus – how many will be infected, how many

may die, what it will do the world’s economy, or to our own individual financial security. It can

seem overwhelming.

And in the midst of this “earthquake” known as Covid-19, there is message that comes to us

from God. Do not be afraid. God has not abandoned us. Jesus is with us and always will be.

God so loves the world. It is not God’s desire to destroy the world, but to save it.

And so God is with us in the midst of this pandemic. God is with us in the health care workers

who are helping the infected. God is with us in the researchers who are seeking a vaccine. God

is with us in the people who are reaching out to the vulnerable. God is with us through the

friends and neighbors who make phone calls to keep us connected with one another. God is

with us.

As Christians we are the presence of God to each other. Jesus is alive through us.

The message of Easter is a simple one. There is nothing in this world – no tomb or virus – that can keep God from us. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! So, be not afraid.

In Christ

Pastor Knowles

Please Note Right now all church activities are cancelled through April 30th. Anything beyond

that date is really tentative and Pastor plans on following all guidelines/mandates

issued by Gov. Pritzker. Please check the church website or call for additional

information.

Links to Pastor Knowles Sunday video meditations for March 22 and 29 are provided

on the church website homepage. Pastor is exploring different avenues to provide

video conferencing at home, probably using "zoom.us" via your browser.

Anyone wishing to have a copy of the “Christ in Our Home” should contact Pastor

Knowles (815)866-9595 and he will do his best to get one to you.

3

Worship News

Sunday April 5

First Reading Isaiah 50:4-9a Psalm Psalm 31:9-16 Second Reading Philippians 2:5-11 Gospel Matthew 26:14--27:66

Sunday April 12

First Reading Acts 10:34-43 Psalm Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 Second Reading Colossians 3:1-4 Gospel Matthew 28:1-10

Sunday April 19

First Reading Acts 2:14a, 22-32 Psalm Psalm 16 Second Reading 1 Peter 1:3-9 Gospel John 20:19-31

Sunday April 26

First Reading Acts 2:14a, 36-41 Psalm Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19 Second Reading 1 Peter 1:17-23 Gospel Luke 24:13-35

St. James

All Saints

Service

Service

8:30am

For those who are able financially,

you are invited to mail your offerings

to St. James. The council is commit-

ted to continue paying our employees

throughout the duration of the cur-

rent pandemic and keeping current

with our regular bills. Our mailbox is

locked and we are checking for mail

4

Midweek Lenten Worship: The Marks of Discipleship

Our midweek services this year will focus on the marks of discipleship: prayer, worship, Bible

study, service and stewardship. These services will be led by one of our local Lutheran pastors as

follows:

Noon service at Calvary each week.

April 1 – St. James @ 6:30 pm. Theme: Prayer led by Pr. Lee (First, Rock Island)

_____________________________________________________________________________

April 9th Maundy Thursday Service @ 6:30 pm (St. James/All Saints Joint Service)

April 10th Good Friday Service @ 6:30pm (Calvary)

April 12th Easter Sunday Service @ 8:30am (St. James) & 10:30am (Calvary)

St. James will be hosting Lenten Soup Suppers on 4/01@

5:30pm.

Volunteers are needed to provide soup, serve and clean up,

Sign-up sheets are located in the Narthex.

5

Bible Study

Group

Pastor Knowles

will be leading a

Bible study on the

“Gospel of Luke”. The

group will be meeting in

the Library on April 21st

& 28th, this month at

6:45 pm.

Ruth Circle

April 2, 2020

2:00pm

Hostess: Jo Kempf

Bible Study:

Call Network

Martha Naomi

April 9, 2020

9:30am

Hostess: Ruth Anne

Hartman

Bible Study: Elaine

Lestor

Call Network

Ruth Circle

St. James Quilters

will be meeting in the

Fellowship Hall on

April 15th beginning at 10:30

am. Join us as we quilt.

April 21st

Brides Room

6

Team/Committee Meetings

Stewardship / Finance Team April 20th Library 4:00PM

Executive Meeting April 21st Brides Room 4:00PM

Council April 22nd Brides Room 6:30PM

Church Women United of Rock Island & Milan

Annual Meeting

Friday April 3, 2019 St. Pius Catholic Church Rock Island IL 61201 Registration 9:00am

Luanne Beinke presents……

The Reappearing Keys:

An Unresolved Family Mystery

First 2020 meeting of Lunch Bunch

7

April 2020 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 7:00am

Worship( AS)

10:00am AARP

Board (C)

11:00am Lenten

Lunch (Calvary)

12:00pm Lenten

Service Calvary)

5:30pm Soup

Supper

6:30pm Lenten

Service

7:00pm Bible

Study (AS)

2

2:00pm

Ruth’s Circle (SJ)

6:30pm Cub

Scouts (

3

Office Closed

9:00am CWU

World Day of

Prayer

4

5

8:30am

Worship (SJ)

9:30am

Fellowship (sj)

10:30am

Worship (AS)

610:30am Retired

Pastors (C)

5:00pm Choir

Rehearsal (AS)

6:15pm Vestry (AS)

6:30pm Choir

Rehearsal (SJ))

6:45pm

Jr. Board ©

7

1:00pm AARP©

3:00pm

Welcoming

Team (SJ)

8

7:00am

Worship( AS)

9:00am FOOF

7:00pm Bible

Study (AS)

9

9:30am

Martha

Naomi (SJ)

6:30pm

Maundy

Thursday

(SJ/AS)

10

Office Closed

11

12

8:30am

Worship (SJ)

9:30am

Fellowship (SJ)

10:30am

Worship (AS)

13

4:00pm

Stewardship/

Finance Team (SJ

5:00pm Choir

Rehearsal (AS)

6:30pm Choir

Rehearsal (SJ)

14

4:00pm

Executive

Committee (SJ)

6:30pm 30/31

Book Club (C)

6:45 Bible Study (SJ)

15

7:00am

Worship (AS)

10:30am

Quilters (SJ)

12:00pm Lunch

Bunch (SJ)

7:00pm

Council (SJ)

7:00pm Bible

Study (AS)

16

6:30pm Cub

Scouts ©

17

Office Closed

18

8:30am NIS

Women of the

ELCA

Retreat

19

8:30am

Worship (SJ)

9:30am

Fellowship (SJ)

10:30am

Worship (AS)

20

5:00pm Choir

Rehearsal (AS)

6:30pm Choir

Rehearsal (SJ)

21

6:45 Bible Study (SJ)

22

7:00am

Worship (AS)

7:00pm Bible

Study (AS)

23

6:30pm Cub

Scouts (C)

24

Office Closed

25

West

Conference

Spring

Assembly

26 8:30am

Worship (SJ)

9:30am

Fellowship

10:30am

Worship (AS)

29

5:00pm Choir

Rehearsal (AS)

6:30pm Choir

Rehearsal( SJ)

30

6:45 Bible Study (SJ)

8

Sunday Ushers Lector Communion

Assistants Greeters Counters

Sound

Booth

Assisting

Minister

April

5

Tanner &

Chip Johnson

Virginia

Johnson Cam Palicki

Chip

Johnson

Stacy Miles

Linda Ryden Bill Kempf

Rhea Frank-

Cottingham

April

12

Tim Warren

Dave & Vaughn

Stroud

Ruth Anne

Hartman

Virginia

Johnson

Liz Johnson

Terrill

Johnson

Virginia

Johnson

Jane Massey

Bob Ryden Rhea Frank-

Cottingham

April

19

Terrill & Susan

Johnson Peg Simmer Bill Kempf

Terrill

Johnson

Dave Renneke

Peg Simmer

Dave

Renneke Stacy Miles

April

26 Bill Hartman

Rhea Frank

Cottingham

Donna

Renneke

Ruth Anne &

Bill Hartman

Ruth Anne

Hartman

Gary Wolber

Jerry

Johansen Stacy Miles

April 2020

Serving This Month

Birthdays: Judy Johansen 04/06

William Hartman 04/08

Leoniya Ntihabose 04/08

Dave Stack 04/08

Fabrice Stir 04/08

Lindsey Cox 04/10

Linnea Ridolfi 04/13

Salome Mulumba 04/14

Robert Ryden 04/16

Mary Sundquist 04/16

Kinley Coronell 04/17

Rachel Christenson 04/19

April Peterson 04/19

Jeff Rasmussen 04/24

Leslie Cox 04/24

Robert Eastlund 04/27

Anniversaries:

Tim & Carol Pressly 04/03

Mark & Sandy Ridolfi 04/13

Keith Peterson & Tricia Barron 04/24

9

Jenny Lind's 200th Anniversary to be remembered April 26

The 200th anniversary of Jenny Lind will be celebrated at the annual Founders Day Service on Sunday, April 26, 4 pm, at the Jenny Lind Chapel in Andover. The Chapel, constructed in the early 1850’s, is named for this celebrated Swedish singer, who gave a generous donation to Pastor Lars Paul Esbjörn, leader of the Swedish immigrants to Illinois. Light refreshments will be served immediately following the service. Dr. Michael Zemek, associate professor of music at Augustana College, will deliver a homily with highlights based on the life of Jenny Lind. He is the coordinator of music education at Augustana College, where he conducts the Jenny Lind Vocal Ensemble and Augustana Academic Chorus, teaches music methods and conducting courses, and supervises music education students. He came to Augustana after eight years of teaching choral music in Minnesota and Iowa. In addition to his responsibilities at Augustana, Dr. Zemek is the Director of Music Ministries at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Iowa City.

Dr. Zemek’s wife, Sangeetha Rayapati, soprano, will be the vocalist. She is a professor of music specializing in vocal pedagogy, and head of the voice program at Augustana College. She also teaches courses in diction and song literature, music research, general education and coordinates offerings of the Barbara Shellhouse Center for Singing. This special service commemorates the founding of Augustana Lutheran Church in Andover in 1850, Augustana College and Theological Seminary in Rock Island and Augustana Lutheran Church in America, both in 1860. The Chapel became the mother church for hundreds of other churches of the Augustana Lutheran Church in America. The lower level houses a museum highlighting the Swedish immigration and ancestry of the Augustana Synod, as well as several Jenny Lind displays. The Chapel, which is open every day from 9 am to 5 pm April through October, is a ministry of the Northern Illinois Synod. The web site is jennylindchapel.org.

10

11

12

PLEASE PLACE STAMP HERE

St. James Lutheran Church A RIC Congregation

3145 31st Ave Rock Island, IL 61201

Phone: 309-786-0503

E-mail: saintjamesri@gmail.com

Did you know St. James has a Facebook

page?

Check us out and give us a like!

Facebook.com/stjamesri

If you are not on Facebook you can find photos

on our flickr page!

www.stjamesri.org//photo-gallery

St. James a Reconciling In Christ

Congregation

In our awareness that we are all broken people, we re-

joice in God’s abundant grace. Therefore, we welcome all

who are seeking God’s love and forgiveness regardless of

national origin or ancestry, gender identity, sexual orien-

tation, age, abilities, beliefs, political views, financial re-

sources or family status.

There will always be a place for you at St. James.

*Adopted on June 11, 2017*

For more information check out Reconciling Works at

www.reoncilingworks.org