the entrance hymn - st. michael lutheran | unionville, pa · 2 thearchangel herald the archangel...

Volume 1 | Summer Issue 2020 | The Archangel Herald

St. Michael Lutheran Church P.O. Box 178

109 E. Doe Run Road Unionville, PA 19375-0178

Church Office – (610) 347-1696

Rev. Frederick J. DeRasmo, Jr., Senior Pastor Rev. Danny N. Bodine, Visitation Pastor

Bonnie McDonald, Office Manager Michal Rittler, Video Editor

Online Worship Times Sunday: 10:00 a.m.

https://www.facebook.com/stmichaelpa/ YouTube: https://bit.ly/3frNoMJ

Email: [email protected]

Website: StMichaelPA.com

PG.6

The Archangel Herald

2 Volume 1 | Summer Issue 2020 | The Archangel Herald

Pastoral Pondering Several weeks ago, in the Gospel text from Matthew 13, Jesus followed a series of quick-hitting wisdom parables with a question of his disciples: “Have you understood all these things? They said to him, ‘Yes.’” (Matt 13:51)

No matter their aspirations, the disciples did not tell the truth. They did not understand, a fact that is clarified just a few verses later, beyond the text appointed that day. If we kept reading, Chapter 13 concludes: 54 and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him. (ESV) Shortly after their claim, the disciples undermine themselves, and, frustrated with their inability to reconcile Jesus’ hope with their diseased and divided world, they choose to take offense: Who does this carpenter’s son think he is, anyway? I believe we have reached a new phase of this pandemic: what perhaps began with self-righteous underestimation (“Oh, sweetheart, there’s no reason to cancel our May flights.”) … became admirable, fox-hole creativity and optimism (“Hey, worshiping in my pjs and with some “just-out-of-the oven” bread isn’t so bad!”) … and now has morphed into scale-measuring resolve and resignation (“Yes, ma’am, I mean the 40 lb. bag of flour”). Now unfortunately, we find ourselves in a new season, one that can feel a lot like … loneliness. These days, many of us are realizing that the hopes we coddled – that once the weather warmed we were going to visit our family back home, or spend a few weekends at the shore, or enjoy some “chunky monkey” ice cream at our favorite ice cream stand, or at least say our prayers in our familiar pew in the sanctuary at St. Michael – now seem so naïve. Instead, it’s turned out that we waited for these muggy days of July and August only to rearrange plants in our kitchen window, turn on the garden hose to run some mildly cool water over our outdoor potted plants, and to make yet another online order that may also fail to meet our expectations.

Frustrated with our inability to reconcile Jesus’ words of hope with our own diseased, divided world, we – like the disciples – turn to the cheap satisfactions of taking offense. My patience is running low these days with people! We cultivate anger and indignation with people who don’t wear their mask (or pull it up over their NOSE!) or mind their social distancing. I read recently of a man who created quite a fuss at the Instacart shopper who confused his order of Whole Foods’ Organic Super Greens with their Organic Summer Mix (oh, the horror!). We spite those who still have their job. We weary of those with whom we spend our days, and we risk turning those we love … our greatest joy … into nothing more than another, unrelenting annoyance. Children of God take heart … you are not alone! In measures grand and small, we who have always thought of ourselves as the “got-it-all-together” merchants are realizing that we are as lost as any pearl of great price! So many of us are feeling lonesome and frustrated, like treasure hunters wandering an unending familiar field … that looks a lot like our living room. And while not a one of us would win the pandemic’s Suffering Olympics, we need not fake that we’re okay, for our struggles are real and well founded, known to God and shared by countless others. What are we to do? First, let’s tell the truth … to ourselves, to God, and to one another. Acknowledging the known and unknown trials still before us, let us lean into what remains good. Become a prayer warrior, pray multiple times a day. Go for a walk, write a poem, doodle, or listen to an old record (or CD for those who don’t know what a record is anymore). Let’s continue to worship together on Sunday mornings and Zoom it up as necessary to sustain our treasured connections with those near and far. And trusting that this, too, shall pass, let us pray: God of storm and God of calm, in our suffering and our struggle – our loneliness and our confusion – be with us. Hold us always in your holy Hope. Pry from us our arrogance and our apathy, and strengthen us to approach this broken, beautiful world with your Love. Inspire our kindness and join us in bonds of friendship. Remind us of your image impressed upon us – upon all of us at our baptism – and accomplish in our lives your good purpose and make us like the Kingdom of Heaven. All this we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. Fellow prayer warriors, peace and courage … in the days ahead.


"Second Saturday's" Return

August 8 - 5:00 p.m.

A Parking Lot BYO Food and Beverage

"Tailgate Picnic"

Last month the Farewell Parking Lot Picnic was a HUGE success! It gave members a long-awaited opportunity to connect with friends "mask to mask". We want to do it again! Please mark the date on your calendar and plan to join us. Masks will be required and social distancing observed. We invite you to leave an empty parking space between cars, set up a few lawn chairs and a picnic table ... and ENJOY!

Opportunities to Connect One of the requests we receive from members during the pandemic are ways we can connect with fellow St. Michael members. We are a welcoming community that enjoys opportunities for fellowship and worship. We have planned several ways to let members connect with each other. We encourage you to consider participating in any that appeal to you. You might say we have become a “Zooming Congregation” and we invite you to “zoom into” any and all of the following opportunities.

Morning Prayer – 10:00 a.m. (Mon-Thur.) About 30-40 minutes The group is always welcoming of new faces as we begin with some friendly conversation followed by specific prayer requests and then we worship together using Morning Prayer along with a brief devotion and a sung psalmody. An email with the link is sent out at the end of every week. Holy Happy Hour - Fridays, 7:00-8:00 p.m. Pastor Rick has begun this time for members to get together using Zoom! Friendly conversation (no politics allowed) shared over a glass of wine, beer or cocktail. An email with the link is sent out at the end of every week. Compline, Prayer at the Close of the Day – Thursday Evenings - 8:30 p.m. The launch of this new offering will be in mid-August. Watch for further information in the ‘This Week at St. Michael”. This will be a time for turning over to God the burdens of your day. A peaceful way to end the day and prepare for the weekend. Men's Zoom Bible Study Saturday Mornings 8:00 a.m. Looking for a place to connect with others over scripture, prayer, discussion, and fellowship? Why not try the Men's Bible Study? We meet by Zoom. If you are interested, please contact Steve Lacombe to receive the Zoom link. We look forward to you joining with us.


From the Council President

First off, I want to thank everyone for their patience and understanding as Council navigates the path forward amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It feels like a lifetime has gone by since March 11th when the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic. We are doing

all we can to have meaningful online worship services, provide a means of staying connected with our church family through several communication platforms, and beginning the study and search process for the pastoral and music staff for the years to come. Janet Weber is leading the team to search for a music director and Jay Liska is leading the pastoral needs study team. You will hear continual updates from them and the progress of their work. It is anticipated that from time to time they will be asking for your thoughts. We recently held our first Congregational meeting electronically using Zoom on July 26th. For the most part the meeting was a success, with over 75 people logged in and over 100 in attendance. Thank you for your patience with this new technology for us. New Council nominees were approved, as was the 2021 Nominating Committee. On Saturday, July 11th we held a parking lot farewell gathering for Pastor Adrianne & Matt and Linda & Ron. It was very well attended, and all wore masks and practiced corona courtesies. All expressed a desire to gather again like this, so look for more opportunities for a BYO parking lot picnic.

(We will host Second Saturdays at St. Michael, August 8 at 5:00 p.m., please join us for a “Parking

Lot Tailgate Picnic” BYO food and drink)

From Linda Lorgus It is with sadness yet assurance of your understanding, that I tender my resignation as Music Director/Organist at St. Michael, effective July 31, 2020. This decision is a very difficult one, as you may imagine. You have welcomed me, supported me, and loved me. Together, we have had many wonderful worship and musical experiences. However, several factors have shown me that it is time to retire from full-time music ministry. Many of you know my hands/arms have been deteriorating over the past few years. It is a chronic form of tendonitis that causes a great deal of discomfort when I play keyboard regularly. Much as I love to play, I need to stop playing on a regular basis. I'm also aware of the passage of time, and the need and desire to spend more time with my husband and family. Covid-19, as bad as it is, has made us realize how important it is to spend time together, and the need to realign our priorities.

Words cannot express my joy in working with the choirs at St. Michael. Singers and ringers, the loyalty, friendship and appreciation I have felt has made my time at St. Michael very special. I will miss working with you and hope

that our friendships will continue past the time we work together.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve at such a wonderful church. St Michael will always have a special place in my heart.

With love… Linda Lorgus


Pastoral Needs Study Team Update

- Jay Liska

“You don’t have to be weatherman to know which way the wind is

blowing.

- Bob Dylan

You also don’t have to be a member of St. Michael Lutheran Church to know that the winds of change are swirling around us. Not only are we seeing profound changes in our society, we are also experiencing changes within our church. Not only has the coronavirus pandemic kept us apart for the past six months, but we are anticipating significant changes in our church staff this year.

Just as we can’t change the weather, we can’t affect the turnover we are experiencing. What we can do, is to prepare for the weather and plan for these changes.

The goal of the Pastoral Needs Study Committee is to rapidly and effectively prepare us for these changes. The key deliverable of the Committee will be a Ministry Site Profile (MSP) that describes the pastoral staffing needs of our church. The Committee will determine our needs by reviewing feedback from our congregational Summit Meeting last year, and the recommendations of the Long-Range Planning Committee, which were presented to the Council last November. Because times have changed, Committee members will also formally (through a survey) and informally (through conversations) solicit input from the congregation about our needs and our desires. Once the Council approves the MSP, it will be shared with the Synod as well as members of a Pastoral Call Committee. Once appropriate candidates have been identified, they will be interviewed by the Call Committee, and a recommendation will be made to the congregation.

Because this is a stepwise process, it will take many months, so it is imperative we get started NOW! In August we will review relevant background documents in August and conduct our first meeting in early September. I am recruiting our team and plan to announce them in my next article. Until then have a safe and healthy summer.

Music Director

Search Committee - Janet Weber

I am very honored to have been asked by our church leadership to serve as chair of the Music Director Search

Committee. I am also very pleased to announce those members of St. Michael who will be assisting me on the committee:

Rob Furr Isaac Lacombe Mark Swanson Laura Shields Sheila Wetzel Janet Witman Pastor Rick

We are saddened by the departure of Linda Lorgus, but we are also confident that in the next few months we will be able to identify an excellent candidate to fill this position. Please keep the work of this committee in your prayers as we carry out this responsibility.

Ready for Children’s Chats? In recent weeks Pastor Rick sent out a plea to parents asking if they would be comfortable with “socially distanced and masked” children’s chats on the church grounds. The response was a resounding “YES”! Pastor is watching the weather and the calendar and hoping we can find a time that works for most families. The chats will be recorded and used during upcoming online services. A list of those interested has been started. If you would like to be added to the list, please contact the church office so we can keep you updated on plans.


Columbarium & Memorial Garden - Bill Vann

From ancient times the church has provided holy burial in its buildings and on its grounds. As we drive through Pennsylvania, we can see small country churches with their cemeteries on their grounds. We now have many laws or regulations that govern who can bury people and where they can be buried. We cannot bury people on our property; however, once a person has been lawfully cremated, we can have their ashes placed on our property. The purpose of our Columbarium Ministry at St. Michael is to offer the option of an inexpensive, earth friendly, church-based inurnment for loved ones in a memorial setting of the utmost dignity and respect. Cremation makes it possible to renew the tradition of returning Christian burial to the church. In addition to our columbarium, we offer families the option of memorializing their loved ones with an engraved granite Memorial Plaque. These inscribed granite plaques are placed on the back of the center columbarium wall, providing both a permanent remembrance and a historic monument to our deceased loved ones. In 2019, the completion of our Columbarium and Memorial Garden construction plan was accomplished. Actual planning for the columbarium began in 2010 and was approved and dedicated by the congregation in January 2013. From the beginning it is our vision at St. Michael that the Columbarium and Memorial Garden provide a place of peace and beauty for the cremains of loved ones. A place where there would be a meaningful setting on church grounds where family and friends can come, sit on our benches in a garden-like setting and have time for quiet meditation and reflection.

In memory of Rudy Rudershausen by Joe and Janet Weber, Margaret Newton, Phyllis Wenner and Vinci & Sharon Felix. In memory of Muriel and Rudy Rudershausen by Dick and Kathy Streamer. In memory of Pat Bodine by Carol Mulcrone. In memory of Ernie Milner by The Kennett Civil War Discussion Group, Elinor K. Clason, Sandra Hazzard, Lou and Caroline Wonderly, Dr. John and Bettie Klote, Barry and Sheila Winegard, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service Association, Elizabeth Holman, Prichard and Rosemary Detskas, Joe and Janet Weber, Eva Frank, Bunny Cameron, Carol Davies, Vinci & Sharon Felix, Ruth Smith, Abraham & Lela Wakil, Russell & Rose Milnor, Mark & Carol Sibley, Wallace & Virginia Guthrie, Fran & Aurora Dickinson, Gwendolyn J. Miley, Jim & Jewell Thatcher, Ed & Mary McFadden, Dorothy Connors, Florence Harp, John, Marilyn & David Allahand, Robert & Patricia Strachan, Tom & Jen Horne and Katherine Sibley. A Special Donation ... has been given by Jean Hillegass to music resources in memory of Jack Hillegass.

The Columbarium and Memorial Garden mission continues to be entirely self-funded through donor contributions, memorial gifts, and sales of niches and memorial plaques. No money is provided from Church Operating or Reserve Funds. The Columbarium and Memorial Garden committee members are Joe Case, Rick Wetzel, Kevin Witman and Bill Vann. If you have any questions or would like additional information or would like to become a member of this committee, please contact any of the committee members or the church office.


Office News & Notes… - Bonnie MacDonald

David & Nancy Schueck: 614 Loveville Rd., #C5C Hockessin, DE 19707 Phone: Dave (623)-455-0557; Nancy (610)-563-1748 Email: [email protected] Vinci & Sharon Felix: 88 King Street, Unit 605 San Francisco, CA 94107-4098 Phone: 610-331-1834 Email: [email protected] Tom & Angela Mattoscio: [email protected] Russ & Rose Milnor: [email protected] Brad & Doris Petersen: Brad [email protected] Doris [email protected] Carol Hanna: [email protected] Phone: (484)-574-4045

We Celebrate with Joy and Love …

The birth of Zander Aaron Nicholson, born March 9th, 2020 son of Kristin and Dan Nicholson and Grandson of Joe and Susan Martin.

Our Christian Sympathy … is extended to Vicki, Dan Eric, Rachael and Luke Folmar on the passing Vicki’s father, Arlen Mekler, who entered the Church Triumphant on May 23, 2020. Our Christian Sympathy …is extended to Lois Haldeman on the passing of her nephew, Troy Colalillo, who entered the Church Triumphant on June 2, 2020. Our Christian Sympathy … is extended to Michelle and Christopher Lewis on the passing of Michelle’s sister, Kathryn “Katie” Somes, who entered the Church Triumphant on July 3, 2020.

Welcome to Our Newest Member …

Rebecca Passante … Becky was born in Wilmington, Delaware but was raised in Kennett Square. She is a hairdresser and Manager of Super Cuts, in Avondale, PA. Her hobbies are crafts and spending time with her nieces. Becky is looking forward to her upcoming wedding to Joseph DeRasmo in October. She and Joseph currently reside in Pike Creek, DE. Address: 3401 Pebble Beach Drive Wilmington, DE 19808

Phone: 302-383-2805

Email: [email protected]


God Speed & …


Come back and see us

anytime. You are always welcome

here!

the entrance hymn - st. michael lutheran | unionville, pa · 2 thearchangel herald the archangel...

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