MONONA MESSENGER APRIL 2021 - Monona Lutheran ...
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MONONA MESSENGER
APRIL 2021
Where Is Your Heart?
There is a story of a wise woman who was traveling in the mountains when she found a precious stone
in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her
bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to
him. She did so without hesitation.
The traveler left rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him
security for a lifetime. But a few days later, he came back to return the stone to the wise woman.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said, “I know how valuable this stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you
can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to
give me this stone.”
In this story, we have two travelers. The male traveler initially celebrated what he thought was his
wonderful new fortune. This precious stone given to him by the woman would provide him with a
lifetime of financial security. However, he makes a 180-turn in his thinking when he realizes that the
generous heart demonstrated by the woman was even more precious than what the stone could provide.
In his new paradigm, he sees life differently; he gains a new perspective on life. He realizes that a
giving and loving heart is far more important than earthly treasures.
The question for each of us to consider is “Where is my heart?” Stewardship of the Gospel is about the
heart. Those who faithfully serve and follow Jesus love Him wholeheartedly. The condition of our
hearts determines whether we will serve ourselves, the things of this world, or Jesus. When our hearts
are right with God, we will have peace and contentment, and He can use us to make a difference in
other people’s lives.
Our Holy week and Easter celebrations are a time for sinners to repent, a time for offenders to confess,
a time for prodigals to return, but most of all a time to rejoice over the enormity of our Savior’s love.
May this Easter season be a time for you to be reminded once again of the price your Savior paid for
your redemption, and remembering with your new heart to rededicate your self to Him in spreading the
message of this incredible news—Christ Crucified
In Christ, the Gift to be shared,
Pastor Nowak
American Red Cross Blood Drive
Birthdays in April On Tuesday, March 16th, Monona Grove High
School hosted a blood drive at our church. The
Marcia Hur April 2nd
students were able to recruit 39 blood donations.
Anna Rutherford April 5th
MLC started this relationship with the MGHS
and Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA)
by allowing them to use our building as a host site.
The students support patients by hosting blood drives
through a Leaders Saves Lives program.
Anniversary in April
This unique program provides an opportunity for
Bess & Jess MacLeod – 13 years; April 12th youth to gain meaningful leadership experience and
support hospital blood needs.
Students who host drives can earn:
a gift card up to $200
Congratulations and a chance to win a scholarship up to $2500
volunteer hours required for graduation
God’s Blessings to All!
leadership experience
I am proud that our church is able to
May Messenger Articles are due on or before participate with the American Red Cross by helping
Thursday, April 22nd, 2021. Articles can be students achieve their goals. Thank you for your
emailed to the church office or dropped off at the support. Ann Rubin
church. No late articles, please. Our next community blood drive will be held
on Wednesday, March 31st, from 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm.
Sunday School & Sunday Adult Bible Class
Please join us for Sunday school or Adult Bible The drive will be at Alliance @ 4200 (formerly
class on Sunday mornings’ right after the service. known as Lake Edge UCC). To date, I am proud to
We will still adhere to wearing masks and keeping a announce that all appointments have been filled.
safe distance.
The next Healing Service will be held again on
Sunday, April 11th, after the service. If you have a
burden or sickness that you would like to commend
to the Lord, this would be a great time to do so. SCHEDULES
Copies of the service can be found on the table in
Following is a modified schedule for April:
the narthex for your convenience.
Date Usher Comm. Asst. Altar
4/1 W. Kosbau S. Peck A.Rubin & J. Nowak
Prayer Chain 4/4 S. Peck J. Thur A. Rubin
4/11 J. Thur
Life presents challenges to all of us, but
4/18 M. Lindert N. Dowse J. Nowak
sometimes those challenges can feel like it’s just too 4/25 G. Steingraber
much. If you are experiencing situations, whether
physical, emotional, or spiritual, call our Prayer Tellers for April: Mike Reinholtz & Marcel Lindeert
chain. You may give your prayer requests to Angie IF YOU FEEL UNABLE TO SERVE, PLEASE FIND AN
TerMaat at 608-246-9608, Susan Bartlett at 608- ALTERNATE AND LET THE OFFICE KNOW WHO IT
WILL BE.
437-5765, or the church office at 222-7071 or call
if you would like to become a part of our Prayer
Sunday Morning Bible Study: Please
chain.
join us on Sunday’s after the service as
“Hear my prayer, O Lord;
we continue to study Isaiah.
listen to my cry for mercy.”Steward Builders
A newsletter to help you grow as a steward.
The purpose of this newsletter is to share willingly want to express our love for God
God’s Word so that our members will better through loving others.
understand who we are to be and what we
are to do in the light of the Scriptures. It is Even though Jesus was asked to state which
our hope that this monthly publication will was the one great commandment, Jesus
help you grow in your relationship with the could not stop at one. He added a second
Lord and as a Christian steward. commandment, for one cannot be kept
without the other. We are to love God and
others, but we know that true love comes
Loving God and Others only from God. God’s love for us enables
God loves us. It’s His love that initiated His
us to love Him and others. The Apostle
creation and redemption of mankind.
John wrote, “Beloved, let us love one
Because God loves us, we can love. The
another, for love is from God. Anyone who
importance of loving is reflected in how
does not love does not know God, because
Jesus answered the question that He was
God is love. In this the love of God was
asked by a Pharisee, who was a lawyer:
made manifest among us, that God sent His
“Teacher, which is the great commandment
only Son into the world, so that we might
in the Law?” Jesus replied, “You shall love
live through Him. In this is love, not that we
the Lord
have loved God but that He loved us and
your God
sent His Son to be the propitiation of our
with all
sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought
your heart
to love one another” (1 John 4:7-11).
and with
all your
Throughout God’s Word, He calls us to love
soul and
everyone which includes not only our
with all
families and friends but our enemies,
your mind.
neighbors, and strangers. Jesus tells His
disciples that, when they feed the hungry,
This is the great and first commandment. A
give drink to the thirsty, welcome the
second is like it: You shall love your
stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick
neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:36-39).
and visit those in prison, they are really
Loving God and others are the first and
doing it for Jesus (Matthew 25:35-40).
second commandments we have been given
When we love our neighbors, God’s love is
as God’s disciples and stewards. In
perfected and shown in us.
responding to the Pharisee, Jesus refers to
“your God.” This implies that a
relationship already existed. Throughout the God’s Instruments of Love
Old Testament, God had already As God’s stewards, we receive blessings
demonstrated His love. Jesus wants the upon blessings from God Who loves us and
Pharisee to respond to the love God had wants the best for us. God gives and keeps
already shown to him. We, too, have on giving. However, Scripture is clear that
experienced the love of God. We, too,our stewardship is not seen in what we get money into the temple treasury. He saw rich
from God but rather how He uses us to share men dropping their coins in and then “a
our blessings with others. As His poor widow put in two very small copper
instruments, we are His hands, feet, and coins” (Luke 21:1-4). She was the one He
mouth to the world. We receive in order to blessed with His words of commendation,
give. We find it easier to receive blessings, for she gave all she had.
but, by nature, we are not inclined to be
sharing people. Because we are selfish and
greedy people, we are more interested in
keeping what we have and wanting even
more. To enable us to be loving and sharing
stewards, God changes our hearts. With
transformed hearts filled with God’s love,
we seek opportunities to use the blessings
He has entrusted to us to help others. God’s
blessings pass through us to others. We are
blessed to be a blessing. What these two had in common was their
willingness to share what they had with
The Blessing of Wealth others. God supplied their needs and
Is it sinful to be wealthy? Are you enabled them to give to others. Paul writes
suspicious of someone who has a lot of in 2 Corinthians 9:11, “You will be made
money? Conversely do you consider wealth rich in every way so that you can be
to be a sign of God’s favor? If so, does that generous on every occasion, and through us
mean that those who don’t have much your generosity will result in thanksgiving to
money are not in God’s good graces? What God.” Yes, wealth is a blessing that God
does the Bible say about this? Let’s look at gives, and, as His stewards, we rejoice in the
two Biblical characters, one on each end of opportunities He gives us to share that
the financial spectrum. blessing as He directs.
First is Abraham. When Abraham left Ur to All Creation Belongs to God
go to Canaan, he took his nephew Lot with As God’s stewards, we acknowledge,
him. We read in Genesis 13 that the flocks through faith, that God has created and owns
and herds of each man grew so great that all things. All creation belongs to God the
they had to separate. Although God had Creator. “The earth is the Lord’s and the
given the whole land to Abraham, Abraham fullness thereof, the world and those who
gave Lot first choice. Lot chose the best dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). The Apostle
land, but still Abraham’s animals multiplied. Paul wrote, “We brought nothing into the
Abraham, out of his wealth, gave the best world, and we cannot take anything out of
portion away, and God continued to bless the world” (1 Timothy 6:7). Since all we
him. have is God’s, shouldn’t we use what we’ve
been given for His purposes? Because of
Many years later, Jesus is in the temple God’s grace in Jesus, we are empowered to
where He observes the worshipers putting live lives according to His will and purpose.
Blessings on your Stewardship Journey!Food Pantry: There is always a need for food
pantry items. Next time you are out shopping,
add a couple things to your cart for the St.
Stephen’s Food Pantry. Donations of
food, personal items, paper products and
Easter Schedule large sized diapers are all gratefully
received. You can place your donations in the
little red wagon in the Welcoming Area. Many
Palm Sunday – March 28th thanks to those who regularly donate and to
Service w/Communion 9:00 a.m. Woodie Meyer for taking our items to St.
Stephens.
Maundy Thursday – April 1st Ronald McDonald: Pop Tab Collection:
Service w/Communion 6:30 p.m. Don’t forget we are still collecting pop
tabs for the Ronald McDonald House. Just put
Good Friday – April 2nd them in the container on the counter of the
Welcoming Area. RMHC collects pull tabs since
Tenebra Service 6:30 p.m.
they have significant value in the recycling
industry and they do not have the storage to
Prayer Vigil – April 3rd collect cans.
Church is open from 9:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Calvary Lutheran Chapel Student Ministry
Following is a letter we received from Calvary:
“Providing free meals to students has been
an important part of Calvary’s ministry for many
years and is our primary mode of connecting with
each other. We have unfortunately had to
Easter Sunday – April 4th discontinue these meals for the last year due to
COVID-19, leaving many of us spiritually hungry
Service w/Communion 9:00 a.m. for fellowship. However, with Madison and Dane
County health officials gradually easing
restrictions on gatherings, we believe that it is
time to resume our weekly meals in a safe and
healthy manner.
Because there has been so much
uncertainty for so long, we did not budget for
Portals of Prayer is a great little devotional book that fellowship this year, which means that we are
you can use for daily reading. The April, May, and June largely relying on local congregations to help us
issue is available on the tables in the Narthex and in the out. Would you prayerfully consider providing a
Welcoming Area. Feel free to pick up one for yourself meal or making a financial contribution towards a
and/or share with a friend. meal for our students? Thank you for all your
support!”
The 2021 Flower Chart is hanging up on the wall in In response to this request, we at Monona
front of the office. Please consider placing fresh Lutheran will be collecting monetary
flowers on the altar in honor or in memory of donations during the month of April to provide
someone special or just because.
meals to students and others that attend Calvary
A Prayer Vigil will be held on Saturday, Lutheran Chapels services. Please write Calvary
April 3rd, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Please Lutheran Chapel Lunch on your donation
feel free to come anytime and stay as envelope. Thanks. Nate Dowse
long as you’d like. If you would
there will be a Prayer Guide to use for your meditation.MONONA MESSENGER
Newsletter: Monona Ev. Lutheran Church, LC-MS
4411 Monona Dr.
Monona, WI 53716
Address Service Requested
2021
Divine Worship
Sunday 9:00 a.m.
Monday Evening 6:30 p.m.
Communion Services
1st and 3rd Sunday of each month.
Midweek Lenten & Advent
Vespers 6:30 p.m.
NO Monday Worship on Legal Holidays
Sunday Christian Education Hour
Adult Bible Classes 10:30 a.m.
Sunday School 10:15 am Sept. - May
Pastor: Rev. Thomas Nowak
Office Phone: 608.222.7071
E-mail: mlc-ms@hotmail.com
Website: www.mononalutheran.org
Boldly Proclaiming the Good News
Why do we hesitate to witness for our Lord? A frequent answer
to that question is that we fear being rejected. Of course, we’ll
be rejected! Christ Himself was “despised and rejected by men”
(Isaiah 53:3), and Jesus said, “No servant is greater than his master.
If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also.” But He added, “If they obeyed My teaching, they
will obey yours also” (John 15:20). Not all will reject us or the words we speak in Christ’s name.
Surely, for Christ’s sake and by His grace, we can endure whatever mistreatment we receive in His
name for the fruit that will result.
Prayer: O Lord, You are from everlasting to everlasting. Thank You for my Savior Who has lived the
perfect life on earth in my place and Who will turn the dust of my body into a glorified body which will
live eternally with You in Heaven. Help me to be an ambassador for Your wonderful love, grace, and
mercy. Through Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, I pray. Amen.
Blessings on your stewardship journey!
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
“Loving Christ, Serving Others through Preaching, Teaching, Reaching”You can also read
