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THE WEEKLY TRINITY TRUMPET:
March 8th- March 15th
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This week we celebrate the
Lenten Journey to the Cross
with Lent Wednesday Service tonight at 7pm and Sunday Service at 9am on March 12th!
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Lent 2017
As someone who enjoys tinkering, for years I have used the excuse of a project to buy a new tool. I bought a saw to make flower boxes for my mother-in-law, a sander to refinish the table in my office in college. We need tools and use tools every day. A computer, a needle for cross-stitching, a welder, a lawn mower, and a phone are just a few tools we use.
When it comes to living out a faithful life, we also use tools. We need tools to have good relationships, tools to reach out to our neighbors in faith, tools to build, and tools to take down. Tools can help us perform a task with ease and tools can help us bring out the beauty that is within. Join me on Wednesday nights during this season of Lent to talk about tools and how we use them in our everyday lives of faith.
March 8 Hammer
March 15 Chisel
March 22 Tape Measure
March 29 Paint Brush
April 5 Biscuit Jointer
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Make Sure to Spring your Clocks Forward This Saturday so you are not LATE to Church!
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The congregation is free to stop by the church for a visit with Pastor Keith (scheduling a visit beforehand is highly recommended) or members can reach him via telephone or email.
Pastor Keith's contact information is:
Pastor Nathan Keith
Cell - 307-231-5371
Email - pastornate3421@gmail.com
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The Smiles of Our Trinity Children!
Our Sunday School is a lot of fun thanks to our great Teaching Staff!
REMEMBER - NO SUNDAY SCHOOL SUNDAY MARCH 12th or MARCH 19th!
What gifts would you like to share with Trinity?
Let Pastor Nathan know!
(Photographs by Jennifer Zenor - Trinity thanks Jennifer for sharing her photography!)
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Lent Soup Suppers
Soup Suppers for the Lent Season will start today, March 8th, and continue on the 15th, 22nd, and 29th. The Fellowship Committee is seeking members, or a group of members, to sign up for a crock pot of soup or to provide a dessert for each Wednesday. Crackers and drinks will be provided.
For each Wednesday, it would be great to have at least 7 crock pots of soup and 7 dozen treats!
Please sign up for a Wednesday on the Sign-Up Sheet located on the main board in the Gruver Room.
The AGAPE meal will be on April 5th!
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WEEKLY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
Feeding Laramie Valley
Created in 2009, Feeding Laramie Valley is a community based, designed, and led non-profit program working for food security and an equitable, just, and sustainable food system in Albany County, WY.
There are lots of volunteer and intern opportunities with Feeding Laramie Valley, especially during these winter months! Visit www.feedinglaramievalley.org for more information.
If you are interested, please contact Feeding Laramie Valley at 307-223-4399 or email at info@feedinglaramievalley.org.
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Claiming Our Gifts Video Series
Join us in the Sactuary as we walk together with Bishop Gonia on Sunday’s at 10:30am, after Worship Service, continuing this Sunday, March 12th. Let us claim the gifts God gave us this Lent and proclaim them with the world!
Rocky Mountain Synod has prepared a video series called Claiming our Gifts. Bishop Gonia leads this 5-part video series, which will be available for Lent. These videos will be around 15-minutes with discussion prompts, making them a great resource for adult Bible study.
If you missed the first video last week, you can find the video at this link:
https://vimeo.com/203514720
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Sky Ranch Camp
On July 23-30, all youth of Trinity are invited to join Pastor Nate at Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp in Colorado. The week is unique because Sky Ranch is offering youth events for all ages. Young kids will attend for a few days at the beginning of the week, middle school youth will be there all week at the camp, and older youth will have opportunities to serve off-site, white water raft, and experience a high ropes course. Pastor Nate is planning to stay at the camp all week to spend time with Trinity’s youth, and all Wyoming ELCA congregations are planning to attend that week as well. So don’t miss out on this awesome opportunity!
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Worship Schedule
March 8th, 2017
7pm - Lent Wednesday Service
Soup Supper at 6pm
Pastor Nathan Keith Preaching
March 12th, 2017
9am - Second Sunday in Lent
Worship Setting 4 with Communion
Pastor Nathan Keith Preaching
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March 8th, 2017 - Wednesday
10am - Women's Bible Study
6pm - Lent Soup Supper
7pm - Lent Wednesday Service
8pm - Trinity Choir Rehearsal
March 11th, 2017 - Saturday
2:00pm - Eagle Scouts Ceremony
March 15th, 2017 - Wednesday
10am - Women's Bible Study
6pm - Soup Supper
7pm - Lenten Service
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March 12th, 2017 - 9am Service
Lector - Sharon Leder
Acolyte -Lauren Frick
Ushers - Shirley Heggie & Mike Nutter
Greeters - The Zenor Family
Nursery Attendant - Derk Lyford
Stewards - Diahann Jablin & Martin Greller
Altar Guild - Laura Buckner
Coffee Fellowship - Open
Flowers - Open
March 19th, 2017 - 9am Service
Lector - Diane Fiedler
Acolyte - Beth Ferris
Ushers - Barb Rouse & Mike Smith
Greeters - Bobbie & Al Schimek
Nursery Attendant - MacKenzie Muhsman
Stewards - Diahann Jablin & Martin Greller
Altar Guild - Laura Buckner
Coffee Fellowship - The Moline Family
Flowers - OPEN!
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BIBLE PASSAGE FOR THIS WEEK
John 3:1-17
Gospel Reflection
Our gospel lesson for this Sunday contains those most beloved verses: John 3:16-17. Should we only focus on those verses and the warm-fuzzies that they give us? No. I don’t want to discount the power of those verses, but we should take a step back from them. Perhaps seeing what else is going on in this conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus will shed more light on those beloved verses.
Start with verses 1 and 2. Nicodemus begins the conversation with a compliment to Jesus; “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” If Jesus wanted to keep the conversation moving in the direction that Nicodemus had left it, Jesus should have replied, “Thank you. I do come from God, and these signs that I do are for the purpose of showing others that God sent me.”
But Jesus doesn’t reply with anything like that. He jumps to a statement about the Kingdom of God and that people need to be born from above. Perhaps sensing that Jesus (rudely?) took the conversation in a completely different direction, Nicodemus somewhat taunts Jesus’ reply by joking about someone entering a mother a second time only to be born again (Nicodemus absolutely knows this isn’t possible).
Jesus offers a reply, ultimately making a reference to the wind (v.8). Perhaps Nicodemus thinks the conversation has completely derailed (remember: all this started by paying Jesus a compliment), so he responds incredulously, “How can these things be?”
Jesus’ response mentions that Nicodemus is a teacher, yet he doesn’t understand the point Jesus is trying to make (vv.10-11). If Nicodemus questions what Jesus has to say about the wind, then how can Nicodemus understand the spiritual point Jesus is trying to make (v.12)?
Anyone listening to this conversation must ask, “So what is that point you are trying to make, Jesus?” I sympathize with Nicodemus because – although Jesus’ words here are some of the most revered in all of scripture – the conversation has gone well off the tracks. To find the point Jesus is trying to make, let’s do a word count of the word “believe” in verses 12-17. Go ahead.
How many times did Jesus use the word “believe” in those verses? If you look ahead at verse 18, you will notice that Jesus uses “believe” three more times in that one verse. With all these mentions of “believe,” do you think Jesus is hammering home a message to Nicodemus?
Yes. Jesus purposefully does not follow the conventional means of having a conversation because he wants to get a point across to Nicodemus. What he is trying to do is move beyond the normal banter and instead focus on what is pertinent: belief. Jesus doesn’t want Nicodemus and other people (including us) to offer mere compliments for the signs and teachings of Jesus. Rather, Jesus wants them to deeply believe that the Son was sent to save them. Why? Because God loves the world that much (vv.16-17).
Discussion Questions
- It is commonly understood that the night-time setting of this story is symbolic of Nicodemus’ faith toward Jesus. At this point, he is inquiring about Jesus’ origin and mission. Nicodemus returns in John 7:50-51 and he appears again in John 19:39-42, which scholars understand to be a progression in his belief that Jesus is indeed sent from God. Do you think that belief in Jesus can happen quickly for some people and more slowly for others? Why? What is your own experience?
- The epistle reading (Romans 4:1-5, 13-17) talks about how faith – not our works nor our adherence to God’s Law – is the basis for the divine promise that has been made to Abraham and his descendants. What do you think about this? Can or should God make promises to us if we haven’t done something to earn those promises? How do you connect this reading’s discussion of faith with Jesus’ point about belief in the gospel reading?
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If there is anything you see that is missing, please just let Parish Secretary James know at telc@qwestoffice.net!
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