Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:14
“In sovereign love God created the heavens and the earth and called and formed the people of Israel to be a light to all the nations. In costly grace the Lord Jesus Christ ministered among us and was crucified and raised for us and for our salvation. In transforming power the Holy Spirit renews and sanctifies us, draws us into new communion with God and each other, awakens our praise and worship, and equips us for the service of God in the world. The Triune God does all this through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit.”
Dear Friends,
Just when you thought that all the major Church Holy Days are over, along comes Trinity Sunday, this Sunday. Unlike the other Church Holy Days it does not mark a particular occasion. (For example, Christmas marks the incarnation, and Pentecost the gift of the Holy Spirit.) Trinity Sunday marks our Christian understanding of God. Often people make this a mathematical exercise when, in fact, it is our Scripture’s witness to who God is and our own experience of salvation. For me, it goes beyond Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, because God can not be broken into discreet tasks. I rest in the fact that I am not a trinity and therefore have limited understanding of what being “God” is like. When I think of Trinity, I look at a scripture like 2 Corinthians 13:14 and find comfort. I find comfort in the facts that God is transcendent, far from my personal horizon, beyond my personal understanding. God is also immanent, closer than my breath, and understands me from the inside out, and that God came to all of us in Jesus Christ.
Because it is Trinity Sunday one of the songs we will be singing will be “Holy, Holy” by Jimmy Owens. Pat Weidner, who will be playing this Sunday, told me that the congregation has sung it before. I had to laugh because “Holy, Holy” was a controversial song when I was a teen. In 1973 I sang in a combined three-church high school choir. Because we sang “Holy, Holy” in 1973, only a year after it was written, it was considered by some to be too new and not appropriate for Church use. As a result, one of the churches pulled out of the combined choir. I was puzzled by it as a teen, but didn’t think twice about what it meant to the adults. Now, as an adult I find that I have some compassion for the youth and choir director involved. We didn’t even use drums!
May you worship our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! May you grow in your understanding of the wonder of the incarnation and the presence of the Holy Spirit. May you have compassion for people who don’t see things the way you do... and take it from here!
Love, Wendy
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
GRADUATES! Do you have a son or daughter –or are you yourself- graduating from high school, college, or grad school this spring? Please let us know the student’s name, school, degree, and future plans.
MISSION:
Homelessness and Hunger don’t take a summer vacation! Southminster will be providing MEALS FOR PADS the second Saturday of June, July, and August. Sign-up sheets for the June 12th meals are located on the Mission bulletin board in the narthex. Please sign up for what you would like to provide or if you are able to serve that evening. This is a mission EVERYone at SPC can support in one way or another. Mission Ministry can NOT do it without you! Any questions? Contact Gretchen Fleming.
Offer good only until May 31: Multiply your giving power with “GIFTS GROW!” Before May ends, please prayerfully consider donating to Gifts Grow so that others may know God’s love through your donation. The Mission Committee will match your gifts up to a collective amount of $3000. There has been detailed information in the May Dialog and in the yellow bulletin inserts we’ve used on Sunday mornings. Extra envelopes and the yellow information sheets can be found in the blue flowerpot in the narthex. Be sure to see how our gifts are growing by checking the display above the narthex windows. Thanks for your support of this unique SPC Mission.
CHRISTIAN ED. NOTES:
USED PAPERBACK BOOK COLLECTION: We are collecting used paperback books! If you have any paperbacks lying around that you would like to donate, bring them in to church and drop them off in the coat room. Clear out some space for some new books for summer, which you can pick up while benefiting the church on June 6th at our paperback book sale. Thank you! (Please remember that hardback books, textbooks, and old travel books will not be accepted!!)
SUMMER SUNDAY SCHOOL: Have you thought about teaching Sunday School, but couldn’t commit to a whole year? Have you always wondered what Sunday School is like, or do you miss teaching during the summer? Then sign up to teach, or to help with, Summer Sunday School! We’re looking for teachers and helpers each week this summer to help our children learn more about God. This summer they’ll learn about the adventures of Paul, experience the Holy Land, and hear stories of God’s people. Come join us for some Summer Sunday School fun! The sign up sheet is on the CE bulletin board. Hope to see you there!
ARTWORK FOR HALLWAY: Summer is the time to showcase the artwork of our children! We are asking that you bring in some of your child’s artwork from school to be hung in our Hallway Gallery from June 15 through Labor Day. Linda Ellinghausen has graciously offered to mount the pieces, so we’ll need them by June 6. Please drop off your child’s artwork on the C.E. desk anytime through that Sunday. All artwork of course will be returned after the showcase. I can’t wait to see what our artists have done through the year!
WHAT’S AHEAD IN CHRISTIAN ED?
May 30 - No Sunday School. Children remain in the service.
June 6 - We WILL have Summer Sunday School on this date. (We originally said it would start on June 13.)
June 6 - Used Paperback Book Sale
June 6 - Bring in children’s artwork from school for Hallway Gallery
July 26-30 - Vacation Bible School (6:00-8:30 p.m.)
ADULT BIBLE CLASS: Sunday is the last lectionary Bible study class left for this spring, so don’t miss out! Passages for this week are: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Romans 5:1-5; and John 16:12-15.
YOUTH: Join us for the last SNL of the season, this Sunday at the usual time. That is 6:00 for PYNGUINS (middle school) and 7:00 pm for SPY (high school). Bring ideas for summer fun events and your vacation schedule to help us set some dates. See you there!
WOMEN’S BREAKFAST meets the first Monday of the month – the next gathering will be Monday, June 7 - at 8:00 a.m. at IHOP in Danada East. New friends are always welcome!
FIGHT CANCER - JOIN THE RELAY FOR LIFE: We are forming a team again from Southminster to support the Relay for Life event, which starts at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, June 18, at Glenbard South High School. Won’t you walk the track to honor those we have lost or support those who are struggling or have beat cancer? Bring a lawn chair and come join us. Many activities are planned, and it will be a memorable evening. Sign-up sheets, survivor sheets, forms for the purchase of luminaries, and instructions to donate online will be in the narthex. Also, Chili’s Restaurant at Danada will donate 10% of your check to our team from May 11 to June 23 on every Tuesday and Wednesday. Print a coupon from the attachment to these E-Notes or pick one up at church (in the narthex or on the nametag shelf) before you go to Chili’s.
RECYCLE PAPER HERE and raise money for our Mission Ministries. You can’t miss the large green and yellow bin in our gravel overflow parking lot. Let’s fill it with paper!
These items are acceptable: Newspaper; Magazines; Shopping Catalogs; Junk Mail; Office & School Papers, Church Bulletins; White Envelopes (with or without windows).
Items that are NOT allowed: Cardboard; Cereal/Soda Cartons; Food wrap/containers; Tissue Products; Phone Books; Cross-cut shredded paper (strip-cut shredded paper is OK if you put it in a paper bag); Glass; Plastic; Metal; Trash.
