Friendship Circle

Beginning 17 September 2024 at 9:30 in the fellowship hall, the Women's Bible Study will resume with Season 4 

​​​​

Men's Bible Study  6:15 on Tuesdays   We are currently studying Genesis, The story of Joseph

​

Coffee and Fellowship after Sunday Worship

​

​

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************

From the Desk of Pastor Otten

The Service of the Word starts with the introit of the day or the appointed Psalm or entrance hymn. The introit is taken from the Latin word introitus meaning entrance. Some portions of the psalm are before, and after which is call the antiphon. The antiphon is the theme of the day. Originally the antiphon was to be song after each time minister chanted or said his part. This was to emphasis the theme for the Sunday.

Singing of the Psalm or introit has been done in the church for many years. In the Old Testament the psalms were sung or chanted in some way, but we do not know. The chant tones that are in the hymnbook have been used for many years now but are not found in scripture. We know God asked the people of the Old Testament to sing to the Lord a new song from is from psalm ninety-six verse one. The people would come and sing the psalm with some musical instruments.

The musical instruments of the Old Testament were lute, trombone, or horn. All of these have been mentioned in the Old Testament as ones that were used throughout the history of the church. Overtime the pipe organ was used to sing the songs because a pipe organ is a combination of many different horns. A pipe organ was used before electricity because people would pump air through the pipes to get the sound to work. In my congregation in Dimock the confirmation students were paid a quarter for each service they pumped the organ. There is nothing special about a pipe organ that you cannot use other instruments in church.

The introit then is an important part of the service because it gives you the theme of the service. This is continued on with the gradual which is between the Old Testament lesson and epistle lesson. The gradual was also supposed to be chanted or sung at that time. This is why it is appropriate to have the Choir, or something be sung between the Old Testament indeed epistle lesson. This is taking the place of the gradual and is built on the theme for the Sunday of the church year.

Over time many congregations have stopped using the gradual as part of the service. It is a four-sentence part of the psalm in It is the entirety. People tend to think it was hard to have the congregation turn to the gradual then back to the readings or turn back in the handouts to find the gradual of the day.

Each week there is also an assigned psalm of the day. This was put in that in addition to the introit, so then you would have psalm to sing or chant. So, during a given period, you would cover every single Psalm in the Bible. Churches for a while would only sing the psalms that are in the Bible and no other hymn or song was allowed. A person who wrote many of the hymns we still use today, Isaac watts was brought up in a church that did this, and he started writing Hymns to help that go back to singing more than just Psalms.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

​

Emmanuel Newsletter September 2024

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ:

 

Wow! August came and went with plenty of activity.  Summer Fun in the Park and the Indian Taco Feed will be long past when you receive this letter and we will be looking forward to Confirmation beginning Wednesday 4 September and Rally Day 8 September 2024 with services in the park along with a picnic meal and perhaps some games.

 

Oh yes!  Did I tell you thank you for calling me to serve as an assistant pastor in Gettysburg and Lebanon?  Thank you God, and thank you the members , who authorized my pastoral call.  This is a humbling and exciting event because this is the beginning of the process of becoming a pastor, with the next steps certification and then ordination.  Plans for ordination are taking shape for 26 January 2025.

 

And, even more news, with my call I am being sent as to serve the vacancy at Concordia Cresbard and Immanuel Wecota. This is a full time and longterm commitment to serve these sister parishes and as we are blessed with sufficient pastoral care at this time it is only fitting to serve God’s flock in this way.  It should be noted that Concordia and Immanuel will be paying my wages, tuition and expenses during this time of service.

 

So enough about me.  How are things going with your daily devotional journey?  Have you been able to establish a habit yet? 

 

For those who are working to establish a devotional habit, I would encourage you to find an accountability partner.  Someone to study with and someone that you can lean on when the habit becomes a struggle.  And developing this habit can be a struggle, I wished that God’s Word was as addictive as alcohol or nicotine, but my experience is that it takes much as much effort to develop a habit of Bible study as it takes to defeat those mentioned.

 

This is where an accountability buddy comes into play, when times get tough you can call your buddy and talk about what is working and what is not working.  You can pray and seek God’s help together and you can meet together and celebrate God helping you achieve your goals.

 

I have some experience with accountability partners, and I can say that along with God’s help, these partners are indispensable!  I am in weekly contact with 2 seminary brothers as we work through classes and through these relationships we have become sounding boards, shoulders to cry on and hugs and hi-fives during times of celebration.  These brothers along with you help me complete my studies in a timely matter as well as support me personally and with family concerns.

 

Yes, I know, you have the Holy Spirit to be your helper and I know that He sends accountability partners to use the gifts He gives them to support and comfort you through your struggles and obstacles and to deliver you to your victory in Jesus Christ. 

 

God’s Peace to you and your house, Vicar Tom Penrod

​