TRINITY WEEKLY NEWS SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2020

TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH

12115 Park Ave S., Tacoma WA 98444

www.trinitylutheranparkland.org

OFFICE HOURS CLOSED

CONTACT US AT TRINITY office@trinitylutheranparkland.org 253-537-0201 253-537-0413 FAX

__________________________

The Reverend Dr. Jeffery Gaustad x103 Cell 253-495-9357 Home 253-848-2491

prjlg@msn.com

The Reverend Jonette Blakney x104 Cell 253-318-5947

prblakney@trinitylutheranparkland.org

The Reverend Rick Swenson Visitation Pastor Emeritus

Music Director Dr. Jonathan Wohlers x114 jwohlers@me.com

Church Steward Cheryl Mays Comen x112 Cell 253-426-2536

business@trinitylutheranparkland.org

Administrative Assistant Pat Durston x110 office@trinitylutheranparkland.org

Operations Support Specialist Beth Rich x111

admin@trinitylutheranparkland.org

Catechesis Of the Good Shepherd Catechists

Levels I, II, III: Cheryl Mays Comen Level I: Jeanne Ehlers

Financial Secretary 253-666-3344 Joan Oldag Maintenance 253-592-5481 Ed Kane Parish Nurse x106 Virginia Garrison Cemetery x112 Cheryl Mays Comen Sound Engineer Lowell Kiesow Sound Technician Russ Floyd Custodians Harold Thomas, Lori Titus, Marcus Jellen Shared Housing Coordinator

253-392-0662 Janelle Franz

TLC Preschool & Childcare Aurora Wilson-Greene, Director

253-535-2699

Trinity’s Worship Life:

Sunday services are posted by 9:00 am each Sunday. Videoed worship services are available on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Trinity-Lutheran-Church-112296342135658) and Trinity’s website (https://trinitylutheranparkland.org) and YouTube on your "smart TV” (enter Trinity Parkland in the search feature)

Trinity will hold a celebratory worship service on the first Sunday we are able to

physically be together. We’re looking forward to and praying for what will be

a joy-filled event!

Celebrating 100 Years!

SERVICE OF THE WORD

May 17, 2020

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Trinity Lutheran Church

12115 Park Avenue S., Tacoma 98444

253-537-0201 trinitylutheranparkland.org

office@trinitylutheranparkland.org

I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,

to be with you forever.

John 14:16

PRELUDE Voluntary No. 6 in B-flat Major Maurice Greene (1696–1755)

P Alleluia! Christ is risen.

C He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

WELCOME

THANKSGIVING FOR BAPTISM

All may make the sign of the cross, the sign marked at baptism,

as the presiding minister begins.

P Joined to Christ in the waters of baptism, we are raised with him to new life.

Let us give thanks for the gift of baptism.

We give you thanks, O God,

for in the beginning your Spirit moved over the waters

and by your Word you created the world,

calling forth life in which you took delight.

Through the waters of the flood you delivered Noah and his family.

Through the sea you led your people Israel from slavery into freedom.

At the river your Son was baptized by John and anointed with the Holy Spirit.

By water and your Word you claim us as daughters and sons,

making us heirs of your promise and servants of all.

We praise you for the gift of water that sustains life,

and above all we praise you for the gift of new life in Jesus Christ.

Shower us with your Spirit,

and renew our lives with your forgiveness, grace, and love.

To you be given honor and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord

in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever.

C Amen.

GATHERING HYMN Come Down, O Love Divine Hymn 804

P Alleluia! Christ is risen.

C He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

P The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,

and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

P Let us pray.

Almighty and ever-living God, you hold together all things in heaven and on

earth. In your great mercy receive the prayers of all your children, and give to all

the world the Spirit of your truth and peace, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and

Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for-

ever.

C Amen.

WORD

FIRST READING Acts 7:55-60

In Athens, Paul faces the challenge of proclaiming the gospel to Greeks

who know nothing of either Jewish or Christian tradition. He proclaims

that the “unknown god” whom they worship is the true Lord of heaven and

earth who will judge the world with justice through Jesus, whom God has

raised from the dead.

A A reading from Acts.

22Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how

extremely religious you are in every way. 23For as I went through the city

and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an

altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you

worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24The God who made the world

and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in

shrines made by human hands, 25nor is he served by human hands, as

though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and

breath and all things. 26From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the

whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries

of the places where they would live, 27so that they would search for God and

perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each

one of us. 28For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even

some of your own poets have said,

‘For we too are his offspring.’ 29Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like

gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of

mortals. 30While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he

commands all people everywhere to repent, 31because he has fixed a day on

which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he

has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from

the dead.”

The word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Psalm 66:1–6, 16, 19 Alan Smith

1All earth, shout with joy to God!

2Sing the glory of the Name!

Give glorious praise!

3Say, “How awesome your works!”

4All earth bows before you,

sings to you, sings to your name.

5Come, see God’s wonders,

tremendous deeds for the people.

6God turned seas into land,

they crossed the river on foot.

Let us rejoice then in God,

7who rules for ever with might.

16Come, listen, all who fear God,

as I tell what happened to me.

19Bless God who did listen,

heeded the sound of my prayer.

SECOND READING 1 Peter 3:13-22 The author of 1 Peter encourages Christians to remain faithful even in

the face of defamation and persecution. In baptism we are made clean to

act in accordance with what is right.

A A reading from I Peter.

13Who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? 14But even if you

do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear,

and do not be intimidated, 15but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord.

Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an

accounting for the hope that is in you; 16yet do it with gentleness and

reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned,

those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. 17For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will,

than to suffer for doing evil. 18For Christ also suffered for sins once for all,

the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put

to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, 19in which also he went and

made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, 20who in former times did not

obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of

the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. 21And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of

dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through

the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at the

right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

The word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL READING John 14:15-21

In final words to his disciples on the night of his arrest, Jesus

encourages obedience to his commandments and speaks of the Spirit,

who will be with them forever.

P The holy gospel according to John, the fourteenth chapter.

C Glory to you, O Lord.

[Jesus said to the disciples:] 15“If you love me, you will keep my

commandments. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another

Advocate, to be with you forever. 17This is the Spirit of truth, whom the

world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know

him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

18“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19In a little while

the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also

will live. 20On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me,

and I in you. 21They who have my commandments and keep them are those

who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will

love them and reveal myself to them.”

P The gospel of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

SERMON Pastor Jeff Gaustad

APOSTLE’S CREED

P With the whole church, let us confess our faith:

C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead.*

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

OFFERTORY HYMN Thy Holy Wings ELW 613

THANKSGIVING FOR THE WORD

P Let us pray.

O God of justice and love, we give thanks to you that you illumine our way

through life with the words of your Son. Give us the light we need, awaken us to

the needs of others, and at the end bring all the world to your feast; through Jesus

Christ, our Savior and Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor

and glory forever.

C Amen.

LORD’S PRAYER

P Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us:

C Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those

who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial

and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power,

and the glory are yours,

now and forever. Amen.

BLESSING

P Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

C Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

P May the One who brought forth Jesus from the dead raise you to new life,

fill you with hope, and turn your mourning into dancing.

Almighty God, Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit,

bless you now and forever.

C Amen

SENDING HYMN Alleluia! Sing to Jesus Hymn 392, stanzas 1, 2, & 5

DISMISSAL

P Christ is risen, just as he said.

Go in peace. Share the good news. Alleluia!

C Thanks be to God. Alleluia!

POSTLUDE Presto from Organ Concerto Op. 4 No. 5 in F Major

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)

arr. William T. Best (1826–97)

Participating in this worship:

Presiding & Preaching: The Rev. Dr. Jeffery Gaustad

Lector: Roy Masengale

Prayer Leader: Dr. Ken Holsten

Organist/Pianist: Dr. Jonathan Wohlers

Cantor: Dr. Jeffrey Bell-Hanson

Choral Assistant: Julie Landes

Video Production: Lowell Kiesow

Portions of this liturgy are from Evangelical Lutheran Worship © 2006 and sundaysandseasons.com, © 2020

Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission. Music reprinted under OneLicense #

A-706935.

Reprinted scriptures are from NRSV Bible, Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National

Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

Afton Schafer (Alzheimer’s) Brad Schafer

Alayah (4-yr-old with seizures at Mary Bridge)

Staff

Alice Adams (Peace & Health) Jeanne Ehlers

Amelia Palermo (Batten Disease) Steve & Peggy Ostrander

Aurora Wilson-Greene (back issues) Staff

Beau Dawson (kidney transplant) Donna Lederman

Bill McQuillan (health) Torval Haugen

Bonnie Lee (health) Shannon Lee

Brent Wright [Son] (seizures) Kathryn Wright

Carol Storaasli (healing) Her Family

Carolyn (health concerns) Diane Floyd

Claudia Lewis (health) Pastor Rick

Connie Hughes [Daughter-In-Law]

(cancer)

Gloria Duntsch

David Link (heart healing) David Link

Dean & Lois Elson [My Parents] Debby Neighbarger

Don Fossum (health) Carol Fossum

Duane Ervin (chemo for Non-Hodgkins

Lymphoma) Connie DeFolo

Frederick Gethers

(Amputation/Health & Salvation)

Jeanne Ehlers

Gary Colburn (cancer) Jean Colburn

Gary Jose (hospitalized; test results) Staff

Ilene Nagle (cancer) Kerrie & Doug Shaffer

Ivana Jurcikova (clarity & strength) Kathryn Wright

Jacob Elliott [Son] (Lyme's disease) Janice Shull

Jeanne Ehlers (recovering nicely) Staff

Jennifer Bannerman (health) Pastor Rick

John Tobben (Hodgkin's Lymphoma) Janice Shull

Juanita Stalwick (healing) Staff

Julia Lendowski (wisdom & understanding)

Kathryn Wright

Karen Wilhelm [Sister] (cancer) Bill Habermann

Kathy Lathrop (chemo therapy) Michael Lathrop

Kenneth (Jerry) Jensen (cancer) Rich & Debby

Neighbarger

Ken Engel [Brother-in-Law]

(stage 4 cirrhosis of the liver)

Donna Lederman

Ken Grassi (brain cancer) Cheryl Mays Comen

Luella Edwards (cancer) Frank Edwards

Maggie (complications after surgery) Jeanne Ehlers

Marcia Setbacken (healing) Jean Setbacken

Maria Larson (strength & healing) Kristen Hunter

Marilyn Hilsen (chemo) Ken Caulkins

Marcus Jellen (health) Staff

Melanie Bautista-Buys (emotional support during pregnancy)

Staff

Mia Gillette (mental health) Beth & Chris

Michael Chapin [Brother-in-Law]

(cancer / healing)

Tom & Lauren

Stenerson

Michael & Rose (peace & safety) Pat Serosky

Myron Thompson (health) Myron

Nancy (improved health & peace) Elaine Ramsay

Raoul (pronounced Rail) Titus (resting after radiation; visits restricted)

Lori Titus

Rich Smaby (Vietnam Vet. with ALS) Kathryn Wright

Richard Quinones (recovery) Chris & Beth

Sandra Weller (Gary’s sister) Gary Jose

Shannon Lee (health) Shannon

Stacy (cancer) Gordon Hills

Terry (brain tumor surgery 3/24) Sue Goodspeed

Vernal Kensrud (back pain) Family

Waylon (colon cancer) Staff

Wendy Dorothy [cousin] (cancer) Lauren Stenerson

For all affected by the current pandemic, especially

the ill and all workers keeping essential services operating.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE In need of prayer Submitted by In need of prayer Submitted by

PRAY WITH LUTHERAN WOMEN ACROSS THE CHURCH

EVERY TUESDAY AT NOON

You are invited to join Lutheran women across the church every Tues-day at noon (in your time zone) in prayer. Use the simple approach of-fered here, reflecting on God’s word, offering prayers and reflecting on your self-care and the care of others.

https://www.womenoftheelca.org/blog/news/pray-with-lutheran-women-across-the-church-every-tuesday-at-noon

We will pray in community through this pandemic, resting sure in the knowledge that “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

A resource for seniors in Pierce County

Are you 60 and older? Maybe you are avoiding the grocery store; maybe you are struggling a little bit to work up an appetite. But now more than ever it is important to stay healthy--and that includes eating nutritious meals. Pierce County, with funding from the CARES Act, is providing any senior (anyone over age 60) with up to 14 free microwave meals a week. These meals are delivered to your door at no cost. The first step is to call Pierce County Aging and Disability Resources and register for the program. Once you are registered, you will be able to order meals from a fair sized menu that includes heart healthy, gluten free, and diabetic options. Call – 253.798.4600 (Aging and Disability Resource Center).

Senior Spotlight

Graduation Season is upon us! The pandemic has altered or eliminated many of the graduation traditions, including formal commencements. We at Trinity want to take special care to congratulate and honor our graduating seniors from both high school and college. Each week we will be spotlighting one of these remarkable young people in the Weekly Announcements.

Congratulations Senior Class 2020!

We are so proud of you and grateful for having been a part of your life!

This week in the Senior Spotlight is Yu-Chi Lee, daughter of Daniel and Michelle Lee. Many of us at Trinity know her as Chi-Chi. She was baptized here at one month of age in June of 1998 and confirmed in May of 2012. She has been active as a lector, prayer leader, Vacation Bible School leader and involved in Trinity’s youth activities, attending National Youth Gatherings with Trinity’s youth. In a few short days Chi-Chi will be receiving a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of Rochester (Rochester, New York)! She will be coming home at the end of May and plans to work for a couple of years before continuing on to graduate school. Congratulations, Chi-Chi! We are so happy for you and can’t wait to see you!

About Memorial Day

Memorial Day is May 25th this year. As we all know, almost everything is different this year. That includes Memorial Day. I hope you can and will get excited with me to hear that Trinity is working on getting everything lined up and in place to allow us to do a “Drive-in” service at our cemetery on May 25, Memorial Day at our cemetery. This is contingent upon a few things:

The weather—if it is not a nice enough day to protect equipment and

such, we will not do it.

Being able to do it well—Lowell Kiesow is working on the technology,

so it is in the best hands!

Everybody agreeing to comply with the recommendations that we stay

in our cars and have only our own family group in our car.

Next week, here in the Weekly News, and probably through additional email communication, we will announce and explain how the service will need to go and what arrangements will be set up to guide us all at the cemetery. It, like this time, will be very “different.” But it can also be very worthwhile.

Stay tuned!

Ascension Day “Virtual” (Zoom) Worship including Holy Communion

Thursday, May 21, 2020 at 7 pm

These Coronavirus days are very strange, as we find ourselves moving through uncharted territory–at least uncharted for many of us. For now, as we practice social distancing, if the church is to gather for worship at all, she must gather “virtually” rather than face to face. For many years I (Pastor Gaustad) have resisted putting worship “online” because I thought it wouldn’t be real. Worship is a communal event, I thought, and how can we be community if we are scattered everywhere at any time. But this pandemic has made me rethink my position. There are ways of being together, sharing a common experience—and God’s uncommon grace— in new ways.

Since the start of social distancing, I’ve been following the arguments of teaching theologians, church leaders, and fellow pastoral theologians concerning the celebration of Holy Communion “virtually.” They’re all over the map. Our own Bishop Jaech has left the decision to local pastors. I’ve finally come to a position. “Virtual” may not be the way we’ve always done it, but that doesn’t make it any less real. Especially on platforms like Zoom where participants see and interact with one another, where we share a worship experience, and where we are changed and transformed by the Ho-ly Spirit, there Christ is as he promises, among us.

On Ascension Day the church celebrates Christ leaving his disciples and ascending to where? We say in the creeds that he ascended into “heaven,” taking a seat of power at the right hand of the Father. But Martin Luther and the reformers said something different. They saw and trusted that Christ as-cended into the “cosmos”—that is, into every place and time. Christ ascended into the cosmos to be present—past, present and promised, here and everywhere. I am persuaded that Christ is perfectly able to be present

with all of us in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, even when we are gathered “virtually” as the Body of Christ. Christ makes the variety of bread we eat “one loaf” and the wine or juice we drink “one cup.”

On Ascension Day, Thursday, May 21st, beginning at 7 pm, you are invited

to join a celebration of Holy Communion with your Trinity sisters and

brothers in Christ. This will be a “virtual” and “live” worship on a Zoom

conference call, with both Pastor Jonette and I participating. You must

inform us before Thursday evening that you wish to participate. Email

(Pastor Jeff = prjlg@msn.com

or Pastor Jonette = prblakney@trinitylutheranparkland.org)

or call us (Pastor Jeff = 253-848-2491, Pastor Jonette = 253-318-5947).

We will send or give you a link along with key instructions. If you’re not

familiar with Zoom, let us know. We’d be happy to coach you through it. If

you do not have access to an internet equipped computer or smart phone,

you may also join us by telephone. But you’ll still need to let us know,

please.

What about Contributions?

Cheryl Mays Comen

There are so many “highlights” of this giving season. Grants and gifts for the Feeding Ministry from inside and outside our membership ranks are evident and working here on this Friday, May 15.

Our community really quite obviously and materially has had a chance to show their deep appreciation for Trinity’s feeding programs. Kudos to the founders and the faithful who have carried that ministry forward! Way forward! You would all be so excited to witness the good, nourishing help that is being distributed with love through the east doors of Trinity Lutheran here in Parkland! And through the humans who volunteer there. It is amazing. I don’t think we could have fathomed what a bustling hub of encouragement and hope it might have the capacity to become! To all who have thought big and stayed dedicated and been tired and have continued on and on, our GRATITUDE.

Soon, the Council will be figuring out how some of the generous offerings from last year and this year can fulfill our hopes to give generously in the form of GIFTS TO OUR COMMUNITY. I hope you remember that intention from our 2019 (Centennial) budget. I know our Council would be pleased to hear from our members of any ideas you might have. The members of the Centennial Committee also have been thinking about this. Who knew we were getting ready for such a situation as we find ourselves in today. How many people in our own Parkland area might we find a way to lift up with some very needed financial help?

Stimulus checks have been given in part, and in their entirety to help. Some, who have not visited our church in a very long time, but remember Trinity and are grateful are included in making that gesture. The USPS is bringing gifts by mail, people are literally walking up to our door with gifts, and some who have never given via any electronic method are finding they can! Let’s all bow our heads and give thanks for this, and for each other and for all others and for common desire to be Gospel.

All because Jesus Lives! He lives indeed!

Look at the beautiful wisteria

in Julie Storaasli’s garden!

TRINITY’S FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT: 2020 Income/Expenses

Last Week’s Deposit: $34,538.06

Deposit Details:

Budgeted Income Year to Date $ 415,099.96 Actual Income Year to Date $ 400,659.39

Budgeted Expense Year to Date $ 416,590.79 Actual + Anticipated Exp. YTD $ 388,904.67

Balance: “To the Good” $ 11,754.72

Next Week’s Readings: Sunday, May 24

Acts 1:6-14; Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35;

I Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11; John 17:1-11

Sunday Weekly News items due: Wednesdays before noon

COMING SOON! A combined April/May Edition

Next Messenger Deadline: May 20 for a June Edition

This is Christ's church. There is a place for you here.

We are the church that shares a living, daring confidence in

God's grace. Liberated by our faith, we embrace you as a whole person--questions,

complexities and all.

Join us as we do God's work in Christ's name

for the life of the world.

Ministry & Mission Offerings $ 8,185.84 Heritage & Hope Offerings $ 613.50 Capital Improvements $ 380.84 Centennial Giving $ 2,450.00 Feeding Ministries $ 2,055.00 SUDS $ 160.00 Special Gifts (various) $ 100.00 Special Missions (various) $ 100.00 Pastors’ Fund $ 50.00 Youth Fund $ 50.00 Reimbursements $ 7.00 Rental Income $ 3,600.00 Childcare Income $ 16,785.88 Minus Credit Card Fees $ -10.46 Fees covered by member $ 10.46 TOTAL DEPOSIT $ 34,538.06