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We're looking forward to a great concert this Thursday, May 26, at 7:30 p.m. — As part of the Newton Festival of the Arts, we are sponsoring a concert by the West Stockbridge Chamber Players. The program will include Passacaglia by Halvorsen, Prokofiev's Quintet Opus 39, and Mozart's Divertimento in E-flat major, K563. The players are: Sheila Fiekowsky, violin, Daniel Getz, viola, Edwin Barker, double bass, and former BSO cellist Ronny Feldman, Amanda Hardy, oboe, and LCN's own Cathy Hudgins, clarinet. Tickets will be available at the door: $25 for adults $10 for students, cash or check only. (This concert is benefits the Johnson String Program, a great project that provides instruments to students who would otherwise be without access to learning and playing.)

Good Friday Devotion This Good Friday falls on the 25th of March, the date on which the Church normally observes the Feast of the Annunciation, the remembrance of the angel’s visit to Mary and thus also of Jesus’ conception in her womb. This coincidence of date for the Annunciation and the Crucifixion is a very rare event: it occurred only 3 times in the 20th century and after this Holy Week it will not happen again in this century. But one of the few times it has happened was back in 1608, on which occasion the great English poet priest John Donne was moved to reflect upon its meaning in the poem below. (There is incidentally an interesting connection involving the creation of the Christian calendar, namely that March 25th was believed to be the date of the actual Good Friday, i.e. of the death of Jesus in history. There was also a popular belief in the ancient world (you might call it a superstition) that in the plan of God great persons would die on the same date that they were conceived, their existence thus marked out in exact years. Thus the annunciation was identified with March 25 as well, with Christmas then coming exactly nine months later. It's common to connect Christmas with the solstice and/or the pagan Saturnalia and then to count back through the 40 weeks of a pregnancy, but I find it interesting to consider that the counting could have been in the other direction and that both those incarnational feasts, Annunciation and Christmas, built upon the dating of the ultimate incarnational reality of Christ's crucifixion.) -------------------------- Upon the Annunciation and Passion Falling upon One Day. 1608 Tamely, frail body, abstain today; today My soul eats twice, Christ hither and away. She sees Him man, so like God made in this, That of them both a circle emblem is, Whose first and last concur; this doubtful day Of feast or fast, Christ came and went away; She sees Him nothing twice at once, who’s all; She sees a Cedar plant itself and fall, Her Maker put to making, and the head Of life at once not yet alive yet dead; She sees at once the virgin mother stay Reclused at home, public at Golgotha; Sad and rejoiced she’s seen at once, and seen At almost fifty and at scarce fifteen; At once a Son is promised her, and gone; Gabriel gives Christ to her, He her to John; Not fully a mother, she’s in orbity, At once receiver and the legacy; All this, and all between, this day hath shown, The abridgement of Christ’s story, which makes one (As in plain maps, the furthest west is east) Of the Angels’ Ave and Consummatum est. How well the Church, God’s court of faculties, Deals in some times and seldom joining these! As by the self-fixed Pole we never do Direct our course, but the next star thereto, Which shows where the other is and which we say (Because it strays not far) doth never stray, So God by His Church, nearest to Him, we know And stand firm, if we by her motion go; His Spirit, as His fiery pillar doth Lead, and His Church, as cloud, to one end both. This Church, by letting these days join, hath shown Death and conception in mankind is one: Or ‘twas in Him the same humility That He would be a man and leave to be: Or as creation He had made, as God, With the last judgment but one period, His imitating Spouse would join in one Manhood’s extremes: He shall come, He is gone: Or as though the least of His pains, deeds, or words, Would busy a life, she all this day affords; This treasure then, in gross, my soul uplay, And in my life retail it every day. – John Donne

Here is the transcript from the NPR StoryCorps episode that was shared in the preaching on Maundy Thursday: ------------------ François Clemmons (FC) and Karl Lindholm (KL) FC: Fred came to me and said, “I have this idea…you could be a police officer.” That kind of stopped me in my tracks. I grew up in the ghetto. I did not have a positive opinion of police officers. Policeman were sicking police dogs and water hoses on people. And I really had a hard time putting myself in that role. So I was not excited about being Officer Clemmons at all. There was one particular scene that Fred and I did, where he had his feet resting in this plastic pool on a hot day. <

Holy Week Schedule Maundy Thursday Service Rite of Footwashing at 7:00pm Liturgy with Communion and Stripping of the Altar at 7:30pm Good Friday Services Devotions: Noon to 3pm Meditations on the Seven Words from the Cross Evening Liturgy: 7:30pm Easter Vigil Saturday: The Easter Vigil begins at 7:45 Easter Morning 8:30 Easter Breakfast 10:00 Festival Eucharist

Lenten Supper Schedule As is our custom, we are gathering during the Lenten season on Wednesday evenings around 6:15 pm for a simple meal of soup and salad, followed at 7:00 pm by a prayer service to reflect on the meaning of Lent. We share the task of preparing the meals among all able members of the church - each ‘cluster’ preparing one meal, with the cluster leaders coordinating the effort. The assignments of cluster leaders and the cluster membership are given below. If the date when your cluster prepares the meal does not work for you, please switch with someone scheduled for the time more convenient for you - and, please, notify both leaders. We are all looking forward to a season of reflection and fellowship.

Adult Forum Upcoming: · February 28: “Dance” with the Health Care Cabinet · March 6: Nancy Wichmann on anti-semitism and anti-Judaism · March 13: Dance recital by Annika Lathrop · March 20: The passion narratives of Matthew, Mark, and Luke compared (Palm Sunday) · March 27: No adult forum (Easter)

Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, is today. There will be imposition of ashes at LCN at 8 a.m. and a full Ash Wednesday liturgy at 7:30 p.m. Come and mark this holy season with this sign of humility and dedication.

When the traditional 12 Days of Christmas have elapsed, we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany — sometimes called "Three Kings Day" or "Little Christmas" — on January 6th. This commemoration of the coming of the Magi sets the theme for the season that follows, the celebration and reflection of the light of revelation in Christ. A brief and simple communion liturgy will be offered on Epiphany morning (Wednesday, January 6) at 8:15 at LCN.

Blessing of the Animals: The Commemoration of St. Francis of Assisi falls tomorrow, October 4, and our annual rite for the Blessing of Animals, recalling that saint's gracious witness to the connectedness of creation, is scheduled to coincide. Please note: This year we are planning to do the blessing around noon, toward the end of our Sunday School time, in order both to assure enough time both for classes and for most members to get home and return with their pets and domestic animals. (And if you can’t physically bring an animal, feel free to use photos, drawings, or other representations as proxies for blessing.)

Upcoming: • October 4: Blessing of the Animals; no adult forum • October 11: Columbus Day week-end; no adult forum • October 18: Calumet retreat; no adult forum • October 25: First of a 2-part series by Pastor Stendahl in recognition of Reformation Sunday: “Luther as an antidote to Lutheranism” • November 1: Second of a 2-part series by Pastor Stendahl in recognition of Reformation Sunday: “Lutheranism as an antidote to Luther” • Nov 8: Noted Hebrew Bible scholar Everett Fox will speak on the challenges of translating the book of Genesis

SUNDAY - September 20th Confirmation Class: A brief organizational meeting for confirmands, old and new, will be held immediately after the service, during fellowship time and before Sunday School/Music. Sunday School Welcome to Sunday School! We are really excited to start a new year of faith formation! This year, all classes will begin at 11:00 a.m. with music. Children in grades 3 through high school will meet with Katherine in the sanctuary, while children pre-k through 2nd grade will meet, in the large gathering space on the lower level, with Emily DeGroat. At 11:15, all kids will move to their classrooms. This year, the younger classes will be learning about the major components of Luther's Smaller Catechism, beginning with "Count on the Commandments". Pre-K and kindergarten will be taught by LeAnne Blake and Kate Olson. First grade through fourth grade will be taught by Susan Batutis and Michael Murphy. Fifth grade through middle school will meet with Jerry Robertson and Jim Blake, and will continue with Bible Screenplays, beginning this week with the story of the birth of John the Baptist and Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that she is to be the mother of Jesus. This is the beginning of the Gospel of Luke in Chapter 1, by the great story-teller. The high school class will meet with Lee Hinrichs-Luttmer and Nancy Wichmann; this week they will talk about their experiences at the Youth Gathering in Detroit and how it impacted their faith. They'll also brainstorm topic ideas for future classes.

http://deadlinedetroit.com/articles/12760/5_things_we_learn_about_lutherans_from_their_youth_gathering#.Va1M3WDbyZZ

Reportage from the local press on the ELCA Youth Gathering now in progress. High school students from LCN are among the 30,000 gathered for this amazing experience.

ELCA Youth Gathering - 30,000 Lutheran Youth, filling Ford Field! Lutheran event brings 30K to city for Youth Gathering Every three years, Lutheran teens from the nation and overseas gather to worship Check out this story on detroitnews.com: http://detne.ws/1Mva5eR

TONIGHT: May 31th Chamber Music Concert to Benefit Assisi Performing Arts Scholarship Program at 7:00 PM. At Lutheran Church of the Newtons - 1310 Centre Street, Newton Centre.

Flamingos have landed! Pastor Stendahl with the "King of the Flamingos at LCN.

Adult Forum May 31: Timo Helenius on “Theology as Anthropology” Our member Timo Helenius, a pastor and theologian, will talk about "Theology as Anthropology." How closely are our understandings of God and of humanity related, and how do they affect each other? Timo is a thinker gifted in helping others to think more deeply and freshly and we are lucky to have him lead us in this discussion.

Save the date... May 31th Chamber Music Concert to Benefit Assisi Performing Arts Scholarship Program at 7:00 PM.

Upcoming Adult Forums: Adult Forum ·April 26 Who are the Samaritans, and why were they so important to Jesus? ·May 3: Hymn singing coaching session ·May 10: Walk around Cutler Pond with AMC-trained guide Ted Batutis (weather permitting) ·May 17: Congregational meeting ·May 24: Memorial Day Weekend; no forum · May 31: Timo Helenius on sin