The Words Make Sense Now: Weekly Update, June 26, 2011

You may remember the hymn 'The Church of Christ, in Every Age' (Green/Knapp).  The first verse reads, 'The Church of Christ, in ev'ry age/ Beset by change, but Spirit led/ Must claim and test its heritage/ And keep on rising from the dead.'

I never quite 'got' this hymn:  or, rather, I understood it in only an academic sense.  But now, when I see the rubble from which we will rebuild; when along with my congregation I celebrate Holy Communion in our new temporary home; and when I unpack a donated and very welcome box of ELW's, I get it.  Christ's church.  Spirit-led.  Rising from the dead.

Weekly announcements follow immediately below.

--Our mailing address is P.O. Box 974, Cullman, AL, 35055.  The physical address (no mail deliveries) of our temporary office is 401 2^nd Ave. S.W., Suite 102, Cullman, Alabama, 35055.  Phone:  256-734-6842.

--We meet for fellowship each Sunday at 10:30 in the retreat hall.  This is a great way to catch up on the week’s activities.  Join us, if you're in town.  The snacks are delicious...and kudos to Johnny and Brenda Fricke, who keep us generously supplied with Starbucks. Keep that third sacrament coming, folks!

--We've been cleaning bricks left from the old sanctuary, and at least one youth group has helped (pictures forthcoming).  There has been some interest in scheduling another day of brick cleaning, and this date will be announced shortly.

--The appraisal for insurance purposes takes place Tuesday morning.  In the meantime, we are taking bids for demolition (and haul-away) of what remains of the church.  

--All Saints Lutheran, Huntsville, will worship with us on Sunday, July 10^th.  We have recently enjoyed worshiping with members of Faith Lutheran, from Clay, Alabama.

Weekly Update, June 16, 2011

In the daily work of our church, we see glimpses of the goodness and generosity of those around us.  We continue to receive the support of congregations throughout the nation; and we are truly grateful for the support provided by Cullman area churches.

St. John's Protestant church hosted the wedding of Beth Gonstad and Matthew Stevens, who had planned to get married at Christ Lutheran.  St. John's, which hosted our first worship service after the storm, is also providing space for our WELCA meetings.

The Benedictine Sisters of the Sacred Heart Monastery in Cullman have offered us the use of their chapel and cafeteria for worship and fellowship.  These are good spaces, full of light and cheer, conducive to community.  Our fellowship precedes our worship each week, and gives us time to gather, think, plan, and pray.

We were visited on Pentecost Sunday by the Rev. Delmer Chilton, Assistant to the (Southeastern Synod) Bishop, Julian Gordy; and by the Rev. Deborah Halter, Coordinator of Pastoral Care for the Southeastern Synod.  Pastor Chilton discussed the role of the Synod and the ELCA in our planning and rebuilding efforts.

Last and certainly not least, St. Paul's (LCMS) Lutheran is host site of our Monday morning Bible study.  To these congregations and communities, a hearty and humble 'thank you.'

Two additional announcements:

We now have temporary office space in the Ponder Building Suite 102. The address is

401 2^nd Ave. S.W. Suite 102, Cullman, Alabama, 35055.

The following members have been named to our Building Committee:  W.C. Peinhardt, Bill Korwatch, Elaine Kreps, Johnny Fricke and Ken Peters.

Worship on Sunday, May 1

We met for our first worship after the storm on Sunday, May 1, at St. John's Protestant Church, located just across the street.  It was hot and dark--power had not yet been restored.  Parking was limited, as power lines and debris littered the streets.  The National Guard had set up a roadblock just outside the door.  And we gathered and sang 'This is the Day that the Lord has Made' and 'Jesus Loves Me' by candlelight.

Weekly update

  We met in the days immediately following the tornado to take stock and salvage what we could:  bricks, pews, furniture, Bibles.