"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it."

Wednesday, April 17th at 6:30pm in the Lorenz Chapel.

All are welcome.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

FREE Electronic Waste Recycling Event from 10AM-4PM. The event will be held on Amsterdam Avenue between West 74th Street and West 75th Street, Manhattan.

The following items will be accepted:
Working and non-working computers, monitors, printers, scanners, keyboards, mouse, cables, TV's, VCR's, DVD players, phones, audio/visual equipment, cell phones and PDA's
Items not accepted:
Other electronic items including appliances (microwave ovens, toasters etc.), air conditioners, white goods, wall phones, carpeting
For more information contact: Lower East Side Ecology Center Lesecologycenter.org or 212-477-4022.

Our Worship Matters Series begins next week! This five-session introductory course has been developed to help participants grow into a richer understanding of the foundations of Lutheran worship. With a focus on the principle gathering around word and sacrament, this course explores the foundational questions of why we gather, how we encounter God in worship, and how that encounter shapes our response in both our communities and our world. Topics include the Church Year, the Lectionary, Holy Baptism, Holy Communion, Corporate Prayer, Worship and Culture, and more.

The same lesson will be held twice a week, beginning with the Thursday meeting. Feel free to come to either session and alternate between groups!


Thursdays at 6:30PM: April 18, 25, May 2, 9, 16
Sundays at 5:00PM: April 21, 28, May 5, 19

There will be no meeting on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 12.
The Sunday group will have its fourth session on Saturday, May 11, at 5:00PM.

Sessions will be held either in the Sanctuary/Lorenz Chapel at church or in participant homes. If you would be interested in hosting a session in your home, please contact Jennifer Doerr.

Potluck food and drinks will be offered. Please look for the sign-up sheets in the sanctuary.

Dear People of God:

The Passion/Resurrection Octave [this year from Sunday, March 24 to Sunday, March 31] confronts us with the “real-ness” of life.  The great myths of humanity, the archetypes of the subconscious, the passions of daily life, the mysteries of light and dark, good and evil, sacrifice and redemption, loneliness and community, sound and silence, turmoil and stillness are wrapped up in one great period of eight days.

Most of us, when we are honest with ourselves, realize that we need to pay attention to these great themes: they help us live.  However, we allow lesser events to crowd them out or, because we are afraid of what these grand themes may tell us, shy away from exploring their depths. 

Then, one day, we are confronted with great loneliness, betrayal, the death of a loved one, or even the grace of one who once was angry toward us, and we do not know how to respond.  With no reflection upon death, death terrifies. With no acquaintance with disloyalty we react with anger.  With no familiarity with depression we sleep our days away.

One Passion/Resurrection Octave cannot teach us all we need to know about how God is there for us in the midst of our greatest needs, but eight days of worship, prayer, and meditation can enable us to catch the fire of the Spirit’s presence in our lives. Once we are on fire we can tend that flame through out our lives.

Join your brothers and sisters in the faith in worship this Passion/Resurrection Octave. Bring with you those who are seeking to deepen their understanding of the presence of God in their lives. 

·        On Palm/Passion Sunday (March 24 @ 11AM) we’ll hear the Passion of Lord According to Saint Luke. 

·        On Holy Monday through Holy Wednesday you are invited to pray and meditate in the stillness of your home.

·        On Maundy Thursday (March 28 @ 7PM) we’ll again explore the Passover roots of our Lord’s Last Supper with a Seder meal created by our Director of Music, Paul Mueller. 

·        On Good Friday (March 29 @ 7PM) we’ll walk the way of sorrows with our Lord. 

·        On Easter Sunday (March 31 @ 11AM) we’ll celebrate the grand festival of resurrected life!

Make Our Saviour’s Atonement Evangelical Lutheran Church a focal point of your spiritual journey this Passion/Resurrection Octave.

Yours in Christ,

The Reverend William D. Eggers

Coverage Pastor

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.

Today, a deacon can be a man or woman called by the church to serve publicly after the example of Jesus Christ.  Biblical examples of deacons include Stephen (Acts 7) and Phoebe, “a deacon of the church at Cenchreae” (Romans 16).

The focus of my internship will be developing small groups within our church for both adults and youth. My goal is to build interaction within our community and inspire leadership and service in all members and friends of OSA. I also plan to support the spiritual life and growth of our church committees and lay leaders developing new ministries.

Over the next year, I will be working closely with Rev. Eggers and a diaconal council formed from OSA members who will assist me in my ministry by evaluating my progress. I appreciate the support of the whole congregation in this new endeavor, which I pray will be a blessing to OSA.

In the spring of 2012, Pastor Barrie Lawless encouraged me to compose a song in celebration of Jesus’ Ascension. Soon thereafter, the song arrived, a “gospel-style” tune based in all the passages from the New Testament where Jesus commanded, “Follow me.” Pastor Lawless heard “Jesus Said” on Ascension Sunday while recuperating in the parsonage and later told me, “This could be the basis for an entirely new liturgy.” I wasn’t sure what more I could find to inspire such a project, but in early August, when Ephesians 4 was read in church, I came home and that afternoon wrote “With Love, Grow Into Christ.” With the help of an online cross-referencing concordance, I

discovered further inspiration throughout the Gospels, and particularly in the letters of the Apostle Paul. Ascension was being spoken of everywhere, and Pastor Eggers heartily agreed!

The theme of Ascension Liturgy is Reconciliation, which literally means “to bring together again – to be united.” Thus, when Christ says, “Be reconciled to your sister or brother; then come and offer your gift [to God]” or, when Paul commands, “Be reconciled with God” these are ways of saying we must be in unity with each other and with God, and that not only is this union entirely possible, it is what is expected of us. As Christ said, “You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14:4) Indeed, we do know the way: opportunities for ascension abound each and every moment of every day! In an effort to broaden the appeal of this message, I determined to use only texts from the New Testament poetically set within popular musical styles, so that this good news would spread to the hearts and minds and voices of all who hear it. It is with profound appreciation and gratitude I wish to thank Pastor Lawless, Pastor Eggers, Paul Mueller, and the congregation of Our Saviour’s Atonement for embracing this Ascension Liturgy, which will be presented for six consecutive weeks during Eastertide, from April 7 through May 12.

All are welcome to join us!

Committee Formation

OSA's core committees are open for any member or friend of OSA to join. The committees are Worship Arts and Music (WAM), Christian Education (Adult and Youth), our Community Building Committees of Care, Hospitality/Fellowship and Community Action, and Communications. The following is a list of Council members currently on committees but does not reflect all those involved:

Worship, Arts & Music (WAM):
Madeline Hill, Brent Ness

Christian Education:
Children: Sarah Lauducci , Ina Surerus
Adults: Jen Doerr, Annette Markus

Community Building: 
Care, Hospitality, Fellowship
Brent Ness, Annette Markus, Ina Surerus

Community Action:
Rhonda Asher, Anna Campbell, Rick van Valkenberg

Communications:
Rhonda Asher, Brent Ness, Rick Van Valkenberg

To join a Committee, please speak to a member of the Committee you're interest in joining at Sunday Service.

MNYS Synod Assembly

The Metropolitan New York Synod Assembly will be held at the Westchester Marriot on May 31 - June 1. Rev. Eggers will be in attendance as well as delegates Tom Ciccone and Jennifer Doerr.

NoMAA Health and Wellness Day

The Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) and The Cornerstone Center will sponsor a Health and Wellness Day for local artists on April 13 in the Sanctuary, Kitchen, and Adult Ed. rooms. 

Colby College Spring Break

On March 24, OSA will welcome a group of students from Colby College spending their Spring Break in New York City to volunteer with Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. The students will stay at the newly-renovated OSA youth hostel (formerly the Knepper and Tile rooms downstairs). 

 

 Holy Week Services

Passover Seder for OSA will be hosted by Paul Mueller in the Sanctuary on March 28 at 7:00PM.

Good Friday Services will be held on March 29 at 7:00PM.

Easter Egg dyeing and preparations for Easter Sunday Service will be held on Saturday March 30. Please contact the office for further details.

Easter Vigil at Advent Lutheran

Following preparations for Easter Service, our group from OSA will attend Advent Lutheran Church's Easter Vigil on Saturday, March 30 at 8:00PM.  A group will be leaving from OSA at 7:00PM.

Easter Sunday Service and Brunch

Following our 11:00AM Easter Sunday Service, a brunch will be held in the gym. Ham will be served and contributions of sides dishes, salads, desserts and beverages would be most welcomed.