“What Happens When We Die?”
Once in a while I’ll watch a bit of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
As Colbert interviews various celebrities, he sometimes gives them a questionnaire, asking them things like, What is your favorite sandwich?
What is your favorite action movie? Do you prefer dogs or cats? One of the questions Colbert occasionally asks is this:
What do you think happens when we die? As you might imagine, the answers vary wildly.
Some of Colbert’s guests get very uncomfortable being asked this question. Others speak of the body decaying.
Others simply express a wish to go “somewhere beautiful.”In a recent interview, Prince Harry responded, “I think we become animals.”
Colbert clarified, “Like, we reincarnate?” “Yeah,” Harry replied. The actor George Clooney spoke about how he was raised Catholic, like Colbert,
but has left that behind. “But as I get older,” he said, laughing, “I start renegotiating things a little bit.
And you start thinking, well, maybe there is something that happens.”
Another actor, Keanu Reeves, when asked this question sweetly answered, “The people who love us will miss us.”
How would you answer the question? What happens when we die?
Perhaps you might say something like this: “We go to heaven to be with Jesus and our loved ones who have gone before us.”
That’s our hope, right? That we go to heaven when we die. But as the saying goes, “Hope is not a strategy.” Hope without a strategy is just wishful thinking.
Is the hope of heaven just wishful thinking? As Christians, our emphatic reply is NO.
So what is the basis of our hope for eternal life? Some might say it’s our own achievements and accomplishments.
Others might say, it’s our good works and deeds done for others. Still others might say you need to be a good person.
It’s tempting to focus on ourselves and what we have done. But the Biblical basis of our hope is not in ourselves; it’s in Jesus.
This where the story of Easter comes in. (After all, we’re now in the Season of Easter.)
After the crucifixion and burial of Jesus, some women went to the tomb wondering who would roll the large stone away from the entrance to the
cave-like tomb so they could pay their final respects to Jesus. When they arrived, they were greeted by an angel who said to them:
“Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.
Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead
of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” (Matthew 28:5-7)
There it is. Easter is our hope for heaven. Jesus is our hope for eternal life. As Paul writes in Romans,
“Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,
so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him
in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:4-5)
So what happens when we die?
As Christians, who put their trust and hope in Jesus, we can be confident that when we die we will go to heaven and be with him forever.
+ Pastor Paul Kratzke Have a Happy Easter!
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“I was glad when they said to me,
Let us go to the house of the Lord. |
Worship Services
Worship Services will be held on Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM in April.
Holy Communion will be served every Sunday during the Season of Easter.
We will continue to stream our services live through the Facebook app and upload them to our church Facebook page for later viewing.
Musician Schedule
Here are the music leaders for each service in April:
Sunday, April 7 – Patty will play piano.
Sunday, April 14- Lenore will play piano and the Praise Team will sing.
Sunday, April 21- Vicki will play her guitar.
Sunday, April 28- Connie will play guitar and the Men’s Group will sing.
Sermon Topics
Pastor Paul will preach on the Revised Common Lectionary Texts in the Season of Easter.
Here are the dates, Bible texts, and topics for Sundays in April:
Sunday, April 7- John 20:19-31 “Jesus and Thomas”
Sunday, April 14- Luke 24:36b-48 “Jesus Appears to his Disciples”
Sunday, April 21- John 10:11-18 “Jesus is the Good Shepherd”
Sunday, April 28- John 15:1-8 “Jesus is the True Vine”
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“Train a child in the right way,
and when old, they will not stray.”
Proverbs 22:6
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Sunday School Classes
Sunday School Classes meet on Sunday mornings from 8:30-9:25 AM.
Students will meet for music in the fellowship hall and then go to their classrooms.
The last day of classes will be Sunday, April 28.
Confirmation Class
The second year Confirmation Class starts at 4:00 PM and meets in the Friendship Room.
Students are studying the Lord’s Prayer and the Sacraments (Baptism and Communion).
The last day of classes will be Wednesday, May 15.
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The meeting is scheduled for Sunday, April 7. |
Congregational Meeting
There will be a Congregational Meeting on Sunday, April 7 after the service.
The meeting has been called by the Church Council for the purpose of informing the congregation about the Roof Replacement Project
and to get final approval to proceed with the work this spring or summer. (See the council minutes in this newsletter for more details about the project).
The council also plans to give a brief update concerning the Boiler Replacement Project that will also be done this spring or summer.
All voting (confirmed) members are invited and encouraged to attend the meeting.
WELCA Bible Study
The Women of the ELCA will meet on Wednesday, April 10 at 1:00 PM.
The ladies will conclude their four-session Bible Study called “Scripture and Nature: Teachers of Faith” by Sarah Olson-Smith.
Our final topic is the Bible and Food. Our faithful stewardship of the earth includes paying attending to the ways we eat.
The Minnesota Valley Conference Spring Gathering of the WELCA will be on Saturday, April 13 at Grace Lutheran Church in rural Brownton.
The theme is “Helping Hands Touching Lives”. Registration is at 11:30 AM and lunch is at 12:00 PM. Cost is $12.00.
The SWMN Synodical Convention of the WELCA will be on Saturday, May 4 at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Redwood Falls.
Make plans now to attend and join your sisters in Christ as we gather to “Be the Light!”
Come to the one-day convention for worship, speakers, displays, and fellowship.
Prayer Shawl Group
The Prayer Shawl Group will meet on Wednesday, April 10 at 6:30 PM.
The Ninth Grade Confirmation Class will meet with the group part of their time.
Ninth Grade Class
Ninth Grade Confirmation Class will meet on Wednesday, April 10 from 6:30-8:00 PM.
Our theme is “Connecting with God through Prayer.” The class will spend part of their time with the Prayer Shawl group learning about their ministry.
Mission Endowment Meeting
The Mission Endowment Committee will meet on Sunday, April 14 after the service.
If you have any questions about the meeting, please talk to Mary (Dale).
Adult Education Class
The Adult Education Class will meet on Sunday, April 14 after the service.
We will continue watching and discussing episodes from “The Chosen” series.
If there is enough interest the class will meet more often this spring.
Church Council Meeting
The Church Council will meet on Wednesday, April 17 at 6:30 PM.
Copies of the minutes from the March meeting are included in this newsletter. Extra copies are located on the counter under the mail slots.
Red Cross Blood Drive
There will be a Red Cross Blood Drive at American Lutheran Church on Friday, April 19 from 12:00-5:00 PM in the fellowship hall.
Register to give blood online at redcrossblood.org
Go to the website and type in the zip code for Gaylord- “55334”- and find the blood drive at American Lutheran Church.
Please talk to Pastor Paul if you would be willing to work at the registration table or the refreshment table.
Gustavus Meeting
The Gustavus Adolphus College Association of Congregations Business Meeting will be held on Saturday, April 27 in St. Peter.
Pastor Paul & Dawn Kratzke will attend the meeting. There are currently over 500 congregations that are part of this association.
Sunday School Service
The end of the year Sunday School Service will be held on Sunday, April 28.
Our theme will be “Jesus Is the Vine and We Are the Branches”.
The kids in preschool through sixth grade will perform a skit, read the Bible lessons, sing a song, and pray the prayers.
Pastor Paul and Connie Quast will work with the kids during the Sunday School period.
Confirmation Service
The Confirmation Service for ninth grade students will be held on Sunday, May 5.
Students being confirmed are Delanie, Makenna, and Lincoln.
They will have completed three years of confirmation instruction with Pastor Paul.
May God bless these three young people as they prepare to publicly profess their Christian faith.
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Registration for Green Lake Bible Camp is open for summer, 2024!
Brochures are under the mail slots.
Talk to Pastor Paul about scholarships!
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Green Lake Bible Camp
Green Lake Bible Camp is a great spiritual experience and a lot of fun.
Camp Brochures are on the counter under the mail slots.
Due to a very generous gift from the Delores Jackson Trust all young people from American Lutheran Church who attend
Green Bible Camp will receive a $250.00 scholarship. This is in addition to the scholarships given by the church.
This means there is no cost for members of the church to attend Bible Camp!
Families will need to pay deposits and initial balances up front, the Jackson Trust scholarship will be applied by the camp, and the
church scholarship will be given to parents when their kids leave for camp this summer.
If you have any questions or need help getting registered for camp, please talk to Pastor Paul.
Funeral Services
We extend our sympathy to the family and friends of Caroline K. who died on Monday, March 11 at Bayside Manor.
The Funeral Service was held on Saturday, March 16. Interment was at High Island Cemetery, New Auburn.
God bless our memories of Caroline.
We extend our sympathy to the family and friends of Sharon G. who died on Sunday, March 17 at Bayside Manor.
The Funeral Service was held on Wednesday, March 20. Interment was at High Island Cemetery, New Auburn.
God bless our memories of Sharon.
A big “thank you” to everyone who served the meals at these funerals: Vicky, Gail, Doris, Julie, Dale & Mary, Mona, and Lisa.
Thank you also to the people who made and donated food for the funerals.
Automated Offerings
Have you ever thought about setting up Automated Offerings to the church?
Only a handful of people are doing this at the present time, but it could be convenient for both the giver and the recipient.
For the giver, you don’t have to write out checks each week or month, and you can give a consistent amount throughout the year.
Just contact your bank and work out the details. (You can choose to have a physical check sent to church or not.)
For the church, it helps with giving during times when offerings are typically down, like the summer months.
If you have any questions about automated giving, please talk to Pastor Paul.
Greeters/Ushers
Pastor Paul recently sent a group text to people who checked either “Serve as a Greeter” or “Serve as an Usher” on their
Time & Talent Forms to see if they would be willing to volunteer for Sunday services in the coming weeks/months.
If you would be willing to be a greeter or an usher in April or May, please respond in the group thread.
We would especially like to have greeters and ushers for Easter Sunday Services and the Confirmation Service.
Meals on Wheels
Thank you to the following people for delivering Meals on Wheels in March: Steve & Vicki, Ann, Wayne, and Bob & Linda.
Thank you to Steve & Vicki for coordinating the schedule.
Lenten Suppers
Thank you to everyone who helped with- and supported- the Lenten Suppers this season:
Women of the ELCA, Confirmation Students, Church Council Members, Sunday School Teachers, Dale/Kathy and Benita/Mark.
Each group who served a meal decided where the free will offering would go.
Lenten Services
Thank you to everyone who helped with- and attended- the Lenten Services this season.
Thank you to Patty for playing Holden Evening Prayer and Terry for singing the leader parts.
And thank you to Todd, Shane, Terry, Doug, Sheila, and Randy for participating in the drama.
Holy Week Services
There was a Maundy Thursday Service on March 28 and a joint Good Friday Service with the Gaylord UCC on March 29.
Thank you to Patty for playing piano at both services.
Easter Sunday Services
There were two Easter Sunday Services on March 31. Thank you to Patty for playing piano, Terry and Kaleb for playing their brass instruments,
and the Adult Choir for singing. Thank you to Doug and Dawn for serving as lectors and communion assistants.
Thank you to Doris for running the computer, Bucky for controlling the sound board, and Shane and Julie for streaming the services to Facebook.
Easter Breakfast
Thank you to the confirmation students and parents (and other volunteers) for providing food and serving the Easter Breakfast between the two
Easter Sunday Services on March 31. A free will offering was received for the Youth Activity Fund.
