February 2007

Newsletter of Atonement Lutheran Church,

Rev. Tina Koenig Ray, BCC, Pastor

The ball is small, fuzzy and purple, or sometimes blue. She drops it in my lap and waits expectantly for me to throw it. Her eyes are bright with anticipation, her body quivers with suspense.

When I throw it she races after it, attacks it and chases it around like she’s after her last meal. Then she lopes back to me (sometimes she gallops) with the fuzzy thing in her mouth looking like the proud hunter she is. She drops it and we start the fun all over again.

I wish she’d teach the dog to fetch like that. That’s right my little Bengal mountain cat fetches better than my big brindle dog. You weren’t expecting that, were you? Cats don’t play fetch, dogs fetch. Well, sometimes life surprises you, as I discovered New Year’s Day when my cat dropped a fuzzy blue ball in my lap.

This little vignette in my life teaches me many things. Some of which are:

*Never assume you know everything about someone or something. I’ve had this cat for 7 months and never dreamed it played fetch.

*Enjoy the sweet simple moments that life offers you. Laugh until your belly hurts; cry until your head is stuffy; enjoy the soft texture of your pet’s fur; cherish the swift poke of your spouses foot as they turn over in their sleep. As you sit inside your house looking out the window at the sunlight glinting off the snow, listen with a grateful heart as the furnace kicks on in your basement.

*Expect the unexpected (not the expected). Too many times we expect our children to do certain things; our spouses to feel this or that; our jobs or government or friends to provide certain things. Expect the unexpected, like God offering the son so that we may have new life. Open yourself to the spontaneity of life dropping a ball in your lap and waiting for you to play.

Expect God’s love to companion you as you continue this wonderful, crazy journey called life. May we all walk with the great expectation of the unexpected.

The Christmas and New Years holiday is fading fast and Lent is just around the corner. Seems like we haven’t even finished celebrating our Savior’s birth and we are preparing for his death and resurrection.

This will be a great time for us all to do a little self examining. Such as: Are we doing everything we can for our church and our faith? Are we there for our fellow members when they need us? Are we there for God when He calls us? These are just a few questions that sometimes run through our minds. Sometimes it is hard to ask ourselves the right questions; but it is always easier to listen. Listen to that small voice deep inside ourselves, the little voice of God telling us what he wants from each of us. This is the season to look deep within, hear the Word and listen to what we hear.

Remember, we cannot hear if we don’t listen.

All God’s Blessings to you,
Bruce Johnson

Total income for December $ 12,237.46Total expenses for December - $ 11,001.44

Net income (December 2006) $ 1,236.02

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Dec adults/youth

Jan adults/youth

Due to the new privacy laws regarding health information, the hospital will not release the names of patients. So if you are going into the hospital, or know someone who is hospitalized, please call the church office, or let Pastor Tina know.

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The following items are posted in more detail in the Klingberg Chapel or the hallway bulletin board:

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As a final appeal before he leaves office, Bishop Carlson would like to highlight the need for financial support of Lutheran Campus Ministry. LCM relies solely on support from the synod and churchwide for salaries and benefits of the clergy and lay staff.

Funding form synod and churchwide will be about $50,000 short beginning in 2008. Let’s begin now to build a fund that will sustain and grow campus ministry in the years to come before that shortfall appears.

In 1907 the first Lutheran campus ministry got started in Madison, WI. 100 years later, Lutheran Campus Ministry is still transforming lives by nurturing faith in academic settings all across the United States, including our backyard of southeast Wisconsin.

Lutheran Campus Ministry provides a Lutheran presence and witness on three campuses in our synod with about 57,000 students and many more thousands faculty and staff.

If every member of every church of our synod gave $5, 10 or 20, that would multiply exponentially into a great starting place that would enable Lutheran Campus Ministry to continue to be a visible and helpful presence in our state.

by Linda Kersten

Ingredients

• 1½ cups whole wheat flour
• ½ cup white flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• 2 heaping tsp oil
• ¾ cup cold water
• 1½ tbsp honey
• 1½ tbsp molasses

Directions

1. mix dry ingredients
2. add oil and blend well
3. add water, honey and molasses and mix
4. knead about 2 minutes
5. roll out to ¼ inch thick*
6. cut into 6-7 inch rounds (will make 3-4 loaves)
7. mark with a cross in middle with tip of knife
8. bake 10-12 minutes at 350° on an ungreased cookie sheet

* if you want to save time, divide dough into 4 balls and pat into a flat circle about ¼-½ inch thick, then score and bake.

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

A Sunday School teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible; Psalm 23. She gave the youngsters a monthto learn the verse. Little Rick was excited about the task --but, he just couldn't remember the Psalm. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line. On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation, Ricky was so nervous. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said proudly, "The Lord is my Shepherd, and that is all I need to know."

Eternal Candle: The Eternal Candle for February is from Richard & Marjorie Berner in memory of George & Esther Berner

Altar Guild: Marcy Reedy & Bonnie Ottow

Flowers: Andrea & Pat Garvey for their 12th anniversary

Bread of Heaven: open

Fellowship: Liz MacKay

Acolyte: open

KidsKorner: open

Bread of Heaven: open

Fellowship: open

KidsKorner: open

Bread of Heaven: open

Fellowship: open

Acolyte: open

KidsKorner: open

Flowers: Russ & Cheryl Ramczyk for our birthdays and in honor of Judi Cleveland’s birthday

Bread of Heaven: Cheryl Ramczyk

Fellowship: Cheryl Ramczyk

KidsKorner: open

Y.A.G. Host: open

2/12Kyle Hoefer2/23Margaret Peterson

2/21Cheryl Ramczyk2/28Richard Wendtland

2/8Charlotte Laird2/21Robert Ruegger

2/13Susan Grade

Curtis Baker January 3, 2007

Dru Anthony Dummer, born at 5:10 PM, January 8, 2007, 6 lbs 13 oz, and 22 inches long, the son of Ty and Lana Spangenberg Dummer

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2/6 - Messiah Chiefs @ Atonement Rebels
Trinity Mighty Darts @ Atonement Rejects

2/13 - Atonement Rebels @ Our Savior’s Vikings
Atonement Rejects @ Trinity Eagles

2/20 - Trinity Packers @ Atonement Rebels
Our Savior’s Trolls @ Atonement Rejects

2/27Atonement Rebels @ St. John Jets
1st Baptist Bombers @ Atonement Rejects

(as of January 11, 2007)

Ash Wednesday10:00 a.m.Host: St. Paul’s Lutheran Church

February 21^st

7:00 p.m. Host: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

Preacher: Rev. Kurt Handrich

February 28^th11:00 a.m.Atonement

Service of the Word

7:00 p.m.Host: First Presbyterian Church

Preacher: Sister Joselda Kuehl

March 7^th11:00 a.m.Atonement

Service of the Word

7:00 p.m.Host: 2nd Congregational Church

Preacher: Rev. Forrest Clark

March 14^th11:00 a.m.Atonement

Service of the Word

7:00 p.m. Host:St. Jude’s Catholic Church

Preacher: Rev. James Ivy

March 21^st11:00 a.m.Atonement

Service of the Word

7:00 p.m.Host: 1st United Methodist Church

Preacher: Rev. Tina Koenig Ray

March 28^th11:00 a.m.Atonement Service of the Word

7:00 p.m. Host: St. Thomas Catholic Church

Preacher: Rev. Shawn Stapleton

Good Friday12:00 noonHost: First Congregational Church

April 6^thPreacher: Rev. Dr. Floyd Prude, Jr

12. THE GREATEST MIRICLE IN THE BIBLE IS WHEN JOSHUA TOLD HIS SON TO STAND STILL AND HE OBEYED HIM.

13. SOLOMON, ONE OF DAVIDS SONS, HAD 300 WIVES AND 700 PORCUPINES.

14. WHEN MARY HEARD SHE WAS THE MOTHER OF JESUS, SHE SANG THE MAGNA CARTA.

15. WHEN THE THREE WISE GUYS FROM THE EAST SIDE AR-RIVED THEY FOUND JESUS IN THE MANAGER.

16. JESUS WAS BORN BECAUSE MARY HAD AN IMMACULATE CONTRAPTION.

17. ST. JOHN THE BLACKSMITH DUMPED WATER ON HIS HEAD.

18. JESUS ENUNCIATED THE GOLDEN RULE, WHICH SAYS TO DO UNTO OTHERS BEFORE THEY DO ONE TO YOU. HE ALSO EXPLAINED A MAN DOTH NOT LIVE BY SWEAT ALONE.

19. IT WAS A MIRICLE WHEN JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND MANAGED TO GET THE TOMBSTONE OFF THE ENTRANCE.

20. THE PEOPLE WHO FOLLOWED THE LORD WERE CALLED THE 12 DECIBELS.

21. THE EPISTELS WERE THE WIVES OF THE APOSTLES.

22. ONE OF THE OPPOSSUMS WAS ST. MATTHEW WHO WAS ALSO A TAXIMAN.

23. ST. PAUL CAVORTED TO CHRISTIANITY. HE PREACHED HOLY ACRIMONY WHICH IS ANOTHER NAME FOR MARRAIGE.

24. CHRISTIANS HAVE ONLY ONE SPOUSE. THIS IS CALLED MONOTONY.

A Seminary professor was vacationing with his wife in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. One morning, they were eating breakfast in a little restaurant, hoping to enjoy a quiet, family meal. While they were waiting for their food, they noticed a distinguished looking, white haired man moving from table to table, visiting with the guests.

The professor leaned over and whispered to his wife, "I hope he doesn't come over here." But sure enough, the man did come over to their table.

"Where are you folks from?" he asked in a friendly voice. "Oklahoma," they answered. "Great to have you here in Tennessee," the stranger said. "What do you do for a living?" "I teach at a seminary," he replied. "Oh, so you teach preachers how to preach, do you? Well, I've got a really good story for you."

And with that, the gentleman pulled up a chair and sat down at the table with the couple. The professor groaned and thought to himself, "Great, just what I need--another preacher story!

The man started, "See that mountain over there?" (pointing out a restaurant window). "Not far from the base of that mountain, there was a boy born to an unwed mother. He had a hard time growing up, because every place he went, he was always asked the same question. "Hey boy, who's your daddy?"

Whether he was at school, in the grocery store or drug store, people would ask the same question. "Who's your daddy?" He would hide at recess and lunchtime from other students. He would avoid going into stores because that question hurt him so much.

When he was about 12 years old, a new preacher came to his church. He would always go in late and slip out early to avoid hearing the question, "Who's your daddy?" But one day, the new preacher said the benediction so fast, he got caught and had to walk out with the crowd. Just about the time he got to the back door, the new preacher, not knowing anything about him put his hand on his shoulder and asked him, "Son, who's your daddy?" The whole church got deathly quiet. He could feel every eye in the church looking at him. Now everyone would finally know the answer to the question, "Who's your daddy?"

The new preacher, though, sensed the situation around him and using discernment that only the Holy Spirit could give, said the following to the scared little boy: "Wait a minute!" he said. "I know who you are. I see the family resemblance now. You are a child of God."

With that, he patted the boy on his shoulder and said. "Boy,

you've got a great inheritance. Go and claim it. " The boy smiled for the first time in a long time and walked out the door a changed person. He was never the same again. Whenever anybody asked him, "Who's your Daddy?" he'd just tell them, "I'm a child of God."

The distinguished gentleman got up from the table and said, "Isn't that a great story?" The professor responded that it really was a great story! As the man turned to leave, he said, "You know, if that new preacher hadn't told me that I was one of God's children, I probably would never have amounted to anything!" And he walked away.

The seminary professor and his wife were stunned. He called the waitress over and asked her, "Do you know that man who just left that was sitting at our table?" The waitress grinned and said, "Of course. Everybody here knows him. That's Ben Hooper. He's the former governor of Tennessee!"

YOU'RE ONE OF GOD'S CHILDREN.

I SEE THE RESEMBLANCE!

Thank you for all the cookies and candy and other goodies I received this Christmas. The jeweled pen labeled "The Secretarial Scepter" was my favorite! And a big thanks to all the people who have helped with the Annual Report, the montly Newsletter and the weekly Bulletin. Your help is invaluable.

Hands of Faith guests will be arriving on Sunday, January 28th. The sign up sheets for Dinner and Overnight Hosts will be in the Klingberg Chapel shortly and the clothesline of needs will be going up after the first of the year.

Sisterhood will meet Tuesday, February 6 at 1P.M. at Riverside Terrace (3055 S Riverside Dr., corner of Elmwood) Dolly Berner will be hostess and Pastor Tina will present a Bible Study and devotions. Following the meeting we will be able to tour the facility. All women are welcome to attend.

The Brotherhood’s Annual Sweetheart Dinner is scheduled for Monday, February 12. More details will be announced later.

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The TMO’s (Time Marches On) will meet at 4:30 PM on February 17 for a potluck. For more information, please call either Vi Pankonien @ 362-0875 or Joanne Capes @ 362-8711.

For hundreds of years, people all over the world have celebrated St. Valentine’s Day. But very little is known about the man whose life the holiday honors. Much of St. Valentine’s story is a mystery, clouded by centuries of myth and legend.

According to one account, Valentine was a young priest who lived in third-century Rome. Constantly at war, Emperor Claudius II recognized that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and familes-so he forbade young people to marry. Out of compassion for couples in love, Valentine defied the Emperor and continued to perform wedding ceremonies in secret.