March 2022

St. Paul’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church
109 S. Elm, Kewanee, Illinois 61443
Newsletter
Volume 34                                   March 2022                                            No. 3

​THE LENTEN DOWNWARD TREK
 
It’s a very good thing to be in touch with the sanctoral cycle, better-known as the church year, a year superimposed on  the calendar year.
​
We generally manage our lives according to the calendar year, which counts onward year after year since our Lord’s coming and looking toward his return. This is why this year is called A D 2022. A D stands for anno domini, which is Latin for “the year of our Lord.” This is the year of our Lord 2022, counting that many years we have been waiting for our Lord’s return in glory. It’s a rough count, since the beginning of that counting was not altogether accurate, but the letters A D are a subtle reminder, all the same, that we’re still counting, and patiently waiting. Society doesn’t look at it that way, of course, but we Christians certainly do. A D is a subtle confession that Christ shall come again in glory to judge both the quick and the dead, as we confess every Sunday morning. That’s the calendar year, which, aside from that, we all understand pretty well.

Then there’s the church-year, the sanctoral cycle. Many people have little idea about this, generally paying attention only to its highlights, Christmas and Easter. But the Church does well in ordering our days around the year according to these high Feasts. Hence we count Advent as  the season leading to Christmas and Epiphany the season after Christmas.

And then there come the seasons surrounding the high feast of Easter. Eastertide itself is seven Sundays, preceded by Lent, the season of penitential preparation and fasting. Lent itself is also preceded by Septuagesima, also called pre-Lent, a season of three Sundays prior to Ash Wednesday. Those Sundays are Septuagesima (70th), Sexagesma (60th) and Quinquagesima (50th) named for the days (approximately) remaining before Easter. The emphasis during this season is on the Word of God and its power, and it is the season we begin as it were to march downward into the recesses of Lent. The somber season of Lent is itself subdivided, with the last two weeks designated as Passiontide, and the images are veiled. This two week period is itself subdivided, because the second of those two weeks is Holy Week, the most important week of the entire year. And Holy Week is then subdivided, because the period from Maundy Thursday until the Vigil of Easter is called the triddum Sacram, or the Holy Three Days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, the very deepest part of Lent.

All this leads to the sharp and immediate contrast with Easter, which is ushered in at the Vigil itself. Moving directly from the throes of Lent’s deepest moments to the heights of Christianity’s most joyous day, we can the more easily recall the great wonder and joy experienced by  the apostles upon suddenly seeing the risen Christ, as he stood before them, alive.
All of this teaches us that the Christian faith is  rooted in real-life events, things that actually happened, and have made all the difference to us, sealing our eternal salvation.
+ Pastor Eckardt

Still No Robins? 
As it did last year, the robin sighting contest continues into March, since no robin sighting has yet been reported. Who can find the first robin of spring? Call Pastor if you see and can verify one. This is the ninth year of the contest.
Past winners:
2021 Andy Eckardt
2020 Michele Keehner
2019: Steve Kraklow
2018: Steve Kraklow
2017: Barb Kraklow
2016: Judy Thompson
2015: Carol Eckardt
2014: Michele Keehner
A sign of spring, the robin may also help us think of the approach of Easter!  
Remember, the winner of the contest might get a check for $10,000 a month for the rest of his life.
March Birthdays
3/1       Barbra Kraklow
3/25     Carol Eckardt

March Anniversary
 
3/19/1977 Jeff and Diana Shreck
 
Church Council
Council meets Wednesday, March 16th, at 5:30. This is the fourth Wednesday of the month.

March Ushers
 
Jim Hornback, Steve Kraklow, Tom Wells
 
In Our Prayers
Our current list of prayer intentions at mass includes the names on the lists here following.  Anyone wishing to update the list by addition or subtraction, please inform the pastor.in our parish:
Bill Thompson, Emilie Ricknell, John Ricknell, Linda Rowe, Emmy Wear, Don and Sue Murphy, Dick Melchin, Bea Harris, Allan Kraklow, Sandra VerPlaetse, John Sovanski, Grant Andreson, Dale Baker, and Jewneel Walker
and beyond our parish:
Anna, Katy, and Jody Rutowicz [Harris relations]
Julie Ross [Svetlana Meaker’s daughter]
Elizabeth Godke [Sharon Field’s mother]
Oneida Hendrickson [Ricknell relative]
Janice Hart [Judy Thompson’s sister]
Caleb Cleaver [Ricknells’ grandson]
Dennis Hoag, Tim Newman [Shreck relations]
Theresa Moore [Ricknells’ niece]
Kathy Boeger [re Harrises]
Allison Leezer [relative of the Kraklows]
Everly Stoner
Marvin Brown
Shannon Watson [Jim’s daughter]
Matt Verplaetse
Maxine Bitting [Judy Thompson’s sister in law]
Loren Hartz [Sharon’s brother]
Yvette Baker [Dale Baker’s daughter-in-law]
Karen Parker
Rosemary Bloome [Don Murphy’s cousin]
Richard Heiden, Carol Eckardt’s father
Troy Kelly [friend of the Murphys]
Pastor Jacob Sutton
Pastor Justin Kane [relative of Diana Shreck]
in the military
John Eckardt
Donny Appleman [at request of the Ricknells]
Richard Heiden [at request of the Eckardts]
Luke Van Landigan [grandson of Dick Melchin]
Jaclyn Alvarez [daughter of Kris Harden]
Eli Wetzel, Traven Wetzel [relatives of Kris Harden]
Eric Verplaetse [Sandra’s grandson]
Jake Mahaffey, Trevor Shimmin, Shad Draminski
James and Ann Lee Armstrong
in trouble:
any unborn children in danger of abortion; those suffering from unrest, persecution, and imprisonment in Nigeria, Algeria, Sudan, Madagascar, Iran, Iraq, Syria, India, China, Vietnam, North Korea, and elsewhere, also Paivi Rasanen  and Bishop Juhana Pohjola  of Finland.

Trial of Räsänen and Pohjola Continues
 
The Finnish trial of Dr Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola resumed on Monday February 14th. The essence of this trial is that our Christian confession
of faith according to Scripture is itself on trial, since these stalwart Lutherans have been charged with “hate speech” because of their public confession that Scripture’s teaching on human life, sexuality, and marriage is true and correct, meaning that homosexuality is sinful, as Scripture also teaches. Dr. Räsänen was awarded the Gottesdienst Sabre of Boldness in January, and Bishop Pohjola had been awarded the Sabre in 2006.
 
The Prosecutor General of Finland had charged Dr. Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola with hate speech for openly confessing the faith, and for insisting on freedom of religion.
 
The latest news comes from a report that emerged on February 16th from the resumption of the trial on the 14th. It was announced that the verdict  would be reached and announced on March 30th. Bishop Pohjola, using a megaphone to address a large crowd of supporters after the session on the 14th, also spoke to reporters, and his remarks were published in English two days later. by the Diocese News of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of Finland. Here is what he said: “The prosecutor’s primary idea seems to be that, in public, one’s own understanding of the Bible may not be taught, and that freedom of religion does not give one permission to voice aloud a teaching if it is considered to discriminate against a minority group. Therefore, in line with this view, the biblical teachings on marriage, sexuality, sin and grace could not, according to the prosecution, be preached in public. This is an attack on religious freedom.” The demonstrators had gathered outside the courtroom to show their support for the defendants, as this trial has quickly gained international interest.

Catechism Schedule and Confirmation
 
The schedule for catechesis this season are as follows:
Adult catechesis Mondays at 1:30 pm
Junior catechesis on Tuesdays at 5:00 pm.
 
A New Study in Sunday Bible Class
 
Beginning sometime in March, depending on when our study of Hebrews ends, we will begin in our Sunday morning Bible Class to consider  the book of I Samuel. We began this study at our Day of Reflection, held on Saturday, February 5th, when we looked at the first two chapters. A brief review will be followed by a study of the remaining chapters of I Samuel. Join us for breakfast and an invigorating study hour that always begins after  Sunday mass, in the parish hall.
 
Choir rehearsals again!
 
In preparation for special music during Holy Week and Easter, choir rehearsals have started up again. The first Wednesday in March will have  to be skipped, as Pastor and Carol plan to be visiting her father in Florida for a few days that week, so we plan  to resume rehearsals on Wednesday, March 9th at 5:30 pm. That is a relatively new time, as the choir members seem to find it easier to attend at the earlier hour. Check the calendar and make a special note of it: March 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th, and April 6th. We will not rehearse after that unless we decide we need it.
 
Midweek Lenten Services
 
Following an old Lutheran custom, we suggest people to make a little more effort to come out for midweek masses during Lent, as another laudable way of observing the season. It’s a good part of the Lenten season. 7:00 Wednesday evenings.

 
 
  
St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church
   109 S. Elm Street
   Kewanee, IL 61443