Weekly News from St. Francis Lutheran Church for February 7, 2010

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

Sunday's Readings

• Isaiah 6:1-13
• 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
• Luke 5:1-11
• Psalm 138

WE REMEMBER IN PRAYER: To improve our ministry to those members of the congregation remembered in prayer, we are indicating those who would be open to a visit (v) phone call (p) and/or card (c). Contact the church office for further information.

• Chris Marckmann, brother of Brandee Marckmann
• Steve Casavant
• Brandy, sister of William Brogan
• Karen Olesen (c) and the husband and son of Cathy May (Karen’s cousin) who passed away in Seattle
• the family of John Schert on the death of his wife, Debbie (friends of Paster Paul)
• Richard Copperud (c)
• Glenda Lisk (v,p,c)
• Susan Tucceri
• Bill Hunter (p,v)
• Bob Douglas (v,c)
• Angie Tedder, aunt of Russ Morgan
• Phyllis Frohmuth, great aunt of Russ Morgan
• Les, father of Richard Peterson
• The father of Rob Zampetti
• Sylvia Beckerley, stepmother of Scott Beckerley,
• Sophie Barron, mother of James Barron
• Mary, cousin of Michael Petrelis
• Grace, mother of Dan Jones
• our shut-ins
• Those who use our facilities, especially our Seniors, and those attending the 12-step programs here, and the Friends of St. Francis Childcare Center. We pray for their continued health, happiness and success.

Those serving in the world:

• The Rev. Megan Rohrer, Missionary to the Homeless of SF through The Welcome Ministry;
• The Rev. Pieter Oberholzer and his partner, Fanie Zondagh, and the staff at Inclusive and Affirming Ministries (IAM) in South Africa, serving LGBT people and allies;
• Catharine Coon and the Hope Alive Project in Uganda.
  

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  ANNUAL CONGREGATION MEETING This Sunday after worship. Election of Council Officers & Approval of 2010 Budget & Other Business

  
  

  QUESTIONS Contact Greg Egertson at (415) 722-4224

  
  
  
  

  PASTOR ZILLHART TO PREACH FEBRUARY 14

  Next Sunday, February 14, Prs. Phyllis Zillhart and Ruth Frost will be present with us. Phyllis has kindly agreed to preach and Ruth to read the Gospel. Welcome back and congratulations for the 20th Anniversary of your ordinations!

  Ash Wednesday at St. Francis February 17, 2010 1:30 PM & 7:00 PM

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  ST. FRANCIS WILL DOUBLE YOUR HAITI RELIEF GIFT

  The Congregation Council has agreed to match our contributions to the Haiti Relief campaign up to $1,000. The matching funds will come from our 2010 Benevolence. By making your checks out to St. Francis and putting Haiti Relief on the Memo line, your gift doubles. It will be sent to the ELCA Disaster Response who will put 100% of our donations into relief. We also can accept credit cards. Also, if you are a Thrivent member, Thrivent will add $1 to every $2 given by Thrivent members, up to a total Thrivent Financial contribution of $1 million. Just add “Thrivent” to memo line along with “Haiti Relief.”

  Photo courtesy of Paul Jeffrey / ACT Alliance

  Lutheran World Federation offices and staff on Haiti survived the earthquake, making it possible to begin work immediately. The ELCA has long been in Haiti through the Lutheran Church in Haiti. Staff there will focus their efforts on issues of water safety and sanitation, assisting with medical triage, and providing shelter for the many who are now homeless.

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  ELCA HAITI FUND $2.7M+

  CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Gifts by congregations and members sent to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) for response to the earthquake in Haiti total more than $2.7 million through Jan. 29, according to ELCA Treasurer Christina Jackson-Skelton. Nearly 16,000 individual gifts have been sent to the ELCA, she said.

  On the same day, the ELCA, through its International Development and Disaster Response (IDDR), increased its total commitment to earthquake response efforts to $925,000, wrote Megan Bradfield, IDDR associate director, ELCA Global Mission, in a Jan. 29 memorandum.

  Earlier this month the ELCA committed $600,000 to three partner organizations working on the ground in Haiti: The Lutheran World Federation/Department for World Service (LWF/DWS), based in Geneva; Lutheran World Relief, Baltimore; and Church World Service, New York.  It also provided $25,000 to Lutheran Services Florida for direct assistance to Haitians coming into the United States -- those who are U.S. citizens or Haitian nationals seeking medical services.

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  We received a Certificate of Appreciation from Lutheran World Relief (LWR) for our past contributions to national and international causes. LWR is is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and individuals and parish groups international relief, development, advocacy and social responsibility.

  
  

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  APPROVED FOR ORDINATION

  Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries (ELM) Roster News

  Julie Boleyn and Matt James have been approved for ordination. Julie and Matthew's approval is contingent on completion of the Masters of Divinity degree later this spring. Both attend Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) seminaries.

  Julie Boleyn Julie is a senior at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. She interned at United in Faith Lutheran Church in Chicago last year (a congregation Pastor Robert helped create). Julie and her partner recently celebrated the first birthday of their daughter, Madelyn.

  Matthew James Matt is a senior at Lutheran School of Theology at Philadelphia. Matthew interned at a congregation in New Jersey in 2009. Matthew's fiancé is the Music Director at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Worcester, MA.

  TRANSFER TO ELM ROSTER

  We welcome Vince Lavieri to the ELM Roster. Pastor Vince is a transfer candidate from the United Church of Christ. Pastor Vince previously served in the Lutheran Church in America, a predecessor of the ELCA, and transferred to the UCC when he was banned from serving because of his sexual orientation.

  The ELM Roster was created for candidates for ordained ministry who refused to sign the ELCA demand that sexual minority persons had to remain celibate, while heterosexual candidates in practice did not. The ELCA is in process of removing that demand as a result of the Churchwide Assembly vote last August directing the ELCA to do so.

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  NO DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL?

  New York Times, February 3, 2010

  General Colin L. Powell, who as the nation’s top military officer in the 1990s opposed allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, switched gears today and threw his support behind efforts to end the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law he helped shepherd in.

  “In the almost 17 years since the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ legislation was passed, attitudes and circumstances have changed,” General Powell said in a statement issued by his office. He added: “I fully support the new approach presented to the Senate Armed Services Committee this week by Secretary of Defense Gates and Admiral Mullen.”

  Robert M. Gates, the defense secretary, and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told lawmakers on Tuesday that they supported President Obama’s proposal to repeal the 1993 law forbidding gay men and women to be open about their sexuality while serving in uniform.

  Admiral Mullen was the first Joint Chiefs chairman ever to take that position, signaling the evolution in attitudes both inside the military and in the broader society since the debate under President Bill Clinton.

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  POPE ATTACKS BRITAIN’S GAY EQUALITY LAWS

  The Age, Melbourne, Australia, February 3, 2010

  Pope Benedict has attacked Britain's reform of human rights and equality legislation, saying religious employers should be allowed to discriminate against homosexuals.

  In an unprecedented move, the Pope commented directly on the laws of a Protestant state, claiming the proposed new human rights legislation threatens religious freedoms and violates ''natural law''.

  In a speech made during a visit to Rome by England and Wales' 35 Catholic bishops, Pope Benedict urged Catholics in Britain to fight against the legislation with ''missionary zeal''.

  ''Your country is well known for its firm commitment to equality of opportunity for all members of society,'' he told the bishops. ''Yet … the effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs.

  ''In some respects it actually violates the natural law upon which the equality of all human beings is grounded and by which it is guaranteed.''

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  USHER TEAMS Click here
  
  
  
  

  • Feb 9 Norman Chan
  • Feb 10 Russ Morgan
  • Feb 11 Mitch Barnow
  
  
  

  Lectionary for next Sunday

  • Exodus 34:29-35
  • 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2
  • Luke 9:28-36
  • Psalm 99
  
  

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  Safeway parking permits are available in the back of the church. The permits allow parking for Sunday services ONLY.

  St. Francis Lutheran Church

  A Place for Gathering: Memory, Presence and Promise
  152 Church Street, San Francisco, CA 94114-1111

  (415) 621-2635 FAX (415) 621-8819

  Contact us:

  Directions to St. Francis: Ext 21
  Worship Service schedule: Ext 20
  Pr. Robert Goldstein: Ext 11
  Pr. Dawn Roginksi Ext 12
  Senior Center Coordinator: Ext 12
  Dave Walda, Senior Parish Administrator: Ext 10
  Clifton King, Sexton
  Brandee Marckmann, Congregation President
  Janet Thuesen, Treasurer

  Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday - Friday

  General Email: St.FrancisSF - at - sbcglobal.net

  The Rev. Robert Goldstein: RevRGoldstein-at-sbcglobal.net
  The Rev. Dawn Roginski RevDRoginski-at-sbcglobal.net
  Dr. David Schofield StFrancischoir-at-sbcglobal.net
  David Walda, Senior Parish Administrator: St.FrancisSF-at-sbcglobal.net

  Deadline for Times material is Wednesday at 2 p.m. Every effort will be made to accommodate all submissions according to space availability.
   

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