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Adeo sanctum — in manibus

non est et mentibus haeret

May, 2017

A PUBLICATION OF ASCENSION LUTHERAN CHURCH

3801 Oakwood Avenue | Huntsvil le , AL 35810

Page 1 Updates Page 2 From the Southwest Corner Page 4 The Elder’s Thoughts Page 5 This ‘n That Page 7 LWML Page 9 Stewardship Page 10 Kids’ Corner Page 11 DCM Thoughts Page 12 CDC News Page 13 Sabol’s Saga Page 14 May Birthdays Page 14 Missional Outreach Page 15 May Calendar

In This Issue. . .

Coming Soon. . .Our New Vicar

The Youth group is going to be UCANDU’ing it,

again, this year, in Chicago, IL. In addition to cookie

support, there are also stock options that you can

purchase to support the group financially. There are

five youth and three adults attending the trip. More

information in “This ‘n That.”

reflections

Our Prayers in April included:

Audrey Hartwig;

Dan Smith

John Ansorge

Felicia Clardy

Kathy Pool

Don Akins

Kristen King

Bob Smith

Sarah Graves

Baptisms of Brooklynn Symborski, Emma Yates, Atlas

Gilliam and Coen Smith

Seminarian graduates and vicars for 2017

May 3 - LCMS Free Webinar: https://calendar.lcms.org/

event/webinar-dealing-with-stress/

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From the Southwest Corner Pastor Bernard Ansorge

(Preface to my Reflections from the Southwest

Corner for May, 2017… I am about to write some

observations I recall after I was admitted briefly into

the hospital on Ash Wednesday. If you think I am

repeating what was previously published in the April

Reflections, you might believe you are correct. You

are, in that several paragraphs of memories about

that night were published over my signature back

then, but with the disclaimer that I had not actually

written them myself; they were a digest of what Judy

remembered after I had told her what happened that

night and afterward. Now, that’s out of the way. Here

are my current words.)

PRIVILEGED The first thing I want to reflect as

April slides into May is how privileged I feel to be

writing yet another of these essays from the

Southwest Corner. All my life, I’ve assumed that

tomorrow will always come and that the day of my

inevitable demise will always be beyond the

boundary of what I anticipate for today.

But then came my “episode” of March 1, in the

middle of my Ash Wednesday sermon when I went

“blank” and was not able to formulate words for the

thoughts that I wanted to say. Days later came a new

realization that just one breath, one heartbeat, divides

temporal life from life eternal. Now, I certainly do

not want a repeat of that

episode…ever, but am I able to

prevent something like that

from happening again? Not at

all!

PREVENTION After a

complete battery of tests - all of

which revealed completely

normal results - one doctor

inquired of me, “Why are you

here?” I wanted him to tell me.

Reflections May, 2017

He concluded I must have suffered a TIA.

That’s a transient ischemic attack. Some

people explain it’s a mini-stroke, but that’s

not the case. It’s not a stroke at all, in that it

leaves no measurable effects of disabilities,

though it may momentarily manifest stroke-

like behaviors, like my inability to use words

for a few moments. A TIA may come and

go; some folks say they have had them

numerous times, but a doctor friend of mine

simply described it as a wake-up call.

After a follow-up visit to my own doctor, I

am now taking one baby aspirin, two blood

pressure units, and a pill to regulate

cholesterol every day, all for prevention to

keep a possible stroke away. I know I’m in

God’s hands.

RELYING ON

OTHERS In the

meantime, life has

continued, for

which I thank my

God and Savior,

thanking Him also

for the help others

provide. God is stretching me to rely on

others. That reliance began in the ER on Ash

Wednesday, when I realized a large number

of Ascension friends had come there to keep

vigil. Seeing them and realizing they came

out of love was much appreciated and

humbling. They cared for Philip by allaying

his fears and carrying him home; they took

care of informing my other children of the

goings on; they kept the Ascension candles

burning that night and in the days afterwards.

Our Elders arranged for much welcomed

pulpit assistance for Holy Week and have

been very helpful in personal ways.

LETTING OTHERS IN Because life is

short, and seems to be shorter than we think,

I am learning to be more open with others

about important things such as faith, love and

hope and asking them for their help. As I

write, a song is playing on Philip’s radio,

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Reflections May, 2017

“We all need somebody

to lean on.” That sounds

so logical; yet it is

difficult to admit, given

our ingrained need to do

things by ourselves. We

a l l h a v e f a l l e n ;

sometimes we need help

to get back up, no matter

what the issue. If we look

around, some are always standing by to fill in our

gap and make us able again. When we reach out to

them, they will give us a hand-up.

So… Special thanks to Rev. Mark Kuehnert for

preaching on the Maundy Thursday Miracles. A

huge thank-you also for Seminarian Alex Sabol

and his wonderful sermons on Easter Sunday, plus

his help on Good Friday and the Easter Vigil. Did

you know that in the space of 8 days, I conducted

four infant baptisms? May God bless each of these

babies with saving faith and a life-long trust in His

grace.

OUR NEW VICAR Seminarian Colin Ford has been

assigned to Ascension for a year of service as our vicar.

Colin is from Trinity Lutheran Church of Traverse City,

Michigan, and attends Concordia Theological Seminary

in Fort Wayne. He is single and anxious to join our min-

istry here. He likes to preach and wants our vicarage to

help him improve those skills and learn how to become

a good pastor. Prior to entering the seminary, he gradu-

ated from Concordia University in Mequon, Wisconsin.

Colin is expects to arrive in Huntsville during the July/

August time.

God be with us all and bless us.

Love you all,

Pastor Bernie

New Addresses Joshua and Suzy Brakhage 2 Founder's Way, Unit A St. Louis, Mo 63105

Josh and Suzy will be moving on May 5. Tom and Annette Duckworth 1231 Lucy Grade Road Dothan, AL 36301

Tom and Annette are currently living at the above address. Bruce and Janel (and family) will be moving to Phoenix, AZ, and are currently looking for a new house at the time of this newsletter. Shall we all have a “Cry Party” soon?

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For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only

Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but

have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the

world to condemn the world, but to save the world

through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned,

but whoever does not believe stands condemned already

because they have not believed in the name of God’s one

and only Son. John 3:16-18

The KFUO-AM radio program, “Cross Defense,” is

an ongoing study of Francis Pieper’s Christliche

Dogmatik, or Christian Dogmatics, a defense of the

Christian faith based on the premise that Scripture

alone is our foundation. This book, and also this radio

program, assert that there are only two religions: (1)

Christianity, a belief system based on the Gospel, the

good news of salvation that Christ has procured for

us through His perfect life, His atoning death and His

resurrection and (2) all other belief systems, all of

which are works-based, all of which rely upon our

being good enough and doing enough good works in

this lifetime to merit an afterlife reward.

Many people, including some who call themselves

Christians, believe that all religions are similar and

that there are few differences between them. They

believe that, at their core, all religions are based on a

belief in a God who, for those individuals who strive

to do the will of God, rewards their good works and

good lives with a pleasing afterlife. They believe that

Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and all other religions

are just different flavors of the same thing. This

belief that all religions are the same is typified in an

article I read recently in which the author was

flabbergasted that there were Christians at a refugee

camp who had the audacity to try to convert Muslims

to Christianity.

The truth is, they are close to right; Islam, Buddhism

From the Elder Rick Hilst There Are Only Two Religions

and all the other non-Christian religions are just

different flavors of the same thing. All non-Christian

religions teach a path of self-righteousness in which

attainment of heaven (or whatever goal) is based

purely on the good works and proper living of the

individual. All non-Christian religions, all of which

are condemned in John 3:18, share this perspective,

share this belief that what happens after death

depends on how and what one does in this life.

Only Christianity stands out as different; only

Christianity portrays us as fallen individuals, born in

sin, at our

core, evil, and

unable to do

a n y t h i n g

good and, by

n a t u r e ,

enemies of

God. Only

Christ ianity

defines us as

s p i r i t u a l l y

d e a d ,

deserving of eternal damnation, completely incapable

of helping ourselves and, therefore, in desperate need

of a Savior. Only Christianity defines salvation as

something done for us and given to us as a totally

unmerited gift. Only Christianity defines God as a

loving Father, as a Son who humbled Himself and

became man and died for us on a cross, a symbol of

torture, shame and humiliation, and as a Holy Spirit

who literally indwells those who believe in Him.

Only Christianity asserts that Heaven is attained by

God’s grace, via Christ’s sacrificial death, through

our faith, a gift from God, and not through our good

works.

The Bible teaches that we are saved by God’s grace,

God’s undeserved love and

kindness for us, exemplified by

Christ’s atoning death on the

cross. Just as salvation is a gift

of God’s grace and mercy, so

faith is also a gift from God,

something for which we have no

Reflections May, 2017

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THIS ‘N THAT

role and get no credit. We were spiritually dead and

totally incapable of contributing to our salvation

when the Holy Spirit breathed life into us (for many

of us this happened at our baptism). Therefore, we

are saved by God’s grace, by Jesus’ atoning death,

through faith, which also comes from God as a gift

via the Holy Spirit. In other words, everything

about our salvation is the result of God’s work and

none of it is the result of our actions. This

completely differentiates Christianity from all other

religions, all of which put the onus of salvation on

us, on our works, on our living a good life.

Anyone who believes that Christianity is like other

religions has no understanding of what Christianity

truly is. Christianity is anti all other religions and,

therefore, there really are only two religions: (1)

Christianity, a faith-based belief in the works that

God has done for us that leads to the narrow gate to

Heaven, and (2) all other religions, all of which are

Reflections May, 2017

(our) works-based and all which lead down the wide path

to the wide gate to eternal damnation.

Thanks to those who

volunteered their time

Saturday, April 22nd to help

build a ramp for CASA, in

spite of the weather. It was

a most unusual build. First, we worked in the pouring

rain, and secondly, about three quarters

of the way to being finished, the elderly

woman decided she didn’t like the ramp

going into her lawn and demanded that

it be taken down. This was a first in the

history of CASA ramp building. So,

not only did we build most of a ramp,

we also had to disassemble an almost

built ramp. What a morning!

The May closing program and

graduation of the Preschool

children at the CDC will be held

May 18 in our Sanctuary at 6:30

PM. Everyone is invited to attend.

More information will be forthcoming. Check the

websites!

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VBS - The registration form shown on

the preceding page for the 2017

Vacation Bible School program gives

the time and dates for this year’s VBS.

Make sure to read the DCM’s page to

learn of the many ways you can serve

in this ministry.

UKANDU - The Ascension Youth

Group is planning their 3rd Annual

Mission Trip to Chicago. While there

will be more information to come, here

is a big item that allows everyone

involved the ability to go!

THE MEN’S PRAYER BREAKFAST

continues to be well attended, but more

are always welcome. It is never too

late to join us. We are finishing the 4

part series on the study of Islam this

Saturday, April 29th, at 8:30. We enjoy

breakfast and fellowship, short study,

and end with prayers. All men are

invited to attend. We will begin a new

topic of study in May. Stay tuned for

more information on the next topic.

C o n t a c t B r u c e S k r a b a n e k

at bruce.a.skrabanek@gmail.com or 25

6-929-2917 if you have any questions.

THE CHILDREN’S SUNDAY SCHOOL is

wrapping up their mission project of

purchasing honeybees and equipment

for two families in Guatemala. We are

almost to our goal of $60. Thanks to

all who support our mission project

and bring in weekly offerings. We

voted last Sunday that

our next mission

project will be a piglet

for a woman in Nepal.

She can raise piglets

into hogs and support

her family with the income. Watch for

our new bulletin board and progress on

our poster in the hallway by the

preschool classroom in the coming

weeks.

Reflections May, 2017

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LWML Betty Fischer President

Reflections May, 2017

“For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was

thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger

and you welcomed Me, I was naked and you

clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in

prison and you came to Me. Then the righteous

will answer Him, saying, “Lord, when did we see

You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You

drink? And when did we see You a stranger and

welcome You, or naked and clothe you? And when

did we see You sick or in prison and visit You? And

the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as

you did it to one of the least of these My brothers,

you did it to Me.” Matthew 25:35-41

Back in November 2015 when I first began writing

LWML articles for Reflections, I pledged to

answer the question, “How does LWML spend the

mites that I give?” Since then, each month, a

“spotlight” was placed on a grant that had been

selected by the Gulf States District LWML and the

national LWML. I also included the missions that

Ascension LWML selected and supported. All the

Gulf States District LWML grants have been in the

“spotlight.” The following “spotlight” on a

national LWML grant will be the last covered for

the biennial of 2015-2017. New grants will be

selected at the national convention in June, 2017. I

hope the “spotlights” and other shared information

have provided insight as to how mites have been

used to further spread the Gospel of our Lord and

to help others who need our help.

The national LWML provided a grant of $25,000

to the Rosa Young Academies-Rosa Young

Projects Initiative to provide children with a safe

environment for education and spiritual growth; an

opportunity to worship together and grow in the

Word of God; witness to one another of God’s

love, mercy, and grace; participate in positive, life-

changing spiritual and character building programs;

receive healthy nutritious meals and learn healthy

eating habits; and be counseled in learning healthy life

skills. The academies will provide a positive life

change in rural, urban, and inner-city communities

inspiring children to embrace church careers.

The 2015-2017 missions goal of $2 million was met

and exceeded by $97, 904.23 as of March 31! Yes, a

total of $2,097,904.23 was collected--that’s a lot of

mites! Thanks be to God! A message from Patti

Ross, President, LWML:

Praise God for His Faithfulness!

Lutheran Women in Mission across the United States

have united in the common desire to share the Gospel

of Jesus Christ throughout the world. As of March 31,

2017, our Mission Goal for 2015–2017 has been met!

Praise God for His faithfulness and the determination

of faithful women to raise over $2 million for mission

grants! ….Many thanks to all who shared their

blessings with others through LWML mission grants.

Please take a moment to thank our Lord with words

from our Lutheran Service Book.

Thank the Lord and sing His praise; Tell everyone

what He has done.

Let everyone who seeks the Lord rejoice and proudly

bear His name.

He recalls His promises and leads His people forth in

joy with shouts of thanksgiving.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Special thanks go to all the members of Ascension

LWML who have contributed and worked tirelessly to

support all the missions of LWML.

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OUR MISSION

Time is running out……… Come to our Diamond

Dazzle Celebration at the 37th Biennial Convention

June 22-25, 2017, in Albuquerque, New Mexico!

Just a few more 75th Anniversary milestones!

Caring Ministry established, and program’s first

video (“I Feel So Alone”) was produced in

1989. (The goal was to help LWML

members minister top people facing AIDS,

chemical dependency, alcoholism, child

abuse, abortion, and other serious problems.)

Members provided 10,000 convention bears for

distribution to children affected by the 9/11

terrorist attack in New York in 2001.

Devotional booklet, “In His Service”, published

in 1999 with a camouflage cover for military

personnel; requested in large quantities

beginning in 2002 by chaplains in Iraq.

Teen LWML program created in 2005.

News and upcoming events from Ascension LWML…

Alex Garber, one of our Concordia Seminary students and Roberta Willenberg’s grandson, received his call in late April to Eastpointe, MI. May God’s blessings be on Alex as he goes forth in his ministry. A new LWML President, Secretary, and Christian Life Chairperson will be elected at the May 13 meeting which starts at 10 AM. Come and join us!

Ascension LWML will have a Bake Sale on Friday, June 2 at the CDC from 6:30 AM to 1:00 PM and on Sunday, June 4 in the church Narthex immediately following the 8:00 AM service. All proceeds will help support the 2019 National LWML Convention in Mobile, AL. Mark your calendars for the Bake Sale now—we will have lots of homemade goodies!

We say farewell to Annette Duckworth, who has moved to Dothan, AL, with her husband, Tom. We are so thankful for Annette’s devoted service to LWML. She was always quick to volunteer whenever help was needed and did a superb job as secretary for many years. We all enjoyed her beautiful decorations at LWML events. We will miss her and pray that God will bless her and Tom as they settle into their new home. And, as the LWML year draws to a close this month, LWML will take a short summer break before the next meeting on August 12 at 10 AM. in the Sunken Room! Have a wonderful summer!

Annette Duckworth’s new address: 1231 Lucy Grade Road Dothan, AL 36301

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“It is more blessed to give than to receive,” said St.

Paul, quoting our Lord (Acts 20:35). How can this

be?

Jesus and His disciples withdrew to a mountain by

the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The crowds

followed them, for the Lord had just showered

upon them the gift of His teaching, the gift of His

Word. But the day was waning; the sun was

setting, and it was getting late. Looking upon the

crowds, Jesus had compassion on them and asked,

“Where are we to buy bread, so that these people

may eat” (John 6:5)? Philip said that two hundred

denarii (a day’s wages for two hundred men) could

not buy enough bread for each of them to get a

little.

But Andrew, Peter’s brother, brought a young boy

forward, who had five barley loaves and two small

fish. “But,” Andrew asked, “what are they for so

many” (John 6:9). Jesus replied, “Have the people

sit down” (John 6:10).

Then Jesus, the Son of God, gave them a second

gift, a gift from what only He could give—a gift

from above. He took the bread and the fish, gave

thanks, blessed them, and distributed them to the

crowd. Then came the miracle. As these five

loaves and two fish were given out, they

multiplied. He fed the hungry crowd until they

were all full. And twelve baskets full were left

over.

But Jesus was not the only one who gave that day.

There is one person who also gave from what he

had. It was the boy with the five loaves and the

two fish. All the others, including the boy,

received the gift of a miraculous feast. And they

would look back on it with wonder. But the boy,

when he would look back on it, would look back

and remember not just what he received. He

would look back with wonder and delight when

the Son of God made his gift into something

miraculous. For it is more blessed to give than to

receive.

This our Lord does for each of us. He presses our

gifts, no matter how big or how small, into His

service and works wonders with them. He

provides through what we give: water for baptism,

bread and wine for the Lord’s Supper, a man

called and sent for the preaching of the Gospel

and Absolution. He provides a building in which

we can gather as His children, lights so that we

might not gather in darkness. He provides funds

for the care of the poor and struggling, for

missionaries who preach and teach beyond our

borders. He makes Christians, disciples of our

Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in our midst by

bringing them to faith and nurturing them in that

faith. He takes our gifts and turns them into

something miraculous.

Indeed, it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Thus we give. We give of what we have. And the

Lord works His wonders.

Stewardship

Glen Huling

Reflections May, 2017

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Kids’ Corner

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OUR MISSION

DCM

Thoughts

What a wondrous world the Lord has given

us! When I look around and see all He has

created, I wonder how anyone can say that

they don’t believe God exists. How could all

this come into being without a Creator? How

could everything take place in its right time

without the continued presence and direction

of His loving hand?

As I have experienced my first spring in

Alabama, I am so thankful that God is in

control and all things happen in their due

season. The trees and grass went from brown

to vibrant shades of green. Plants have

b l o s s om ed

out and let

f o r t h

d e l i c a t e

fragrances,

(except for

the Bradford

pear trees – I

don’t like

their smell.)

I have a

couple nests

on my back

porch which

have mama

birds sitting,

waiting for

their young to hatch, and new life to take

place. None of these things had to have a

person in charge to make it happen. There are

no committees planning the events, no CEO’s

or Board of Directors. The President doesn’t

dictate when such things are to happen. It

happens in the Lord’s time.

In Ecclesiastes 3, it says there is a season and time for

everything. That is so comforting. No matter what

humankind does, God is still in control. Nothing is out of

His realm. Nothing is going to happen “behind His back.”

God doesn’t declare that all trees shall bloom at 6:28 AM

on March 20, (when spring officially began this spring.)

Trees bloom when it is the right time within the framework

the Lord has set forth. The “right time” is different in each

place and God knows when that is.

As I look toward the month of May, I anticipate the birth of

my first grandchild. Everyone has their schedule of when

they want the baby to come. I

don’t want him to be born

while I am in New York for a

family wedding. His mom

would prefer that he would

wait until after the school term

is finished. They would like for

him to be born before

Memorial day weekend. His

parents are hosting a family

reunion for Suzy’s mom’s 70th

birthday that weekend, and

they would like the family to

meet Graham (the name they

have chosen for him).

Graham’s birthday will happen when God decides it is

time. Only the Lord knows the day and time of Graham’s

debut into his earthly parent’s arms – he is already in their

hearts.

The Lord’s timing is perfect! Praise be to God!

In the Lord’s service,

Carla Jo

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There were many families from the CDC who came

to the Easter Egg Hunt. We hid close to 2000 eggs.

Thank you to all who helped fill them and make it a

fun time for the children involved.

There is a lot of activity at

the CDC during the month

of May. We have teacher

appreciation the first week

of the month. Our staff

strives to positively affect

the lives of the children

they interact with daily.

Please take the time to let

t h e m k n o w w e

acknowledge the work

they are doing with the

young people God has

placed in their care.

Our Spring program is set for Thursday, May 18,

beginning at 6:30 PM. The first part of the evening

will feature the children in classes Toddler 1 through

Preschool singing songs, and reciting verses, telling

about how great our Lord is. Then each of the classes

will have a song or verse by themselves. Finally, we

will finish with our preschool graduation class.

We are expanding our age range for the summer.

Prior to the past two years where “Summer Kamp”

has been sponsored by the church, the preschool

opened its program

to include children

through second

grade. We are going

back to this practice.

During the summer

months, we will take

children ages six weeks through second grade. The

Reflections May, 2017

CDC News

Carla Jo

Brakhage

theme for the children will be “Fruits of the

Spirit” from a “Veggie Tale” perspective. Each

week we will emphasize a different attribute of

Galatians 5:22-23. Our resident handy men have

also reconstructed our garden area in the

playground so we can grow some actual

vegetables. If you know of any families who

would be interested in our summer program,

please give them my phone number; 256-536-

5245, or e-mail address; dcm@ascensionhsv.org,

and I will provide them with more information.

We are still asking for funds to purchase a six-

seater stroller to ease transportation issues with

our Toddler 1 class. The cost of such a stroller is

anywhere between $700.00 and $1,400.00

depending on the type of stroller selected. We

currently have $250.00 to use for this purpose. If

you would like to contribute to this fund, it

would be greatly appreciated. Please let Carla Jo

or one of the Board of Education members

know.

Mighty Fortress Vacation Bible school is

scheduled for next month, June 11 through 15.

We are still in need of

w o r k e r s . In t h i s

n e w s l e t t e r i s a

registration form. Please

fill it out for your

children/ grandchildren

and put it in Carla Jo’s

mailbox.

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Greetings and welcome to my ongoing series

investigating historical events of the 30 Years’ War

and the Reformation. This month’s article will build

somewhat on last

month’s article. Last

month, I introduced the

French Wars of Religion.

This month, I would like

to discuss a very

significant event that

took place during these

w a r s , t h e S t .

Bartholomew’s Day Massacre.

The two sides involved in these wars were the Roman

Catholics and the Huguenots, who were protestant

Calvinists. These wars began in 1562 and lasted on

and off until 1629. There was not much time that was

peaceful during those times, but the peace that did

occur was strenuous with neither side trusting the

other.

At the time of the massacre, the king was but a child

and his mother, Catherine de’ Medici, was the one

who was in charge and pulling the strings. She came

from a family that had a long history of influence and

presence within the Catholic Church - not to mention

that the nation of France had been a great supporter

and influence on the Catholic Church even, at one

point, being the center of the Holy Roman Empire.

This event centers around

the marriage of the king’s

sister, Margaret, to Henry

III of Navarre, a prominent

Huguenot and the future

king of France. This

wedding attracted many of

the Huguenot nobility to

Reflections May, 2017

Sabol’s

Saga

Seminarian

Alex Sabol

Paris, a largely Catholic city. Prior to this event,

the Peace of Saint-Germain was signed in 1570

to put an end to the French Wars of Religion, for

the time being. However, many Catholics were

upset with this treaty, especially with the fact

that the king had invited members of the

Protestant nobility, such as Admiral Gaspard de

Coligny, to the court.

The Queen Mother, Catherine de Medici, felt as

though this wedding would provide a perfect

opportunity to put an end to many of the

protestant leaders. The

evening before the massacre

began, there was an

assassination attempt on

Admiral de Coligny, the de

fac to leader of the

Huguenots. However, the

attempt failed and he was

s e r i o u s l y w o u n d e d .

Concerned by the attempt, protestants burst into

the queen’s chamber while she was eating

dinner, demanding justice. This raised fears of

just what the Huguenots would do in response as

Coligny’s brother-in-law was heading an army

of 4,000 camped just outside the city, even

though there was no indication that he was going

to attack.

At some point on August 23, 1572, Catherine de

Medici went to speak to the king regarding their

situation and the decision was made to eliminate

the Huguenot leaders that remained in the city.

Shortly after this decision was made, the local

authorities were summoned and ordered to close

the city gates and arm the citizenry in order to

quell any protestant uprising that may occur. The

king’s personal Swiss Guards were given the

task of killing the protestant elites. At some point

during the night, the bells of the church of Saint-

Germain l’Auxerrois began to ring for Matins,

and thus

t h e

massacre

began.

14

Reflections May, 2017

They first went after Admiral Coligny, still

suffering from the assassination attempt made on

him just days earlier. The tension that had been

created by the uneasy peace now exploded and

citizens all over the city of Paris began hunting

down protestants to kill them. Despite the

attempts of the king, the massacre lasted for 3

days. It also spread from Paris to the other

provinces of France where, in some cases, the

massacre lasted for weeks.

The Huguenots suffered heavy losses, including

many of their political, financial, and military

leaders. It

is difficult

to

measure

just how

m a n y

p e o p l e

w e r e

killed, so

estimates

r a n g e

from 5,000 to 30,000, with either number being

entirely possible. It is an important event

because it shows us that at this time, it wasn’t

just Lutherans and Catholics that were at odds,

but there were other protestant factions that were

involved and suffered from the effects of the

religious wars that took hold of Europe during

the 16th and 17th centuries.

I hope you enjoyed this month’s saga. - Alex

Toni Hypes 05/02

Anna Peebles 05/03

Crissi Patterson 05/03

Steven Jensen 05/05

Philip Fraley 05/05

Alex Sabol 05/08

Debbie Fraley 05/09

Hawley Cheney 05/09

Kathy Kiehl 05/13

Janet Smith 05/14

Kirsten Salem 05/18

Rick Hilst 05/19

Missional Outreach Visits

May 3, 17, 31 - Group visits at HHR at 10:00 AM

May 9, 23 - Group visits at Regency at 1:00 PM

Introduction (Ascension & Purpose of Visit) – Pastor

1st Song

2nd Song

First Reading – Old Testament

3rd Song

4th Song

Second Reading – New Testament

5th Song

6th Song

Third Reading – Gospel

7th Song

Benediction Song

One-on-One Visits (30 to 60 minutes)

Jonathan Stoddart 05/19

Andrew Langefeld 05/20

Jean Shaver 05/20

Patrick Hurst 05/21

Lukas Meyerhoff 05/22

Jessica Moon 05/26

Shepherd’s Staff is

temporarily “on

vacation” and is

unavailable for

information. If your

birthday is missing,

that’s why.

15

May 2017