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Holy Cross Lutheran Church

“Sharing the

Ointment for Jesus’

Feet, Giving God

our Very Best” Cf. John 12:3

Our mission statement:

Celebrating God’s love

by worshipping God,

caring for each other,

and serving in community.

Vol. 24

No. 8

August 2018

“Daddy, can we keep it?” It’s a question that will strike fear into any

sober man’s heart. The instantly beloved ‘it’ in question is invariable ugly,

sick, hungry, abandoned and covered with mange, wounds, or a variety of

exotic parasites along for the ride.

My Beloved, Candy, had a garden center business on a busy corner

with a minimum annual ten-dog turnover. Abandoned dogs left marks like

hoboes indicating food and care at this location. It was a problem. The dog

pound or the SPCA was often a death sentence. The Billy Gates fortune

couldn’t touch the vet bills for appropriate care. So they’d hang out and eat,

get first aid and love and succumb eventually to the natural selection of

speeding cars or bigger dogs. I did the obsequies and burials of a multitude.

Some were just too mean, untrainable or rambunctious to keep

around a business with lots of people traffic. There was a beautiful 150

pound Great Dane mix that I really wanted to keep around, but he absolutely

would not accept the fact that I was the Alpha Pack Animal on the corner.

He outweighed Diamond Willy, and when Willy got his sandwich out for

lunch, the dog treed him on the counter. With his front paws on the counter,

they stood eye to eye, until I waved my drumstick at the Dane and then

threw it in the front seat of the truck. I jumped in after the dog and we took a

ride to a distant farm where I knew the farmer would love to give him a

home.

BERGY’S BABBLE: “CAN WE KEEP IT?”

… /// ...

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I learned that trick when I was 10. I had a 700 pound black pet boar

named Snowball (a tip of the hat to Animal Farm), eight sows and a hundred

or more new piglets twice a year. My responsibility was to feed and water

them and keep them in their pens. I knew each one personally, having mid-

wifed them as they were born and seeing that they got to safety and food at

birth.

The hardest part was keeping them penned up. They could teach

Houdini about escaping. And then I’d have a couple of acres of pigs ma-

rauding through the barnyard, banging on the kitchen door and rooting up

my wild asparagus patch in the ditch of the New Gottland township road.

The pigs’ favorite treat was crusty old cinnamon rolls. Lawrence, a

lifelong family friend was the baker at the City Bakery, and he gave us bags

full of old rolls. I would keep a bunch of rolls in a tin bucket. They rattled

and the pigs knew the sound of food.

So when they would breach their confinement, I’d open the barn

door, traipse 100 yards back to the house, get my tin bucket o’rolls and com-

mence to rattlin’. There’d be a moment of silence, porcine snouts scanning

the air for molecules of cinnamon and sugar, then inquisitive snuffling,

grunting, squealing and then the sound of pigs in full gallop. I would run for

my life with that bucket o’rolls for the barn and when I got there I’d sling

the bucket as far into the barn as I could and hide behind the door. When

they all get in, I slam it. Ha. Gotcha.

My Dad, Andy, is watching and laughing and saying, “Boy, you

work too hard when you run. You gotta shift gears and glide!” Here I’ve got

these big problems, and he’s commenting on my track and field style like

maybe I’ll be the next Jim Thorpe. “Yeah, right,” I’d retort. “Dad…I was

still accelerating. No time to shift gears. You didn’t have 6000 pounds of

bacon chasing you!”

… /// ...

… /// … Bergy’s Babble — “Can We Keep It?”

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Cats gained a foothold in Candy’s corner ecology. They were excel-

lent hunters who brought us their daily spoils. It was always important to

get there early and cleanup the dead rodents, birds, rabbits and snakes that

they presented to us as evidence that we needed to learn how to hunt better.

Possums flourished. Josh and I encountered one and he asked, “Can

we keep it?”

I said, “Sure, you stand there with this gunny sack and bag it when I

run it your way.” Both of them raced for the front door in abject terror. In

one week we caught nine possums. We took them to Longfellow Elemen-

tary to show the kids’ classmates. It was a big hit. But Mr. Beringer, the

principal called me into his office. It is a dubious distinction being a parent

that gets called into the principal’s office. “NO MORE POSSUMS, MR.

BERGGREN!” And then two days later he calls me back into his office.

Now, I’m really nervous. And Mr. Beringer knows that he’s got me. He

grins and says that he spoke prematurely, and that the cooks were wondering

if I still had any possums left. I think that he was pulling my leg.

Then came a hot dry summer. Turtles were crossing FM2234

hunting for ditchwater. “Daddy, can we keep it?” “Yes as long as it takes to

move it to a creek or the back of the garden center. Frogs escaping the sun,

tunneled into a dry pond bed and we’d sprinkle water around their burrows

to fake them out into emerging. “Can we keep it?” Yes, this is a rescue

mission to repatriate the amphibians to a sprinkler system.

And then there was the dawning of the Age of Aquariums. The fish

tanks at Wal-Mart were a real hit. “They’re so cute! Can we keep them?”

We committed major ichthyocide for about a month until we figured out

how to raise fish. Then the guppy tank started taking seriously the biblical

injunction concerning fruitfulness and multiplication. Soon we were up to

six aquariums. The oxygenators bubbled so loud that the noise of the mov-

ing water made family members get up all night to go to the bathroom.

… /// ...

… /// … Bergy’s Babble — “Can We Keep It?”

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Meanwhile, I had bought two precious little clown knives about 3

inches long with the cute little spots on the tail. They commenced to eating

everything except a swift little cichlid and a honcho-mama parrotfish who

had elevated the menacing glare to a fine art. Suddenly, they are nine inches

long and eating 25 feeder fish a day. This is starting to cost me.

Then on a trip to Moody Gardens, we spot a clown knife in the fresh

water habitat at the bottom of the Rain Forest Exhibit. It is three feet long.

Ooops. Subsequent research indicated that this Mekong River Delta native

grows up to 4 or 5 feet at which point you can feed it ducks or baby water

buffalo. So now we need a larger tank. If we release them, they’ll eat all

the bass in Lake Houston.

Shane, being a savvy shopper, learned how to scan through the want

ads for large cheap fish tanks. When I was his age, all I cared about was the

comics so I was a little nonplussed by the kid burying himself in Chronicle

Want Ads.

On Transfiguration Sunday, suddenly, from deep within the pile of

want ads I hear, “Oh Daddy, puhlease can we get it?”

“Get what, son?”

“There’s a GIRAFFE for sale here, can we get it please?” (A circus

must be liquidating assets, or something.)

“How much are they asking for it, kid?”

“What’s $35K mean, Daddy?”

“How much is a goat, boy?”

“I don’t know, but a zebra’s only $6500.00.”

I can see where this is going. We’re headed for a negotiated settle-

ment on an aquarium in the mere hundreds of dollars range. I feel a head-

ache coming on.

Josh adds, “I want a bird. I want a bird!” … /// ...

… /// … Bergy’s Babble — “Can We Keep It?”

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About this time a starving, long-haired black cat with patches of fur miss-

ing, a balefully empty eye-socket with infected matter, and a yowl that

would make a hellhound tuck tail, limps up to the food dish at the nursery,

and you know what the next words spoken are, don’t you? Five words that

make a parent cringe: “Wow, can we keep it?”

You want to holler, “NO WAY,” but how can you veto a child’s

concern and pity and care?

“But it’s beautiful,” they both say in unison of this bedraggled, for-

saken creature, sick and hungry, hit every branch falling out of the ugly tree.

It is rubbing on the children, and purring like a buzz saw, and it needs some

major medical attention.

I’d be upset, but I keep thinking of the Transfiguration and I see

Jesus standing in the middle of this messy world, against all verifiable

evidence thinking that it’s beautiful, and praying, “Daddy, can we keep it?”

See you in worship…………………….. BERGY

… /// … Bergy’s Babble — “Can We Keep It?”

JULY 2018

Altar flowers were donated by:

01 Betty Mooney

08 Betty Mooney

15 Betty Mooney

22 Calvin & Tillie Remmert

29 Betty Mooney

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… /// ...

MINUTES FOR COUNCIL MEETING

JUNE 20, 2018

The June 2018 Church Council meeting was called to order by

President Warren Schick on Wednesday, June 20, 2018 at 2:02 p.m.

Pastor Berggren opened the meeting with a prayer.

In attendance were: Pastor Jim Berggren, Pastor Jhon Jairo Arroyave,

Deacon Karen Davidson, Warren Schick, Bettie Baring, Jay Byerly,

Pat Curran, Julie Kilkenny, Wendy Lambeth, Wayne Schaper, and

Fredda Yurk. Bettye Raschke did not attend.

The minutes from the May Council meeting were submitted by Julie

Kilkenny and unanimously approved by Council. They will be

submitted for publication in Crossties and on the website.

The Treasurer’s report was presented by Wayne Schaper. Offerings

for the month of May were $24,122, which was down $4,839 from

the previous month. Expenses for the month of May 2018 were

$42,960, an increase of $6,580 from the previous month. Year to

date expenses exceeded offerings by $23,972. The checking account

balance at 5/31/18 was $195,754, not including restricted funds. The

Endowment Committee has $399 interest available for disbursement.

The Treasurer’s report was unanimously approved as presented.

Pastoral Staff Reports:

Pastor Berggren gave Council a quick update on his activit ies

over the past month. In addition to his normal activities, he, Pastor

Arroyave, Deacon Davidson and Gloria McGarvey attended the

Synod Convention in May. He noted the passing of Merle Jensen

and Helen Jacob in May.

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… /// ...

… /// … HCLC Minutes for Council Meeting — June 20, 2018

Deacon Karen Davidson r epor ted that she had an extr a busy

month with end of life counseling, nursing facility and in -home vis-

its, as well as prayers, phone calls and visits for HCLC members and

friends. She has also been working on finding rides for members

who are having trouble making it to church services. She continues

her preparation of the PowerPoint presentation for the early worship

service.

Pastor Arroyave updated Council on the celebr ation of Fir st

Communion in May. He noted that the Spanish ministry at Holy

Cross was established in March 1994 and wondered whether the

church might want to celebrate the 25 th anniversary next year.

Old Business and Committee Reports:

Mr. Schick reported on the Building and Grounds activities. The

Youth Room project is well underway. The carpet has been removed,

and the brick floor will need to be sealed. Mr. Schaper volunteered

to get the baseboards repainted. Wendy Lambeth canvassed mem-

bers of the congregation and noted support for covering a portion of

the floor with interlocking foam tiles; WELCA will help financially

with this item. President Schick reported that the refurbishment of

the FLC restrooms is complete. He thanked the Heavenly Quilters,

the Circles and WELCA for their support, and especially Alan

Lambeth for all of his hard work.

Jay Byerly reported that the Spanish Ministry team met with Pastor

Chris Markert, and efforts continue in seeking Synod support and

guidance for this ministry. Pastor Markert wanted to talk to Council

about the HCLC vision for the future of the Spanish ministry, proba-

bly at the August meeting.

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… /// ...

… /// … HCLC Minutes for Council Meeting — June 20, 2018

Mr. Schick thought that would be good timing, as it would give him

an opportunity to attend a Spanish worship service at Holy Cross

before the meeting. Pastor Arroyave stated that he was open to a

shared ministry with other congregations.

Work continues on updating the Holy Cross website. Joe Lambeth

has been working on a complete overhaul and would like to come to

the July Council meeting to discuss the project.

President Schick received an inquiry about the Telge property, and

he wanted Council input about how to respond. The consensus was

that, at this time HCLC is not at a point to discuss the sale of this

property.

Bettie Baring gave an update on WELCA activities. The new

WELCA Board met and set the schedule for the coming year.

WELCA meetings will be 9/8/18, 12/1/18 and 5/4/19, and the Annual

Retreat is scheduled for 1/26/19. The Board elected not to have a

convener; instead each board member will be in charge of a specific

charity and area of interest. WELCA is looking at creating a nurse-

ry in the Library of the FLC, so there will be a place for childcare

after memorial services, etc. WELCA continues to work with the

Houston Mennonite Church on what they would like to use the

“housewarming” gift for. Ms. Baring inquired about whether HCLC

would have a Rally Sunday this year. Council decided September 9 th

would be a good date.

New Business:

Mr. Schaper noted that the summer rental agreement with First

Baptist Church for their summer camp program is going well.

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They are using the gym Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. until noon. He

reported they bring a different group of campers in each week and

provide their own transportation, as well as a constable.

Council firmed up plans for the July 1st celebration. Cathy Elijah

has plans for patriotic music, and there will be a hot dog lunch.

Pastor Berggren suggested this would also be a good time to recog-

nize new members.

Pastor Arroyave reminded Council that the Spanish congregation will

hold a car wash on July 7 th.

Fredda Yurk noted the problem with the church phone system not

working properly. She will undertake this project to effect the proper

rollover of the phone lines.

The next Council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 11, 2018

at 2:00 p.m.

Upon motion to adjourn, the meeting was closed with the Lord’s

Prayer.

Respectfully submitted,

Julie Kilkenny

Council Secretary

… /// … HCLC Minutes for Council Meeting — June 20, 2018

COUNCIL MEETING

Next Council Meeting:

Wednesday, August 15, at 2:00 p.m. —FLCA

Church Council

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FRIENDSHIP CLUB

The Friendship Club will be meeting at Don Jose Mexican Restaurant

(5305 Antoine Dr. 77091) Saturday, August 18, at 4:00 p.m.

If you plan to attend, please contact our hosts Harold and Alice Braun at

281-636-5342 by 8/13. Hope to see you there!

Nancy Beamesderfer

EARLY LEARNING CENTER

How quickly this summer is passing! Even as we sit in our air-conditioned

homes, trying to avoid the heat, the school sales are going on.

At the Early Learning Center, we are starting to think about the next school

year as well. The staff is busy attending conferences to get those all im-

portant continuing education units (CEUs) and will soon be planning

schedules, looking at class lists and making lesson plans.

By the last week of August, the teachers will be back getting classrooms

ready. We will hold a parents meeting on August 30th, in the Sanctuary and

an open house for all the students on the 31st.

Classes will begin after Labor Day on September 4. So if you are at the

church during the week, you will see increasing activity as the teachers

come and go and cleaning and repair work on the school is completed.

A word of thanks is due to the congregation and staff of the church for

your great support. We couldn’t have the successful school that we do

without your assistance.

We will soon be looking for Prayer Pals for the school year, so please keep

that in mind if you are interested. Thank you again for all you do for us.

Margaret Gehman, Director

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Do you like to sing? The Vocal Choir wants you to sing with them!

Please join us for a song, a special occasion or the entire season.

We practice on the first and second Sunday's in the choir loft at 8:30 a.m.

Do you want to sing a solo or with a small ensemble? Do you have a

certain song you want to sing? We'll try to make that work too!

Regular choir practice resumes after Labor Day; we'll be practicing on

September 9 and September 16. We hope you'll be there to join the fun!

Cathy Elijah

The Handbell Choir will begin it's regular season of practice in Septem-

ber. Join us if you have even a little bit of music knowledge!

We practice on the third and fourth Sunday's in the Choir Room at 8:30

a.m. and perform in the worship service every 2 months. We're also seek-

ing 1-3 people to play selected handbells monthly with a hymn which is a

more relaxed practice and performance.

Please let us know if this interests you!

The Handbell Choir will have practice on September 23 and September

30. It's a fun, no pressure group that you'll love being a part.

Cathy Elijah

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Holy Cross members celebrating birthdays this month:

01 Tommy Roberts

02 Elaine Snell

03 Valeska Orellana

Samuel Flick

04 Barbara Sledge

Reina Gómez

06 Doris Pharries

Horacio Gómez

08 Stan Crick

Chris Lambeth

09 Adriana Samano

10 Ricardo Hernandez

11 Louise McDonnold

14 Ronald Burns

15 Fredda Yurk

16 Roberto Pérez

19 Anita Cooper

21 Brenda Villegas

22 Donna Fisher

23 Madelyn Price

24 Dorsey Mae Alexander

25 Marilyn Flick

María Hernández

27 Carol Thielemann

30 John Allcorn Jr.

If your name is not listed or if this is incorrect information

please contact Ann Larson so that the list can be corrected.

Ann Larson (713) 957-0972 email: larson.berg@yahoo.com

SNELL, Elaine

4919 Raindrop Hollow Dr.

Houston, TX 77041-5555

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DATE

1st READING

PSALM

2nd READING

GOSPEL

08/05/2018

Exodus

16:2-4, 9-15

78:23-29

Ephesians

4:1-16

John

6:24-35

08/12/2018

1 Kings

19:4-8

34:1-8

Ephesians

4:25—5:2

John

6:35, 41-51

08/19/2018

Proverbs

9:1-6

34:9-14

Ephesians

5:15-20

John

6:51-58

08/26/2018

Joshua

24:1-2a, 14-18

34:15-22

Ephesians

6:10-20

John

6:56-69

READINGS, PSALMS & GOSPEL

AUGUST 2018

Thanks to all those who put on the Hot Dog lunch!

We appreciate Karen Davidson generously providing the hot dogs and

Tillie Remmert, Hanne-Lore Sunder and Gloria McGarvey providing

yummy side dishes. Chef Sue Clark and her cook staff of Wayne and

Ruby Schaper did an outstanding job of cooking and preparing the meal.

It was extra special to dine in the patriotic setting.

It all made for a fun time and lots of good food with church friends!

Cathy Elijah

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Haiti to Houston

"Therefore go and make disciples of every nation, baptizing them in the

name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them

to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you

always to the very end of the age" Mathew 28:19-20

This same verse that I meditated on almost 2 years ago when I moved to

Haiti is once again being paced on my heart. A lot of changes happened in a

very short period of time, but I know this is not a surprise to God. This is all

part of His mighty plan. I'm sad to be leaving my Haiti home for a season,

but I'm expectant for God to do big things during this time.

I am currently in Turks Caicos with a group of Mission of Hope staff mem-

bers helping the underprivileged and underserved population that live and

work here. Please be in prayer for the teams coming and for the people we

are serving. Also be in prayer for our Austin, Texas team diligently work-

ing behind the scenes and serving the population there. And of course, for

Haiti, that peace will come upon the country and everything will be at rest.

Thank you Godin advance for the great advances to the kingdom that's

going to take place because of this. Thankyou for promising to be beside us

the whole time. We love you and thank you for being our Great Provider

and Savior.

Amen

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R E M E M B E R I N P R A Y E R

The homebound, disabled,

long-term ill and

prolonged recovering.

If you are not receiving HCLC

Prayer Request emails and would

like to, please contact

Renee Allcorn:

allcornr@swbell.net

or call (713) 254-8638

Note that Prayer Request emails

are sent out daily, so if you are on

the email list and did not receive

any email, please contact Renee.

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS

Monday—Thursday

8:30 am—4:30 pm

Friday

8:30 am—2:30 pm

You may sign up for

Altar Flowers

in the Narthex.

Suggested donation is $50.00

and $12.00 for a rose.

Ed Cooper

Betty Firth

Betty Morris

Doris Pannell

Elaine Snell

Rosie Stork

TREASURER’S REPORT

If you have any questions call

Wayne Schaper, Sr. at (713) 465-5206.

JUNE 2018

Receipts $ 36,390.00

Expenses 37,075.44

Balance < $ 685.44 >

====================

Operational receipts

year to date received …….. $ 207,706.00

Expenditures year to date ..… 232,742.43

Balance < $ 25,036.43 > =======================

Building Rental $ 4,440.00

AVERAGE ATTENDANCE

JUNE SERVICES 2018

English

Saturday: 12

Sunday: 67

Spanish

Sunday: 59

Dolores Fojt Maureen Fredrickson

David Garwick

Norma Hines

Bryan Kile

Nanette Luker

Al Pivonka

Larry Polzin

Charles Pustejovsky

Mel Rosenbaum

Wayne Schaper Jr.

Vernon Thielemann

Mim Wignes

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TELEPHONE EXTENSIONS

100 Church Office

101 Sussy Terry

103 Rev. Jim Berggren Senior Pastor

104 Rev. Jhon J. Arroyave Hispanic Pastor

105 Karen Davidson Deacon

107 Financial Office

108 Stephen Ministry Office

109 Family Life Center

111 Volunteer Office

Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Spring Branch

A Congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

7901 Westview Dr. Houston, Texas 77055

Tel. (713) 686-8253 Fax (713) 686-9095

E-mail: hclc@holycross.us

Website: www.holycross.us

“Holy Cross Lutheran Church is a community of Christians

gathered by God’s grace and reaching out through God’s love.”

YOUR CHURCH STAFF

† Rev. Jim Berggren — Senior Pastor Email : jlberggren@holycross.us

† Rev. Jhon Jairo Arroyave — Hispanic Pastor Email : jhonyave@holycross.us

† Karen Davidson — Deacon Email : aimked@gmail.com

† Sussy Terry — Office Manager Email : hclc@holycross.us

WORSHIP MUSICIANS

Cathy Elijah Music Director / Organist

Jo Ann Meeker Pianist

Ann Crick Pianist

EARLY LEARNING CENTER

ELC (713) 461-5535

OFFICERS OF THE CONGREGATION

Warren Schick President

Bettye Raschke Vice-President

Julie Kilkenny Secretary

Wayne Schaper, Sr. Treasurer

SATURDAY INFORMAL SERVICE

6:00 p.m. — Atrium

SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES

English Service : 9:30 a.m.

Sunday School : 11:00 - 11:45 a.m.

Spanish Service: 11:00 a.m.

Estudio Bíblico y Escuela Dominical

12:00 noon

Office Manager & Events Coordinator