Author: Jack Busche

April 2025 Devotional

1 Corinthians 15:19-26
19 If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. 21 For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; 22 for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
As we take our final steps through Lent and Holy Week, as we arrive to dine at the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday and kneel humbly at the cross on Good Friday, as we sit in holy silence on Saturday, the tension grows – something is coming – something’s got to give. How dreadful it would be if all we had was the pain and sorrow of the cross, without the hope of Easter! If Holy Week were to end with the shock of the crucifixion and the silence of the tomb, as Paul says above, “we are of all people most to be pitied.” (v. 19) But it does not – it cannot – Christ died, but he is not dead! The cross could kill, but in the end, it could not destroy – Christ is RISEN, and in him, so are we, not just in spirit but physically as well.
In this letter to a Corinthian church obsessed with spiritual signs, Paul needs them to understand that the good news, the euanggelion, is not about a purely spiritual transformation in this life, or a purely spiritual afterlife. If this is to be the gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news about the first of those raised from the dead, then this good news is about a physical resurrection; as the Apostles’ Creed professes, “I believe... in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.” Just as we will all die physically, our bodies failing us in sickness and age, in the time to come we will all be resurrected to new bodies, Adam exchanged for Christ. The good news is not that we will be floating spirits in a far-off heaven somewhere – the good news is that at the end of the age, we and all of humanity will be raised, body and spirit, to be judged by God’s resurrected and merciful Son. The resurrection of Christ is not a metaphor, but an event, and it is by God’s grace that the new life we celebrate is not a metaphor, but a reality.
Finally, this is not just good news for you or me, but good news for all of us, the great collective mass of humanity. And it is good news because in this resurrection to come all powers and authorities, every tyrant and tyrannical government, will be destroyed – in the kingdom to come, there are no borders or banks, no wars or flags, no poverty or oppression of any kind, because even death has been defeated by an all-loving and all-gracious King. The good news of Easter is not just that Jesus loves me and has saved me for a heavenly kingdom, but that Christ loves all, and his reign will be over a fully newborn Creation, freed from sin and death. Thanks be to God!
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
Christ is risen, indeed. Alleluia!

April

Newsletter

56

Grace Lutheran Church

News at Grace Lutheran

Weekly Bible Study – Mondays at 11 AM
On Mondays at 11 AM, Pastor Jack will host the weekly Bible study based on the lectionary texts for the next Sunday until Pastor Jack returns from his leave. All are welcome to attend, which will be held in our Gathering Room adjacent to the sanctuary. If you have some time on a Monday morning, we hope you can join us for this discussion-based study, as we go deeper into the texts we read every Sunday.

Community Bible Study
Join us at 8:45 AM on Sunday mornings for the Community Bible Study in the Gathering Room (2nd level) – all are welcome for our in-depth studies!

Although our faith is that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of David, our current Community Bible study focuses instead on David himself, as he is portrayed in I Samuel, II Samuel, and the very beginning of I Kings. These books are fascinating narratives that portray not only the struggles, epic successes and moral failures of David and his family, but also the chaotic period of transition in Israel from the charismatic leadership of the judges to the centralized power of kings. This is a story of terrible wars, competing factions, betrayals and rebellions – it is also a story of touching friendship, surprising mercy, and unshakeable faith in the God of Israel. Please join us on Sunday mornings at 8:45 AM in our Gathering Room, as we delve into the story of David, the Anointed One of God.

Apr. 6: Battle With the Philistines (I Sam 13:15b-14:23)
Apr. 13: NO BIBLE STUDY
Apr.20: NO BIBLE STUDY
Apr. 27: Saul’s Foolish Oath (I Sam 14:24-46)
May 4: Saul is Rejected (I Sam. 14:47-15)
May 11: David Anointed as King (I Sam. 16:1-13)
May 18: David Plays for Saul (I Sam 16:14-23)
May 25: David and Goliath Part I (I Sam. 17:1-25)

News at Grace Lutheran

Congregational Meeting April 6:
A congregational meeting will be held on April 6th to discuss and vote on a sound system overhaul/upgrade by Range Telecommunications. The cost of the upgrade is $17,607.95 and can be covered by the Building Maintenance Fund. Our council has proposed that the Building Maintenance Fund will then be reimbursed in August with funds from a matured Edward Jones CD. Please attend this meeting and give us your input!
Hope Circle:
The Hope Circle is collecting items to donate to the Harbor House Women’s Center during Lent. Please put items in the box in the narthex by Easter morning, April 20th.
HARBOR HOUSE & WOMEN’S CENTER NEED LIST:

Household:
Toilet paper
Paper Towels
Dishwasher Soap
13 Gallon Garbage Bags
Cleaning Supplies
Fabric Softener Sheets
Kitchen Storage Bags
Laundry Soap
Tissue Paper

Health and Beauty:
Women’s Under Garments
Shampoo and Conditioner
Hair Accessories
Deodorant
Lotion
Body Wash
Feminine Products
Razors
Diapers 4-7

News at Grace Lutheran

April 11th-12th - In the Body: Jr/Sr High Retreat at Fortune Lake:
Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp invites all current 7-12 graders to our In The Body Jr/Sr High Retreat! Join us for a weekend of faith formation, music, and fun! Fortune Lake is thrilled to welcome Rachel Kurtz as our facilitator for this retreat.
Through this year’s theme, Rachel Kurtz will guide the group through what it means to be “In The Body,” both in our own bodies and in the greater Body of Christ. Rachel will touch on what it means to be truly present and kind to our own bodies, how we can better show up as a member of the Body of Christ, and what that looks like in our lives. She will also be sharing her powerful music with the group throughout the weekend. The weekend will also feature familiar camp favorites like songs, games, campfire, hot saunas, and more. Fortune Lake’s one-night retreats are great for both longtime campers and those who are just trying it out for the first time.

Holy Week 2025 Schedule:
Palm Sunday (4/13):
Palm Sunday Cross Walk – Peter Nordeen Park
All are invited to join members of Grace Lutheran Church and other churches in Gwinn for a Palm Sunday Cross Walk in Peter Nordeen Park (Sunday bible study cancelled that morning).
Holy Communion Worship at 10 AM
Maundy Thursday (4/17):
Holy Communion Worship at 6 PM
Good Friday (4/18):
Worship at 6 PM
Easter: (4/20)
Holy Communion Worship at 10 AM

News at Grace Lutheran

Upcoming Confirmation Class Dates and Locations:
April – No Confirmation class in April as students are encouraged to attend Fortune Lake retreat
May 10 – Bethany, Republic

Kid’s Café
Kid’s Café is Grace’s after-school program. We are very proud that we have a regular group of both youth participants and adult volunteers that have continued to make this program a success. Each week on Monday evenings, our participating youth enjoy a meal, learn Bible stories and have fun with different crafts and activities. We are very proud of all our youth for how far they have come so far this year.
We look forward to watching them learn and grow in their faith each week.
UPDATE: On Monday, March 17th, for St. Patrick’s Day the kids learned about Saint Patrick and did a fun rainbow bracelet craft after.

News at Grace Lutheran

News at Grace Lutheran

Naomi Circle
Naomi Circle meets the second Thursday of each month at 2 PM in the fellowship room. All women are welcome to join us. We do a Bible Study from the Gather magazine and enjoy a coffee fellowship.
Quilters
The Quilters meet every Tuesday except the second Tuesday of each month in the fellowship room downstairs. We send our quilts to Lutheran World Relief each October as well as donating locally. New quilters welcome, No experience necessary . Come join us for a cup of coffee and see what we do!
Prayer Concerns
Darlene Faucher Karen Octaluk Bill Hatch
Gerry Stille Marlys Pickett Gloria LaFave
Alice Harbin Paul Juidici Sally Weingartner
Roger Harbin Judy Richard Sarah Johnson
Louise Spickerman Pat Makela Harold Zaborowski
Sarah Johnson Richard Erickson The family of Karen McElroy
Mike Stefanski Mary Stefanski The family of Ed Mattson
The family of Francis Keni

Daughters of Grace Banquet:
Our Daughters of Grace Banquet will be held on Friday May 9th, here at Grace. We will enjoy a Turkey dinner catered by Jody (Toodie’s Catering) at 6 PM and music by Deb Bengry and friends at 7 PM. All women are invited and guests are welcome too. Tickets at $20 each can be purchased from Lynnette Broxson, Pat Seger or Christine Mitchell. Children 5 and under are free - no ticket needed. Children 6-11 are $10 and children 12 and up are $20. Please Purchase tickets by April 30th!

News at Grace Lutheran

Bread for the World Offering of Letters Sunday - TO BE SCHEDULED IN MAY
As you already know, hunger continues to be a serious problem in the United States and a life-threatening emergency in some parts of the world. One in ten people around the world still go to bed hungry each night, while one in four children under five years old suffers from severe malnutrition. The problem is never that there isn’t enough food to go around, but that it is distributed unevenly. In other words, it’s a “fixable” problem.
The effort to alleviate hunger has been led by Christian communities around the world, including the Lutheran Church, through it’s World Hunger Appeal, under the administration of Lutheran World Relief. Locally, we participate in programs like Feeding America distributions. Every Monday during the school year, Grace volunteers provide food for children from the Sawyer and Gilbert schools, along with the spiritual nourishment of learning in community. And once a month, the Social Ministry team packages and distributes meal kits to people who are food insecure.
But the support of the United States government also is a key factor in fighting hunger. Programs like WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) provide needed support to families in need of supplemental support to keep their children strong and healthy. US aid, funneled through agencies like Lutheran World Relief, has helped bring needed supplies to nations like Haiti and Nicaragua, Sudan and Bangladesh, and in places like Gaza and Ukraine, where war rages. Peace and justice are not possible when basic needs are not met. For US security reasons alone, it is important for us to support these efforts.
As Christians, we have much deeper and more urgent motivation. “For when I was hungry, you gave me food.” (Matthew 25:35)
Bread for the World is a non-partisan organization that has advocated for domestic and global hunger programs for many, many years. It is has enjoyed robust support on both sides of the political aisle. Founded in the 1970’s by Arthur Simon, with the goal of ending hunger through education, coalition-building, and advocacy, Bread for the World organizes an “offering of letters” in congregations throughout the USA, urging members to write letters to congressional representatives in the House and Senate to support pending legislation that will help to feed and clothe people in need. This year, with the new administration resetting government priorities across the board, Bread for the World is asking for letters to support full funding of WIC and global nutrition programs. The letters can be simple and are best if they include something personal, taken from your own experience.
When we meet in May (to be scheduled), before and after worship, we will provide you with everything you need to do that: paper, envelopes, addresses, sample letters, and any coaching you might need to write three letters—to Representative Jack Bergman, Senator Gary Peters, and Senator Elissa Slotkin. It won’t take you long. You can even have cookies and coffee while you write!
These letters from constituents make a difference. And the more genuine and personal they are, the more impact they will have. You can listen to the testimonials from Sen Todd Young (R-Indiana) and Rep Jahana Hayes (D-Connecticut) on the impact of these letters at https://www.bread.org/offering-letters/#how-to.
Please join us in the simple task of writing a letter for the sake of the hungry in May.
--Mikael and Shirlee Leppaluoto, Dave and Arlene Van Kley

News at Grace Lutheran

April and May Sunday Worship Volunteers
Readers
Communion Assistants
Fellowship Servers

April 6th - Sharon Groff
April 13th - Karen Nelson
April 20th - Arlene Johnson
April 27th - Kaden Ruokala

May 4th - Will Browning
May 11th - Arlene Van Kley
May 18th - Karen Nelson
May 25th - Dave Van Kley

April 6th - Megan Browning
April 13th - Will Browning
April 20th - LuAnne Krueger
April 27th - Jean Armatti

May 4th - Arlene Johnson
May 11th - Mary Connors
May 18th - Ray Richard
May 25th - Ruth Forgette

April 6th - Karen Beaumier, Diane Koski
April 13th - Lynette Broxson, Becky Marjonen
April 20th - EASTER
April 27th - Shane Ruokola, Dee D’Ambrosia

APRIL BIRTHDAYS

Maxine Jacobson	4/3
Tony Beacco	4/3
Art Ontto Jr	4/4
Karen Nelson	4/7
Kelly DeBare	4/8
Irene Niemi	4/13
Karen Octaluk	4/15

Diane Koski	4/15
Chris Mitchell	4/16
Shay Kangas	4/17
Mary Connors	4/22
Dee D’Ambrosia	4/22
Beverly VanAlstyne	4/22
Chrys Hendrick	4/28

News at Grace Lutheran

News at Grace Lutheran

Northern Great Lakes Synodical Women's Organization:

Discipleship and Bible Study
As we prepare for Easter, we tend to forget and we may even fail to understand the meaning of the Lenten Season. We get so caught up in our daily lives that observing these weeks tends to be on the back burner during this time of year. Also, our family, friends, and neighbors may not understand what the Season of Lent means. AS Christians, we use this time of year to proclaim and witness to the world exactly what this glorious time of the year means. And the answer, going back to ancient times, is: Lent is a Season of Renewal!” I found a 3 to 4 week Bible study about Lent on the Women of the ELCA website, under the resources link, and the study is titled “Lent: Penitence, Pilgrimage, Preparation. The study is intended for us to focus on “renewal” and offers suggestions for ways for Christians to practice a Lenten discipline and on areas in our lives for us to focus on during these next weeks leading to Easter. It can be downloaded from this webpage: https://www.womenoftheelca.org/resources?fwp_resource_search=Lent: Penitence, Pilgrimage, Preparation May the Spirit of the Lord be with all who may do this study over the next several weeks and may they may feel renewed in the body of Christ.

News at Grace Lutheran

News at Grace Lutheran

News at Grace Lutheran

Grace Lutheran Church
Church Council, 3/19/25
Present: Pastor Jack, Bill Kangas, Dee D’Ambrosia, Ruth Forgette, Bill Koski, Sharon Groff, Paul Makela, Gary Howard, Jean Armatti, Karen Nelson
Meeting called to order at 3:30 p.m. by Bill Kangas. Pastor Jack led the invocation.
Agenda approved by Karen with 1 item added. Second by Ruth, motion carried.
Motion by Ruth, second by Sharon, to approve the 2/25 minutes. Motion carried.
Paul reviewed the financial reports. He made a motion to approve them as written. Second by Jean, motion carried.
Correspondence reviewed. Request for support from Gwinn Middle/High School. Will send $50 for drama club and $10 to renew our block. Alger/Marquette Community Action requesting support for community baby shower. Will post this in the bulletin.
OLD BUSINESS
Worship/Lenten Updates: Reviewed updates. Pr. Sharolyn Swenson, Assistant to the Bishop, will be preaching at Grace on June 15.
Youth Update: There will be a retreat at Fortune Lake on April 11/12 for 7th through 12th grade.
Feeding America Update: There have been worries about changes with the Feeding America distributions. Pastor Jack checked and there will be no changes with the dates we have scheduled for this year.
Property: Bill Kangas will contact Wright Electric for the light pole changes.
Continued on next page

News at Grace Lutheran

NEW BUSINESS
Van Designated Fund: Will keep funds for the van maintenance and replacement under 1 line item. Motion by Ruth, second by Dee, to approve. Motion carried.
Range Telecommunication Quotes: Pastor Jack, Ashley, and Bill Kangas met with an IT Specialist from Range.
A new Wi-Fi system ($4100) would cover the entire church building and there would be immediate improvement.
The sound system is a complete re-do ($17,607.95). Discussed options to save money. Pastor Jack noted we could get away with only 1 amplifier which would reduce the quote by $1614.22. He will ask about other cost cuts. Paul noted that our Edward Jones CD comes due in August and that we could take the money for this improvement now from the building fund and replace it with funds from the CD in August.
The A/V for Streaming ($1763) would improve our streaming quality and is much needed.
Motion by Ruth, second by Dee, to approve the new Wi-Fi system and A/V for streaming, with funds coming from the Memorial Fund. Motion carried.
Motion by Pastor Jack, second by Gary, to set up a congregation meeting to vote for improvement of our sound system. Motion carried.
Bread for the World Campaign: Pastor Dave, Arlene V., Mikael and Shirlee Leppaluoto are planning to lead letter-writing suggestions for anyone who wants to write a letter for Bread for the World, which addresses domestic and global hunger programs. They suggested Sunday, April 6. Motion by Sharon, second by Jean, to move this to sometime in May and it be offered in the Gathering Room. Motion carried, with 1 nay.
Community Meals at Forsyth Senior Center: Dee reported that what is needed is 6 people to volunteer in April and May for the monthly meal. Will post this in the bulletin.

News at Grace Lutheran

Forsyth Forward: This is an advertising opportunity with our community development group. Benefits are many. Cost is $150/year. Motion by Ruth, second by Sharon, to do this for 1 year, then determine if it is worth it to do so again after the first year. Motion carried.
Request to Borrow Van: Tabled.
Lenten Meal, 4/2: Council will provide this meal.
Naomi Circle: Naomi Circle is planning to host a fundraising meal on 11/7 with proceeds given to a cause. Motion by Ruth, second by Dee, to accept suggestions for this. Motion carried.
Committee Reports: Worship and Music met and planned worship for April and May. Property Committee will meet in May; Bill Kangas will continue to explore needs and costs of sewer work.
Pastor Jack made a motion to adjourn at 5:18. Second by Jean, motion carried.
All said the Lord’s Prayer.
Next meeting: Wednesday, April 16, at 3:30 PM
Submitted by Karen Nelson

April 2025

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
		1 / Quilters 1 PM	2 / Meal 5:15 PM / Lent Service 6 PM / (GRACE)	3 / Feeding America 4 PM	4 / Hope Circle 10 AM / ONF class 6 PM / Lutheranism Class 7 PM	5
6 / 8:45 AM Bible Study / 10 AM Worship / Lent 5 / Epiphany 4	7 / 11 AM Text Study / Kid’s Café 4-6 M	8 / Meal Kits 2 PM / Quilters – 1 PM	9 / Meal 5:15 PM / Lent Service 6 PM / (GUMC)	10 / Naomi Circle 2 PM / Worship and Music 3 PM / ONF Class 6 PM / Lutheranism Class 7 PMM	11 / 7-12 Grade Youth Retreat at Fortune Lake Depart / Movie Night 6 PM	12 / 7-12 Grade Youth Retreat at Fortune Lake Return
13 / Ecumenical Prayer Walk 9 AM / NO Bible Study / 10 AM Worship / Palm Sunday	14 / 11 AM Text Study / Kid’s Café 4-6 PM	15 / Quilters – 1 PM	16 / Council 3:30 PM	17 / Maundy Thursday / 6 PM Service	18 / Good Friday / 6 PM Service	19
20 / NO Bible Study / 10 AM Worship / Easter Sunday	21 / 11 AM Text Study / NO Kid’s Café	22 / Quilters - 1 PM	23	24	25	26
27 / 8:45 AM Bible Study / 10 AM Worship / Easter 2	28 / 11 AM Text Study / Kid’s Café 4-6 M	29 / Quilters – 1 PM	30

May 2025

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
				1	2 / Hope Circle 10 AM	3
4 / 8:45 AM Bible Study / 10 AM Worship / Easter 3	5 / 11 AM Text Study / Kid’s Café 4-6 PM	6 / Quilters – 1 PM	7	8 / Naomi Circle 2 PM / Worship and Music - 3 PM	9	10 / Confirmation at Bethany Republic - / 9 AM - 12 PM
11 / 8:45 AM Bible Study / 10 AM Worship / Easter 4 / Mother’s Day	12 / 11 AM Text Study / Kid’s Café 4-6 PM	13 / Meal Kits 9-11 AM / Quilters – 1 PM	14	15 / Synod Assembly	16 / Synod Assembly	17 / Synod Assembly
18 / 8:45 AM Bible Study / 10 AM Worship / Easter 5	19 / 11 AM Text Study / Kid’s Café 4-6 PM	20 / Quilters 1 PM	21 / Council 3:30 PM	22	23	24
25 / 8:45 AM Bible Study / 10 AM Worship / Easter 6	26 / 11 AM Text Study / NO Kid’s Café	27 / Quilters – 1 PM / Teal Lake Service – 2 PM	28	29	30	31

News at Grace Lutheran

FROM THE BACK PEW
By Mikael Leppaluoto
Whispers would come soon enough, but first it was just the scene on the hill. Desolate and barren.
The people were gone now. Golgotha, the place of the skull, stood empty devoid of all the watchers that had, three days ago, looked on in horror at what transpired on the hill outside the city walls. All was quiet. The raging thunderstorm had passed quickly. Occasionally, a forlorn caw of a crow would echo off the surrounding hills as if to bear witness to the events that took place, “I saw. I saw. I saw.”
Two crosses still stood upright occupied by criminals long since dead, as was Roman custom, seen as a deterrent to evil doers. A third cross lay prone on the ground, blood stained and bare. A crown of thorns crushed by a soldier’s boot peered from the path leading down the hill; a mute onlooker which still carried the Savior’s blood on its twisted brambles.
There was nothing. Not a wisp of a wind creased the air. Nothing moved. No dogs barked. The crow ceased its lamenting. Inside the walls of the city nary a sound. Silence permeated everything. The world was in waiting. Expectant. Wondering. Believing. Seeking. Praying.
And then……it happened. Slow at first. Just a distant rumble below the feet of Jerusalem. The ground trembled as if the fist of God slammed the Earth. Moments only and then it stopped.
That was when the whispers began. They swept first through lower Jerusalem in the yellowed limestone houses of the common people. “Could it be true? Is it happening?” A door opened. A boy ran through the dusty streets pounding on doors, “Did you hear? Did you hear?”
The whispers rose in volume. They grew in intensity. They flew into the Market Place and then spread like a stoked fire. Soon the whispers reached the Synagogue. “The stone has rolled away. He has risen! He has risen indeed!”
The voices changed to chants. They became more animated. The news of the empty tomb reached like tentacled arms into the white marbled homes of the rich. In this City of David, there was not an ear which had not heard. There was not a mouth that had not whispered the message of the day, “He has risen!” Even in the palace discussion happened.
Some believed. Some did not. Many prayed. A few danced for joy and some wept. A few scattered groups went to the tomb to see for themselves that it was empty. And they whispered again, “Praise the Lord. Hallelujah! He has risen!”
And the wind picked up. It blew swiftly snatching up the whispers as if on Angel fingers. It circled around the walls of Zion and traveled upward into a mighty gust. It blew East and West, South and North. It kissed every ear. It still moves today, this Holy Spirit wind, no longer whispering but shouting, reminding us in these days after Easter that, “Yes, it is true. Christ has risen! He has risen indeed! Hallelujah!”

December 1st - Deb Hurkman, Christine Mitchell
December 8th - Terri Britlinger, Shane Ruokola
December 15th - Louise Ingalls, Robin Howard
December 22nd - LuAnne Krueger, Theresa Hruska