A message from Pastor Tony
Ezekiel 36:25-28
24-28 “‘For here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to take you out of these countries, gather you from all over, and bring you back to your own land. I’ll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I’ll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that’s God-willed, not self-willed. I’ll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands. You’ll once again live in the land I gave your ancestors. You’ll be my people! I’ll be your God!
 (The Message (MSG)

This great prophecy of Ezekiel was real and even partially fulfilled in the restored Israel after the Babylon exile.  Their land was given back, the nation was multiplied, fertility again blessed the honey filled fields and vineyards, and, best of all, the people were cleansed from their idolatrous sins committed by worshipping other gods of other nations. So, the Israelites came back from Babylon completely committed to monotheism and the One Lord. 

The water that Ezekiel spoke about alludes to those legal purifications which were made by sprinkling water upon the unclean persons.  However, the cleansing at that time was intended plainly that of the soul. As for Christians it is by the blood of Christ sprinkled upon human consciences and hearts that takes away the guilt of all sin. It is in our baptism of water and the grace of the Holy Spirit sprinkled on the whole soul that purifies us from all corrupt thoughts and sins. These are blessings are received by faith in Christ, and in the promises of God made through Christ. 

As in the time of Ezekiel, can we too, today, receive such blessings after our times of turmoil, racism, economic shut down and social distancing due to a pandemic? Can we be restored in a prophetic way by the grace of God? It might not look like it this week with all the looting and violence that is overshadowing peaceful protesting. But…something has changed… I can feel it. Not sure what it is, but the Spirit is leading all of us this Pentecost Season. I feel things have changed in us since we closed the doors of the church building and became the church from within our whole community. We have had people come from all aspects of the congregation willing to help out where-ever there seems to be a need. We have been praying more than we ever have for others and have been watching over those who have been sick. I have even received calls from people making sure that I am surviving this self isolating time.

Last week was my birthday and I was pleasantly surprised by a drive- in parade at the church with several dozens of you coming to wish me a wonderful day. It was indeed! Carol and I have both appreciated the prayers and concern you have had for us during the recovery of Carol’s back surgery. I have to admit that I have not felt this much love at one moment from a congregation since my ministry began 20 years ago.  I have also heard that I am appreciated… this too, is important as it allows my spirit to be fed and empowers me to continue the work I love to do. Thank You!
Maybe it is because this is the season of Pentecost that we feel the Spirit blowing in our lives or maybe we are done being alone and are needing to have people in our lives to help us feel human again. This passage that I chose to look at today reminds me how gracious our God is… even in today’s world. God wants to love us and to have us love each other especially in rough times.

God likes to stir things up. And within the stirring the Holy Spirit changes our hearts to see how good God is for us leading us to appreciate the small things people do for each other.    May the power of the Pentecost Spirit help our church family continue to hear others’ needs and continue to enable us to love our neighbors as ourselves. 

Yes, we are coming back to our church building and slowly starting up some of our ministries such as Bible study. There is much work to do within our family and our community.  And now more than ever, our world needs to see that love of Christ in our actions.

How you and I do this, matters. What we say and how we say it, matters. It does make a difference. It does help to bring healing and hope to a broken and hurting world. A smile. A kind word – are powerful and needed. Consider yourself as having been given a mission; each one of us has to show love, practice kindness, and bring hope and healing as we proclaim Christ crucified.  We are people of hope. Jesus walks with us, gives us strength and guidance. We have Good News to share, so let us go continue to do just that from our hearts!

AMEN 

Pastor Tony

Well, we made it to June. Does anyone else feel we should just fast forward to 2021 and call 2020 a flop? Or maybe we can request a redo? Maybe we should have a New Year’s Eve Party on July 1 st and we can trick 2020 into a restart? I’ll bring the champagne! The year started pretty normal, but man did it go off the rails quickly. COVID followed by murder wasp, talk of bringing back Ebola for a return visit, and now riots. I am starting to look forward to the political ads; they will be less painful than the last 3 months of news cycles. 

I don’t know about you, but it is hard to stay upbeat as this drags on. The loss of control of our church, our lives, and our jobs can pull anyone down. Even if the social distancing did not change much in your day to day lives, hearing the sad stories from people that were/are affected is hard to bear. It is worse when there is nothing you can do about it. Not everyone can write a check to feed a starving family, or stock a food pantry. You can’t bring back a loved one’s parent or child. You can pray for them, but it just doesn’t feel like enough. It’s like watching your team loose the big game while you are sitting on the sidelines. ‘Just put me in coach, I want to help our team win!’ ‘But it’s not safe yet, you can’t go in till we are sure it is safe.’ ‘When Coach, when will it be safe?’ ‘We don’t know son, we don’t know.’ ‘But what if the game is over before we can get back in the game?’ ‘Well, there is nothing we can do.’
Is there something we can do? We can pray, but is that enough; will that help you feel like you are in the game? Of course, prayer is always the starting point for anything you do. A lot of teams start with a pre-game prayer. If not a team prayer, you can bet the players have their own prayers. After the prayers are done, the work begins. Every team member has a role, from the coach to the water boy. The fans, the cheerleaders all have a role to play. Sometimes the role is to be the cheerleader; giving encouragement to the team, cheer the wins, greave the losses. They are all in it together, just like us as Christians. We are in this together, and we all have a role. And just like with any team, we all have a skill or talent that God has blessed us with, and it is our responsibility to use the gifts we were given. If you can no longer be on the field, you can still be in the game. 

But when you pray, do you listen to what God wants you to do? Is God asking you to take a meal to a neighbor? Call an old friend just to see how they are? Maybe God is asking you to talk to your spouse in ways you haven’t talked in years. Talk about real things. Turn off the TV and ask ‘what can we do to help’. Maybe they have an idea but were afraid to bring it up. Have meaningful talks with your friends and family. Bury the hatches, but not in their skulls! Mend fences, but not with barbed wire! Tear down the fences and greet your neighbor. In a book by Andy Andrews, The Travelers Summit, a group of leaders, past and present are tasked with coming up with the answer to ‘what does mankind need to do to save itself’. They struggled through a lot of great answers, but eventually they got it right. Spoiler alert, the answer is simple. “Do Something”. Is it really that simple? Can one person, one action and make a difference that starts the change to something better. We have seen how one person, one bad action, can tear us apart; let’s counter that one bad action with millions of good actions! If loving your neighbors seems like a big step, try just being nice, and work your way up from there; but do something different tomorrow than you did today. Take a chance, go out on a limb, leave your comfort zone, and do something.

This Sunday, there is something you can do, something you haven’t done since March. You can go to church. I think in all my 57 years, I have never been so happy to be able to go to church. I miss my anchor. I miss all of you. I miss your smiles, your laughs. I like it better when you laugh at one of my bad jokes, rather just at me, but I will take either. I hope to see everyone that feels comfortable with going out in public and being around people will make it to the service. You can be assured we are doing everything above and beyond CDC recommendations to keep everyone safe. No matter how hard we try, there is always a risk. If you don’t feel safe, please continue to enjoy Pastor Tony’s sermons on Facebook and YouTube. When you are ready, Spirit of Hope will be there for you, stronger than before.
Thank you all!

Duane
Council President.


SPIRIT OF HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH WELCOME BACK!

Beginning June 7, 2020 our Services will begin on a limited basis . Thank you in advance for your cooperation with the following procedures and logistics that are designed to go above and beyond to keep everyone safe and in compliance with CDC/State guidelines while maintaining a reverent and prayerful atmosphere. On – line services will continue and you are asked to only come to Services if you are healthy and comfortable doing so.

Initially, there will be only one service offered and that will be on Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

What you need to know:

·Although we have worked diligently to limit risk and exposure as we reopen our services, there is still risk in attending with others.

·Do not come to Church if there are any signs that you might be sick, or you are taking care of someone who is sick – don’t just assume its allergies or a harmless sniffle! Please act out of an overabundance of caution for the sake of all.

·Masks or other face coverings that cover both your nose and mouth are encouraged for the safety of others while attending Services. Water fountains are shut off, so if you need water, please bring a water bottle.

 ·Please consider bringing a personal supply of hand sanitizer and/or a disinfecting wipe for your area if possible.

·Be at Church no more than 20 min early as we are trying to limit the time you are exposed to others.

·Don’t be late, as we will not seat anyone once the service begins.

·Greeters at the door will remind you to wear your mask and your tithing envelopes can be dropped off just inside near the baptismal font or by the Hunger Baskets. We will not pass offering plates during the offertory.

·The ushers will be there to help with the Seating.  Seating has been carefully measured to ensure that there is at least 6 feet of distance between family groups. The ushers will be there during communion to ensure proper distancing as well.

·At this time there will not be children's services or nursery staff. Children attending will remain with their families.

·There will be no singing for a while except by Jake and Lizzie.

·Quietly and prayerfully recite prayers and responses as to not project your voice and increase droplets in the environment.

·Do not shake hands with others or hold hands during the “Our Father.” We will also be omitting the “sign of peace.”

·Pastor will distribute Communion using gloves and dropping the host into your hand being careful not to touch each person. Wine/juice will be distributed by helpers wearing masks and gloves and the cups will be in the trays placed apart to make it easier to get a portion without touching any other cups.

·At the conclusion of Service, we will dismiss people in a carefully planned manner, section by section, to encourage proper social distancing as we leave as well. Please wait to be dismissed.

·We know you will be glad to see many of your fellow parishioners, but please do not congregate in the narthex but exit the doors and visit outside if you want to or go directly to your cars.

·Be sure to wash your hands, sanitize, etc. as soon as you are able after exiting the Church!

·You are not responsible for enforcing the policies and procedures during the Service. If you have any issues, please report them to your usher or Pastor directly. They will handle it from there.

·Even with all of the planning and preparation, things will not go perfectly. Pray for patience, wisdom, understanding, and forgiveness!



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Coffee with the Pastor – ONLINE      
               Join me and others for coffee on
Wednesdays at 9:00 AM as we reflect on the social distancing and our lives during the covid-19 pandemic. We are all looking for some social interaction and this is your chance!   You are invited to join me on a ZOOM call… this is how you do this.
Open your internet browser
Copy and paste the link below into the address line.
  We will go live starting at 9:00am

https://zoom.us/j/6401061099?pwd=L1luVWlPcnRreDYzeTdMRks1ZEp1UT09

Meeting ID: 640 106 1099
Password: 0jtiAH
See you there!
Holy Land Trip
January 21-31, 2021  

The registration website for the Spirit of Hope Israel Trip is now available. Please follow this link, register, and pay your deposit as soon as possible so you can reserve your spot on the trip.


When you get to the site you will find a "Register Now" link on the lower right-hand side of the page. After clicking that link you'll be asked to fill out the registration form. Here are a few things to note:
If you are traveling with someone else you will register both people at the same time. 

  • You need your passport when you complete the registration. 
  • The deposit is $300 and you can pay by Credit Card. 
  • You will be asked to create an account with a username and password, be sure to note your selection as you will need to log in again to complete your payment(s) for the trip. 
  • Travel insurance is available at the time of registration. It is strongly encouraged that you purchase this. You MUST purchase travel insurance BEFORE you pay the deposit, you cannot choose to purchase travel insurance after you have paid for any portion of the trip, including the deposit. 

If you have any questions about the registration process please don't hesitate to ask!

Peace be with you!


Pastor Tony
Message from Jen


In order to protect our health, I ask that you don't visit the church at this time. We have a secured mailbox, just open the mailbox door and there is a slot inside of it to place your envelopes. Please feel free to place anything in the mail slot.



We will continue to accept food donations, however, please remember that the packages must be sealed, nonperishable items. We CANNOT accept open cereal, fruit, vegetables, pet food etc.

Please place your donations in the clear bin, located outside the church, next to the office window.




A message from Outreach

We delivered over 300 lunches again today for Grace Lutheran to serve the homeless! We learned that they are serving 60-90 of these sack lunches per day, so we would like to continue with this ministry. You can help! We've been funded by a donation through next week (thank you!!!!!!). If you would like to help, there are options.

Are you going to Costco or Sams? Our supplies include: Peanut Butter, jelly, bread, fruit (we've done fresh and fruit cups), granola bars and individual bags of chips, sandwich bags, napkins and brown bags. Drop off your donations to church between 8-noon (most days, best to call first 480-396-8300)

2. Donate oranges/grapefruit from your trees!
3. Donate money - make sure checks are made out to SOH and Outreach in the memo, or donate online using the Outreach menu item.
4. Volunteer - to make the lunches!




If you are interested in helping with any additional Outreach events, please contact Tina Gilson 414-517-6505.



Tina
~Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10



Numbers For May
We have asked our counters to not come in at this time. Any offerings received will be locked in the safe and counted at the end of the month.



MTD (April 2020) $28,572
YTD (2020) $137,555
Seasonal Goal Is: $6,250


The seasonal giving goal is a reflection of the 2020 budget prepared by the Council and approved by the Congregation and adjusted for the reduced attendance over four months of the summer.

Thank you for your continued support of our mission and ministry at SOH!
A word from our Financial Secretary

Although we are limited in our ability to commune in fellowship, Spirit of Hope continues to make its presence known through virtual services and through community outreach fulfilling the ongoing mission and ministry of Jesus in our community.

We ask that during this time of need, you continue to make weekly offerings. It is through the faithful, weekly giving of our members we continue to maintain our day to day and missionary obligations during this time.

How can members remain faithful in their giving responsibility and thus continue to invest in and fund the continued mission and ministry of our church?

1.        Continue giving weekly through your personal banking online bill pay service.
2.        Use the Spirit of Hope online giving option at https://https://soh.breezechms.com/give/online .
3.        Use the Spirit of Hope texting option at (480) 725-1140.
4.        Send your donation through the U.S. Postal Service at 2605 S. Signal Butte Rd., Mesa, AZ 85209.

If you need help with setting up or amending your current offering, please reach out to our Financial Secretary, Kianda Addo ( [email protected] ).
 
Did you know? 

Giving makes us feel happy - Giving activates regions of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection, and trust.
Giving is good for our health - It has been found that giving may improve physical health and help decrease stress which in turn increases longevity.
Giving promotes cooperation and social connection - The more you give, the more you’re likely to get back. These exchanges promote a sense of trust and cooperation while strengthening of social ties.
Giving evokes gratitude - Gratitude is an integral part of happiness, health and social bonds. Cultivating gratitude in everyday life increases one’s sense of optimism and personal happiness.
Giving is contagious - When we give, not only do we help the immediate recipient of the gift, we create a ripple effect by generosity in the community. 
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We pray for the spouses and families of those church members who have passed into the church triumphant this past month. 
                                                                Frank Gursky (Pat and Alan – spouse and son)
                                                                Tom Perkovich (Susan-spouse)
                                                               Maxine Schmidt (Wayne- spouse)
                                                                Barb Zich (Tina Gilson – daughter)
                                                                Donald Fleming (Marcy – spouse)
                                                                
We pray for those church members who are struggling with many health issues this week: 
Darr Stuke who is at home from the hospital, recovering from surgery.
Naomi Henson and her daughter Wynonna and her husband
Bobbie Edwardson and her mother Marilyn and her father and her brother, Marvin
Bill Zimmerman who is currently recovering from surgeries and is scheduled for a few more major surgeries in near future.

Larry Wilcox who is back at home from the hospital who has multiple health issues
Terry Scheer for comfort during his aggressive chemotherapy for Melanoma
Carol Scheer who had back surgery and is at home recovering
Dee Wilson as she seeks help for a cardio issue that she has been very dizzy and lightheaded to the point off passing out.
Naomi Henson recovery from procedure and patience in healing.
Carl’s friend Jamie who is being tested for cancer in a tumor.
Virgil Aeneas , Ardis Johnson’s brother who is struggling with cancer and the affects of chemotherapy. 
 And a few others who are currently recovering from surgeries in this past week.

Matt and Kari Stachoviak (Scheer) as Matt who is in the Long Beach police department working the riots in the area. Give Kari peace and strength to know you are present and watching over Matt.

May the God of good health and happiness restore all who are struggling this week with the many situations people in our lives are struggling. Thank you for your presence and give us the joys of everyday life!

AMEN