St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church
Welcome, thank you so much for visiting St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Berrysburg, PA – the historic Hill Church.
Founded in 1780, ours is a congregational family with a deep and rich heritage that informs out efforts to reach out to our present-day community – near and far – with the Gospel of Jesus. In my years of service here, I have come to see that we are a congregational family that defies easy description. We have the warmth and intimacy of a small congregation, while also being blessed with an extraordinary body of committed and gifted believers that allows us to do many of the ministries of a large congregation. We hope that you will visit often – here, from the comfort of your computer or smart phone or other electronic device, but also in person. Whether you are seeking a family of believers with which to join in serving God, or just stopping to take in the view, we would love to welcome you in person to “The Hill”!
Welcome, thank you so much for visiting St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Berrysburg, PA – the historic Hill Church.
Founded in 1780, ours is a congregational family with a deep and rich heritage that informs out efforts to reach out to our present-day community – near and far – with the Gospel of Jesus. In my years of service here, I have come to see that we are a congregational family that defies easy description. We have the warmth and intimacy of a small congregation, while also being blessed with an extraordinary body of committed and gifted believers that allows us to do many of the ministries of a large congregation. We hope that you will visit often – here, from the comfort of your computer or smart phone or other electronic device, but also in person. Whether you are seeking a family of believers with which to join in serving God, or just stopping to take in the view, we would love to welcome you in person to “The Hill”!
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Current Schedule
Come visit us every Sunday!
9:00am - Faith Formation Activities for All Ages 10:15am- Worship All Sunday Morning Activities Currently Taking Place Only on the Zoom Platform |
Prayer for a Pandemic: by Cameron Bellm
May we who are merely inconvenienced Remember those whose lives are at stake. May we who have no risk factors Remember those most vulnerable. May we who have the luxury of working from home Remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent. May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close Remember those who have no options. May we who have to cancel our trips Remember those that have no safe place to go. May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market Remember those who have no margin at all. May we who settle in for a quarantine at home Remember those who have no home. As fear grips our country, let us choose love. During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other, Let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbors. Amen. |
Pastor's Letter - March
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Dear Friends in Jesus,
As you read these lines, we will be just a week or two into the Season of Lent, which has its beginning on Ash Wednesday – this year February 17. That also means that it will very soon be a year (on March 8) since we last joined together in-person as a congregational family as “normal”, in faith formation activities for all ages, followed by worship, followed by the final Breaking Bread time of wonderful food and fellowship. I don’t know about you, but I find that March 8 of last year feels more like almost a lifetime ago than almost a year ago, so much has changed. That change hasn’t been all negative, of course – far from it! In fact, what we and so many of our sister congregations have been pushed to do is figure out new ways to do the very same work of God, many of which will continue to strengthen our ministries even when we do eventually reach the “new normal” – something very in keeping with who our God is, as we see that God in action in our Bibles. A year ago, as the first wave of the pandemic swept over us, we had just hosted the very first Wednesday community evening of supper and worship, with a large and boisterous crew excited to be together again for those beloved Wednesdays, never realizing that a week later we would be cancelling and that, for the whole rest of Lent, we wouldn’t experience live worship of any kind. This year, thanks to a technology called “Zoom”, of which I at least had never heard as of this time a year ago, we are gathering and learning and worshiping and meeting and we are again making plans for what a return to in-person worship and other activities will look like for this next stretch until we arrive at something like a “new normal”. |
Next Up for Book Discussion Group is a gathering via Zoom on Monday, March 8, at 7:00 P.M. Everyone is welcome, so if you would like to participate and haven’t joined in before, you can pick up a copy of the current book, Night by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel, on the bench under the bulletin board in the foyer, just inside the main doors. The book, which is both an account of Wiesel’s survival of the Nazi death camps as a teenager as well as a deep wrestling with such questions as how human beings can do such things to each other and where is God in it all, is widely viewed as Wiesel’s masterpiece. Please let Ann know if we run out of books, and she’ll order more. Also, please get in touch with her if you have any other questions – 717.362.7895 or rahbruner@gmail.com.) With our return to in-person worship (but for the first time combined with Zoom attendance), at 10:15 A.M. each Sunday, we are in need of at least a few more persons who would be willing to join the Video Ministry Team and serve as Zoom Hosts at the church on Sunday mornings, beginning at 9:00. Please speak with Roy or Rachel Henry – who will provide the bit of training needed – to learn more about what is involved and to volunteer to serve. Please keep in mind that you do not need to be a technology expert to be a Zoom Host, just someone 1. who has some familiarity with Zoom-compatible devices (like a laptop or a tablet) and 2. who is comfortable accessing worship and other activities on Zoom! |
A year ago, the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic had the effect of “blowing Lent out of the water”. We were all so surprised and then shocked that there was really almost no chance to react or adapt to our new reality. This year, that is not the case and, in fact, I would like to suggest that the reality of life with the pandemic gives us a rare opportunity to really experience the Season of Lent as never before. During our Ash Wednesday (Zoom) worship, you heard me say the following:
We are created to experience joy in communion with God, to love one another, and to live in harmony with Creation. But our sinful rebellion separates us from God, our neighbors, and Creation, so that we do not enjoy the life our Creator intended.
As disciples of Jesus, we are called to a discipline that contends against evil and resists whatever leads us away from love of God and neighbor. I invite you, therefore, to the discipline of Lent – self-examination and repentance, prayer and fasting, sacrificial give, and works of love – strengthened by the gifts of Word and Sacrament.
Think of Lent as a time of pruning -or- housecleaning -or- stripping away an old coating that has accumulated and come to hide the beauty beneath. Think of Lent as a time of just plain getting real – owning up to the fact that we aren’t in charge of our lives or world and that, in trying to act as if we are, we have made a real mess of things – from global climate -to- national politics -to- unloving things that are being done and said right here in our local communities.
It turns out there’s maybe nothing like a pandemic (at least maybe nothing that you and I have experienced so far in our relatively sheltered lives) to force us to step back from everything we normally use and do to try to keep up the appearance of being in charge – all of the plans, all of the possessions, all of the pretending that life is just going to automatically go on tomorrow the same as today and yesterday. In other words, for you and me, it turns out that maybe there’s nothing like a pandemic to force us to focus on what really matters and to just plain get real. For you and me, it turns out that there’s maybe nothing like a pandemic to force us to get straight Who is God and who isn’t.
The Season of Lent will run almost all of the way through this coming month. So, instead of getting down about everything that isn’t yet back to “normal” or as we would like it to be, Lent is the perfect opportunity to join with the rest of your congregational family to “lean into” the times – to seize the opportunity – to seize the moment – to be open as maybe you never have been before – to look and ask first where God is leading and pointing YOU… where God is counting on YOU… where God is blessing YOU!
Pastor Tom
We are created to experience joy in communion with God, to love one another, and to live in harmony with Creation. But our sinful rebellion separates us from God, our neighbors, and Creation, so that we do not enjoy the life our Creator intended.
As disciples of Jesus, we are called to a discipline that contends against evil and resists whatever leads us away from love of God and neighbor. I invite you, therefore, to the discipline of Lent – self-examination and repentance, prayer and fasting, sacrificial give, and works of love – strengthened by the gifts of Word and Sacrament.
Think of Lent as a time of pruning -or- housecleaning -or- stripping away an old coating that has accumulated and come to hide the beauty beneath. Think of Lent as a time of just plain getting real – owning up to the fact that we aren’t in charge of our lives or world and that, in trying to act as if we are, we have made a real mess of things – from global climate -to- national politics -to- unloving things that are being done and said right here in our local communities.
It turns out there’s maybe nothing like a pandemic (at least maybe nothing that you and I have experienced so far in our relatively sheltered lives) to force us to step back from everything we normally use and do to try to keep up the appearance of being in charge – all of the plans, all of the possessions, all of the pretending that life is just going to automatically go on tomorrow the same as today and yesterday. In other words, for you and me, it turns out that maybe there’s nothing like a pandemic to force us to focus on what really matters and to just plain get real. For you and me, it turns out that there’s maybe nothing like a pandemic to force us to get straight Who is God and who isn’t.
The Season of Lent will run almost all of the way through this coming month. So, instead of getting down about everything that isn’t yet back to “normal” or as we would like it to be, Lent is the perfect opportunity to join with the rest of your congregational family to “lean into” the times – to seize the opportunity – to seize the moment – to be open as maybe you never have been before – to look and ask first where God is leading and pointing YOU… where God is counting on YOU… where God is blessing YOU!
Pastor Tom
News from Miss Laurie, Young Christians Minister
Happy March, everyone! I know the groundhog predicted 6 more weeks of winter, but I’m anxiously awaiting the arrival of SPRING this month – and hopefully some more spring-like weather!!!
In addition to spring, here are a few things to look forward to this month:
It’s going to be a great month – come and be part of ALL the celebrations!!! (And keep your fingers crossed for SPRING!!)
Miss Laurie
In addition to spring, here are a few things to look forward to this month:
- A return to IN-PERSON SONday Celebration starting Sunday, March 7th! We’ll continue to mask, social distance and limit our activities to our Celebration space. And we’ll use the side door on the south side of the building to enter and leave our space. See you at St. John’s each Sunday at 9:00 – we’re going LIVE!
- SONday Celebration on Zoom will run concurrently with our in-person experience if you’d rather participate virtually! You can join the recurring Zoom meeting - hosted by Jamie Doyle – each week, by clicking on: https://zoom.us/j/94870256130?pwd=cC9YR1drQXFrcWlvd2RUZTRlY2VnZz09
- Sunday, March 7th - We’ll also be bringing back Celebration Time for the kids during the worship service! We’ll remain in the Celebration space for the entire service and meet the parents in the foyer following worship!
- Wednesday, March 3rd – our next meeting of Celebration Club. This activity will also be IN-PERSON at the church! Join us at 6:30 as we “Move” for Jesus!
- Sunday, March 14th – “End of the Rainbow” SONday Celebration with some St. Patrick’s Day fun!
- Sunday, March 21st – Pastor Tom and I will hold another Drive-by Communion at 11:30 following worship.
- Sunday, March 28th – “Palm Sunday” SONday Celebration! Join us for the beginning of Holy Week as we herald Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem!
It’s going to be a great month – come and be part of ALL the celebrations!!! (And keep your fingers crossed for SPRING!!)
Miss Laurie
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Our Mission
St. John congregation, responding to the call of the Holy Spirit through the Gospel, unites together to preach and teach the Word, administer the sacraments, and carry out God’s mission. With God’s guidance and grace, we strive to boldly proclaim by word and action the reconciling Gospel of Jesus: Working together for justice and peace, and caring for those in need in our community and world. We invite everyone to join us wherever you are on your faith journey. |
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