On Monday, July 9, at 10:45 a.m. the Opening Eucharist of the Biennial Worship Conference of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians will be held at First Evangelical Lutheran Church. This will begin a three day conference that includes a wide variety of workshops, concerts, and worship opportunities for the 250 church musicians from around the country who are registered for the event. Included on the schedule are visits to Christ the King Lutheran Church, Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church, St. Paul United Methodist Church, Christ Church Cathedral, First Presbyterian Church, Trinity Lutheran Church, and Villa de Matel. In addition there will be workshops on such topics as Instilling the Love of Music in a Small Child, Children in Worship, Organ Practice Techniques, and Chorale Tunes in the Compositions of Praetorius, Bach, and Distler. Although participation in the Convention requires formal registration, the Opening Eucharist on July 9 is considered a public service of worship. Members and friends of First Evangelical Lutheran Church are most welcome to attend. A complete schedule is posted on the bulletin board near the church office. MUSIC FOR THE MASSES Peterman’s Postulate The music of Johann Sebastian Bach was popular in his day—not always with the city fathers of Leipzig, but certainly among the common folk. When he wrote cantatas for the church year, for example, people flocked to hear them. It wasn’t only the cultured, well-educated, and wealthy who came, but also the townspeople and the farmers. First, his music was both engaging and expressive. It portrayed the depth of dread and grief, as well as the sheer joy of grace and salvation. It could be heart-stopping with anguish and despair. And yet at other times its rhythms and soaring counterpoint were enough to make even the worst grouch in church tap his toe with glee. Second, Bach’s lyrics were theologically sound and linguistically clear. They were simple and easy to understand. Like Luther’s translation of the Bible, Bach’s librettos used a lot of one-syllable words that communicated the precise meaning he had in mind. What happened? How did the music of Bach get hijacked by the cultured, well-educated, wealthy people in our day? Why do the eyes of common folk now glaze over when they hear the name of Bach? For one thing, many of the English translations of Bach’s librettos are, well, boring. If you understand the original German, fine. But if you don’t, you’re at the mercy of translators who seem to obsess on flowery language and words with far too many syllables. Churches are to blame, too, for discarding Bach’s music as old-fashioned and turning instead to repetitious contemporary sounds. Today the term “classical music” sounds so upper class, as though only snobbish people are entitled to listen to it. I think it is high time for ordinary people like the parishioners who show up for worship on any given Sunday in any given church to reclaim the music of Bach (and others!) for their own appreciation and edification. After all, Bach wrote his music, not only for the Sunday Masses. He also wrote it for the masses of Christians who came to hear it, and in hearing it heard also the Gospel of Jesus Christ. CHARLINE THOMPSON, THOMAS HENRY HONORED At the Eleventh Annual Barrier Breaker Award Luncheon on June 14, our office manager and secretary, Charline Thompson, and our custodian/chef, Thomas Henry, received Star Client awards from Career and Recovery Resources, Inc. Both of these people found employment with First Evangelical Lutheran Church through CRR, an agency that specializes in helping persons with special skills connect with companies and institutions that are seeking people with just those skills. Well over four hundred people attended the luncheon, which was held at The Westin Galleria. Top honorees were Dr. Max Castillo, President of the University of Houston–Downtown, and his wife, Dr. Rosario Martinez Castillo, District Director, Articulation and University Relations, North Harris Montgomery Community College System and the University Center. Speakers included the Honorable Peter Brown, Houston City Council Member, and Lisa Foronda, Community Relations Program Manager for CenterPoint Energy. When the Rev. Dr. William A. Lawson failed to appear, Pastor Peterman accepted the last minute invitation to offer the invocation at the luncheon. The Rev. Vernus C. Swisher is the Chief Executive Officer of Career and Recovery Resources. He is also the President-Elect of the Rotary Club of Houston and a longtime friend of Pastor Peterman. On June 20 the Board of Directors of the Society for Early Music of the Church held its initial meeting. Steven Mitby was elected President, and Mary Kay Buehler was elected Secretary. Carroll Shaddock was named Founding Chairman. The Society for Early Music of the Church was formed in April by authorization of the Church Council as a self-funding auxiliary of First Evangelical Lutheran Church. The Society will sponsor the Heinrich Schütz Choir of Houston, a professional choir, under the direction of a well-known choral conductor. The Choir will begin this fall by presenting music at occasional Vespers on Sunday evenings.
SPECIAL SERVICE ON JULY 8 On Sunday, July 8, a special service of worship will be held at the regular 11:00 a.m. hour. Instead of observing the day as part of the Pentecost Season, the lessons, sermon, hymns and music will center on the Commemoration of Church Musicians, namely, Johann Sebastian Bach, Heinrich Schütz, and George Frederick Handel. Although July 28 is the day appointed in the church calendar for this commemoration, it seemed wise to Pastor Peterman and Carroll Shaddock, Director of Worship and Music, to transfer the festival to July 8 as an appropriate beginning for the week when the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians will hold its Biennial Convention in Houston. It is expected that a large crowd of worshipers will be in attendance on that day, since many people participating in the Convention will have already arrived in Houston on Saturday. JUNE PRAYER LIST (May 21–June 20) Members and Associate Members
We are happy to report that our sprinkler system, after some years of neglect, is up and running again, just in time for the monsoon season. There has been so much rain recently that our lawn is growing so fast the landscapers can hardly keep up with it. The azaleas, crepe myrtles, and hanging bougainvilleas are thriving, but there are still some bare spots here and there just outside the nave. In early July we will be transplanting some of the plants and shrubs from the back of the property to the front. If anyone would like to provide some additional plants, please let me know. Under consideration are plans to convert the Dry Bones Coffee House area into our very own parish hall. Overstuffed furniture might be moved out, fresh paint applied, and tables moved in for gatherings and programs of all sorts and sizes. Tables could be set up to seat as many as a hundred people, with a lectern and sound equipment at one end of the room. Attention will soon be given to renovating the upstairs area. Now that New Covenant Church has discontinued the rental use of our building, the east room could be available for large gatherings and as a venue for music and theater offerings. To meet code, however, we might need to install an elevator. Keep our church in your prayers as we pursue possible funding to make renovation a reality, as we continue to grow in size and in faith.
One of the spin-offs from the Education and Fellowship Committee has been the formation of an informal fellowship group called the Mid-Towners. On June 24 about twenty-five people met for lunch at Michelangelo’s. The group is open to all ages and to both members and friends of First Evangelical Lutheran Church. The next event will be attending an Astros game the last weekend in July. At the time of this writing, specifics are still undetermined. Watch for an announcement in the Sunday bulletin giving more details or call Kelly or Linda Rinnan at 281-359-5903.
ADULT SUNDAY CHURCH SCHOOL In July Pastor Peterman will begin a new course on the Christian use of the Psalms, based on the work of German theologian Dietrich Bonhöffer, Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible. Prayer is not based on what gushes forth from the heart, Bonhöffer states, but on what God instructs the heart to say. What we want to pray is not as important as what God wants us to pray. Like the Lord’s Prayer, the Psalms tell us what God wants to hear from us. The adult class meets every Sunday in the Beutel Room from 10:00 until 10:40 a.m. All adults are invited to attend. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP Our church constitution provides for Associate Membership in First Evangelical Lutheran Church. An Associate Member is a person who is a member of another church, but wishes to be more formally associated with our church as well. Theologically, all Christians throughout the world are associate members of our church. However, becoming an Associate Member is a way of adding one’s name to the list of those who wish to see themselves as directly supporting the life and work of First Church Anyone interested in becoming an Associate Member should call Pastor Peterman at 713-529-3589. Associate Membership is open to adults and children alike. BOOKS OF SERMONS AVAILABLE Three volumes of sermons by Pastor Edwin D. Peterman have been published under the title of Practically Preaching and are available for purchase from the church office. Each book contains a sermon for every Sunday and every major festival in the church year, 66 sermons in all. The three volumes correspond to the three year cycle of readings for the church year, in which the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are predominant. Currently, the church is in the liturgical year of Luke. The cost is $15 per book, or $40 for a set of all three. If requested, the books can be autographed. SYNOD ELECTS NEW BISHOP At the Annual Assembly of the Texas Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Pastor Michael Rinehart was elected Bishop. He will succeed Bishop Paul Blom, who has served as bishop of the synod for the past sixteen years and is retiring at the end of August. Pastor Rinehart is currently pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Conroe. He is a graduate of Valparaiso University, where he majored in organ performance. He has a Master of Divinity degree from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to serving at Grace Church he was pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, and St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport, Iowa. Bishop-elect Rinehart will officially begin his service as bishop on September 1. He will be installed as bishop of the synod on Saturday, September 29, at Grace Presbyterian Church in Houston. Of special note is the fact that the three finalists in the election for bishop all had Michael as their first name. The date of installation had already been set for September 29, which is the Festival of St. Michael and All Angels. The Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod is one of 65 synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It covers the area of southeastern Texas and southern Louisiana and includes 130 congregations and 48,000 members. For more information on the synod assembly, the bishop election, and the life and work of our synod, go to www.gulfcoastsynod.org. For the convenience of those who attend the Church Council meeting or committee meetings at 12:30 p.m. on Sundays, a light lunch is now served in the North Room. A basket is provided for donations to help defray the cost of the meal. NURSERY AVAILABLE ON SUNDAYS A nursery for children under the age of six is now available every Sunday from 10:00 a.m. until noon.
FROM THE PARISH RECORD (May 21–June 20) Add to the membership roll: MEMBERSHIP STATISTICS * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Letter to the editor of British Weekly Dear Sir: It seems some pastors feel their sermons are very important and spend a great deal of time preparing them. I have been attending worship quite regularly for the past 30 years and I have probably heard 3,000 of them. To my consternation, I discovered that I cannot remember a single sermon. I wonder if a pastor’s time might be more profitably spent on something else. Sincerely..... The Reply Dear Sir: I have been married for 30 years. During that time I have eaten 32,850 meals, mostly of my wife’s cooking. Suddenly I have discovered that I cannot remember the menu of any specific meal. And yet I received nourishment from every single one of them. I have the distinct impression that without them I would have starved to death. Sincerely....
MUSINGS Marty Ambrose, Church Administrator Here I am, back in the office undergoing what seems to be a rapid recovery from injuries suffered May 9, when I fell at church. Thanks to your prayers and those of others, I’m now walking unaided and more smoothly every day. Thanks be to God for the power of prayer and for the advances in orthopedic medicine! Back in September 2002, Monson, Krejci & Associates undertook a mission study of our church and interviewed members on their vision of the future for First Church. They were to imagine how our church would look in 3-5 years. The fifth year is up this September. Let’s see how we stand alongside the various projections back then.
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First Evangelical Lutheran Church Address Correction Requested Telephone: 713/529-3589 Charline Thompson, Office Manager and Secretary
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