NEWS and ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sonbeams April Message
FROM PASTOR JAY
It is my prayer for you that, as the years pass, Easter will become more and more meaningful for you and your family as it is becoming for mine. Melanie and I intentionally sought to make Holy Week, Easter Sunday, and the entire 50-day Easter Season as important for us spiritually as Advent, Christmas, and the Christmas Season is commercially and culturally important for the general public. We even exchange spiritually inspiring gifts with one another on Easter morning. More importantly, each year taking part in all the worship opportunities during Holy Week has increasingly become a great journey of faith that has year after year deepened our relationship with God through Christ Jesus, and with one another as a couple.
Holy Week begins the Sunday before Easter with Palm/Passion Sunday. We begin worship on Palm/Passion Sunday by commemorating our Lord’s triumphant entrance into Jerusalem when the crowd welcomed Jesus as king, shouted hosannas, and waved palm branches in his honor. We’ll begin Palm/Passion Sunday in the brick lobby. We’ll receive palm branches, pray, read the Palm Sunday gospel, and then process into the nave waving palm fronds, shouting hosannas (an exclamation of praise and adoration deriving from the Hebrew word meaning ‘save, we pray’) unto the Lord, and lifting our voices in song. Palm Sunday worship then progresses into our commemoration of Christ’s passion when we, like the people of Jesus’ day, go from singing Jesus’ praise and shouting hosannas to shouting, “Crucify him, Crucify him!”
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Our next gathering will be at 7 p.m. on Maundy (Latin: “command”) Thursday to commemorate the institution of the Lord’s Supper and Jesus’ command to serve each other as he served us. After Communion we’ll strip the altar. All ornamentation in the chancel will be solemnly stripped away in preparation for Good Friday as Psalm 22 and/or Psalm 88 are solemnly read. Then the ministers and congregation depart in silence. The chancel and altar will then remain bare until the Vigil of Easter on Saturday evening.
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Our worship together will then resume at 7 p.m. Good Friday when we worshipfully commemorate and reflect upon Jesus Christ’s sacrificial crucifixion, death, and burial when he took the punishment for our sins upon himself. Considering Good Friday’s austere tone, the organ or any instrumentation will only be used to accompany our singing, and the chancel and altar will remain bear with no ornamentation.
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Then comes the Vigil of Easter on Easter Eve! At 5:30 p.m., we’ll gather in the Rose Garden for the brief Service of Light that begins with the lighting of the new fire, and from that fire we’ll light the Pashal Candle that symbolizes the Risen Christ’s presence among us. Like on Christmas Eve we’ll each have a candle that we’ll light, and then we’ll carry the lighted Pashal Candle and our lighted candles into the brick lobby where we will enjoy a meal in celebration of Christ’s victory over death, which is our victory granting us salvation and eternal life. While we’re eating, we’ll read a series of Bible readings that will take us through the biblical story of God’s promise of redemption and ultimately fulfilled in Christ Jesus! After we eat, we’ll then enter the sanctuary and then turn the lights up to reveal the flowers ornamenting the chancel that bring glory to our resurrected Savior! I’m hoping we’ll celebrate a baptism that evening, but if not, we’ll thank God for our own baptism and renew our baptismal vows. For the sake of brevity, we’ll then conclude with prayer and look forward to gathering together on Easter morning with a nice breakfast and then gather to worship our Risen Lord, hear God’s Word, and come to our Lord’s Table where together we meet Christ in, under and through the bread and wine of Holy Communion we eat and drink.
These three days begin at sundown on Maundy Thursday to sundown on Easter Sunday. It’s considered the most solemn period of the entire church year. We call these three-days the Triduum, (TRIH-doo-um), Latin: “three days”. My own spiritual path has led me to place where I use these three-days, in addition to Palm/Passion Sunday, to spiritually journey with Christ through his betrayal, suffering, death, and resurrection.
Journeying with Christ & you,
Pastor Jay
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PARMA LUTHERAN CHURCH NEWS
​​March 2025 Q&A With Pastor Jay​​
Why does Parma Lutheran Church have two congregation meetings per year?
According to our congregation’s bylaws (C10.01.01), “Semi-annual meetings of this congregation will be held in the first and fourth quarter of the year. The first quarter meeting is defined as the annual meeting. The fourth quarter meeting is defined as the meeting for the presentation of the budget, for election of officers and Congregation Council positions, and other business”. At the annual meeting held during the first quarter, we receive reports from the pastor and council members.
Who may attend and who may speak and vote at a congregation meeting?
There are no restrictions as to who may attend a congregation meeting, or any of our council or committee meetings. However, according to our constitution, only members of the congregation have (C10.10) “full rights of voice and vote.”
Who may be considered a voting member of the congregation with voice and vote?
According to our constitution (C8.02.C.) “Voting members are confirmed members. Such confirmed members, during the current or preceding calendar year, shall have communed in this congregation and shall have made a contribution of record to this congregation. Members of this congregation who have satisfied these basic standards shall have the privilege of voice and vote at every regular and special meetings of this congregation as well as the other rights and privileges ascribed to voting members by the provisions of this constitution and its bylaws. They shall not have voted as a seasonal member of another congregation of this church in the precious two calendar months.”
Will we vote on anything at the upcoming annual meeting?
The only scheduled vote on the agenda of which I, Pastor Jay, am aware will be a vote to accept the minutes of the semi-annual meeting that was held in November of last year. However, during the course of the meeting something from old or new business might come up for discussion and possibly a vote.
Please keep in mind, we as members of this congregation are this congregation’s stewards. As members we are responsible for this congregation’s faithfulness to the proclamation of the gospel and the administration of the sacraments; teaching Christian doctrine to our youth and adults; planning and engaging in fellowship events; conducting outreach ministries, such as the hunger center, community garden, rummage sale, etc.; being good stewards of this congregation’s administration, such as paying our bills, answering the phones; and the upkeep of our church building. It’s up to each of us as members to provide effort in planning our future and working to make that future possible.
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How can I get more involved in the business and ministries of this congregation?
Scripture declares that God has graciously bestowed gifts upon each of us to use for God’s purpose. (See 1 Peter 4:10) Talk to the pastor who can help you discern and then apply your gifts for ministry here at Parma Lutheran Church.
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Weight Watchers (WW) workshops available at PLC​​
Did you know that Weight Watchers workshops are held in our Fellowship Hall here at PLC on Tuesday evenings at 6 p.m., Wednesday mornings at 9:30 a.m., and Saturday mornings at 7:30, 9:00, and 10:30 a.m.?
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Discover what is new with the 2025 #1 Science-based WW Program. Research shows that members who attend workshops lose twice as much weight as those who do it alone.
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AND — from now until April 11, join our unlimited workshops membership by calling or emailing the Church Office for the active link with the discount, 216-351-6376 or office@plcparma.org, and get the best-ever price of $19 a month for 10 months* (regular price is $45 a month)!
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*offer valid for new or lapsed at least 3 months members
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Summer is right around the corner. We hope you will consider making this Spring wellness commitment!
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—WW Coach Bunny
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Soup Suppers Thank You
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Amazing soup shoutouts to Brenda Hinz, Kim Cummings, Gerry Tipton, Fred Gurnick, Chelsea Taylor, Mary Weston, the Hill family, Chuck Schmook, and Debbie Miklus. And a special shoutout to Melanie Plummer for her delicious sweet potato and apple pies.
Please join the PLC family for dinner! We’d love to have you!
Wednesday evenings from 6:00-7:00 followed by devotions from 7:00-7:30 in the Fellowship Hall.
A signup sheet is in the narthex for our Lenten soup suppers and Easter continental breakfast.
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Easter Flowers Orders
We are taking orders for flowers to bless our altar this glorious Easter morning. The flowers will be yours to take home after personal pictures are taken on Sunday, April 20, 2025.
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To note this year, though the greenhouse tries to supply us with what we request, there are possibilities some colors may not bloom in time for delivery.
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Fill out your slip, place it, with your payment, in the offering plate or call the Church Office 216-351-6376 by Sunday, April 6, 2025
Tulips: $7.00 each (Pink; Red; Purple or Orange)
Hyacinths: $7.00 each (White; Blue or Pink)
Daffodils: $7.00 each
Single Stem Lilies: $8.00 each
Hydrangeas: $13.00 each (Blue or Pink)
Azaleas: $13.00 each (White; Pink; Reddish Fushia or Lavender)