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Immanuel NewsletterGOD’S WORK – OUR HANDSAUGUST 2021IMMANUEL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCHConnecting people with God andwith other people to make a difference!14100 WORTHINGTON RD.PHILADELPHIA, PA 19116Phone: 215-464-1540www.ImmanuelPhilly.orgEmail: Office@ImmanuelPhilly.orgINDOOR WorshipNow with Holy CommunionAugust 110:15 AM German ServiceAugust 810:15 AM English Service7:30 PM EnglishAugust 1510:15 AM German ServiceAugust 2210:15 AM English Service7:30 PM EnglishTable of ContentsCONNECTING WITH GODGreetings from Pastor HahnDie kleinen Sünden bestraftder liebe Gott sofort?Pg. 3Pg. 4CONNECTING WITH OTHER PEOPLE“The Art of Better Reaching”CongratulationsAddress ChangeIn Christian SympathyPg. 5Pg. 5Pg. 5Pg. 5MAKING A DIFFERENCEThank YouProject LinusSeafarers EmphasisImmanuel German SchoolCalendarPg. 6Pg. 6Pg. 6Pg. 7Pg. 8Movie Under the StarsFriday, August 208:00 PM(Lawn access at 7:30 PM)“E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”Enjoy a terrific and heart-warming story offriendship, hope, and resurrection withunusual heroes and surprising twists.August 2910:15 AM TBA ServiceThe Congregation Council has providedinformation and updated protocols forindoor worship in a separate mailing.Please review it before attending an indoorworship service. If you need a copy, pleasecontact the church office.Online Sunday Worship in August9:19 AM English11:11 AM GermanBring a chair or a blanket, snacks, or a picnicand enjoy this delightful movie for all agesoutdoors on our new SUPER BIG screen andwith our new SUPER audio system.

IMMANUEL NEWSLETTERImmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church14100 Worthington Road, Philadelphia, PA 19116Telephone: 215-464-1540 FAX: 215-677-2433E-mail: Office@ImmanuelPhilly.orgWebsites: www.ImmanuelPhilly.org and www.HillHappenings.orgFacebook: Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, PhiladelphiaMinisters:Pastor:Secretary:Council President:Members and Friends of the CongregationRev. Norbert F. Hahn, Ph.D.215-464-1540Diane Burgess215-464-1540Barbara manuelPhilly.orgCHURCH ORGANIZATIONS, MEETING TIMES, LEADERS(All meetings held thru ZOOM)Bible/Devotional StudyFridays2:00 PMChoirOn hiatusCongregation Council3rd Monday7:00 PMstChristian Events Team1 Tuesday7:00 PMFinance Team4th Tuesday7:00 PMFrauenvereinOn hiatusGerman Circle/Deutscher Kreis On hiatusGirl ScoutsWednesdays7:00 PMHand Bell ChoirOn hiatusImmanuel German SchoolSaturdays9:30 AMLadies’ GuildOn hiatusMember Care Team1st Tuesday1:30 PMMutual Ministry TeamTBASocial Ministry TeamTBASunday SchoolOn hiatusWorship Planning TeamTBAYouth GroupOn hiatusPastor HahnBarbara HannonEileen SzentjobiTBAMarianne HaugRuth MugglerNancy SmithDr. Del HausmanBarbara HannonJudi HanniganJohn ScholtzEileen SzentjobiChris Blankenhorn andEileen SzentjobiNEWSLETTER EDITORAL STAFFDiane Burgess David W. Cook Pastor Norbert F. Hahn Marianne HaugSend information or questions to Office@ImmanuelPhilly.orgImmanuel Church needs your help in ensuring its future ministry. Please include the church inyour will. You may want to at least tithe (give 10%) of your estate to the Lord. Remember toinclude the church’s name and address along with the amount of your bequest. Should you wish,Pastor Hahn will provide you with the name of a caring and capable lawyer who can assist you.Page 2

CONNECTING WITH GODFrom Pastor HahnMy dear Immanuel church family:“God is good, all the time! All the time, God is good!”That is one of the chants young Lutheran used tolearn in Confirmation camp.As people of God, we know thisto be true. We believe it in ourhearts, know it in our minds, andfeel it in our souls. And, as peopleof faith, our trust and faith in Godare not shaken when bad thingshappen to good people.Also, after years of either denying that climatechange (global warming) is real and slow walking anymeaningful national response to it, the Germans are,finally, waking up. They are beginning to realize thatNature, God’s Creation, cannot be used and abusedwithout repercussions.“Something must be done”, Germanleaders from all mainstream partiesseem to agree now, “to slow down thewarming of the earth. After all, there isNO Planet B.” It will be interesting tosee if the Green Party will gain votes inthe upcoming elections.God is goodall the time!We remain steadfast because we know that pain,death, suffering, and injustice will not have the lastword. Our God of life, our God of resurrection, newlife, second chances, and new beginnings has the lastword. The God of unconditional love and justice forall has the last word.Admittedly, such convictionscan be shattered when we arebombarded with images andnews that show catastrophes—like the floods in Germany,Belgium, Austria, and Hollandor the massive wildfires andserious drought in parts of theU.S. Those convictions arechallenged when pain and death become personal inour own households. Many of us deal with healthchallenges and the Camburn and Mitchell familiesmourn the loss of loved ones.However, the good news, God’s news, is alreadydiscernible, even in pain, even in death, even indestruction.For example, despite the occasional “disaster tourist”hoping to get a picture of the destruction, manyordinary Germans kicked into high gear with handson help, with donations of food, clothing, and money.They were loving their neighbors.What I found remarkably interesting was theconversation around money. Clearly, responding tothe aftermath of the flooding, repairing, and rebuilding will be awfully expensive. (Unfortunately,the human lives lost cannot be replaced, and theyare priceless.)But, repairing and rebuilding aftera catastrophe is MORE expensivethan investing in preventing them inthe first place. According to oneexpert, every Euro that is NOTinvested in prevention, i.e., actionsthat limit global warming, will leadto between two to eleven Euros ofclean-up and rebuilding costs afterwards.Speaking of action: Would it not be great if ourcongregation could send a significant donation ofsupport to a Lutheran congregation in one of theaffected areas in Germany?Please pray about it! And if you feel moved tosupport this cause, please give an extra gift. Makeyour check out to Immanuel Lutheran Church; memo:German floods or give online. Thank you in advance.Finally, pray that more leaders all over the world willbegin to see, as clearly as the Germans, that bigaction in response to global warming is needed!God’s Peace, Pastor HahnPage 3

Die kleinen Sünden bestraft der liebe Gottsofort.—Wirklich?Der Redakteur, Blogger, und Schriftsteller FrankMuchlinksy wurde einmal gefragtwas er von dem Sprichwort "KleineSünden bestraft der liebe Gottsofort"? hält. Er antwortet darauf(siehe unten) und greift auch dieFrage auf, ob wir "Für die Sündenin die Hölle kommen"? ErbaulichesLesen!Die Redensart von den kleinenSünden, die "der liebe Gott"anscheinend sofort bestraft, istmeiner Ansicht nach eine dummeAngewohnheit.Der Spruch von den "kleinen Sünden" sagt ja auchnoch etwas anderes, und darauf gehen Sie in IhrerFrage auch ein: Wenn Gott die kleinen Sünden sofortbestraft, wann bestraft er dann die großen? Später,natürlich.Und so kommen wir schnell auf dasJüngste Gericht, auf die Hölle undewige Strafen. Mit denen zu drohen,hat schon immer denen geholfen, diewollten, dass andere Leute das tun, wassie selbst für richtig hielten. Eingeschicktes Druckmittel, mit dem mananderen Angst machen kann.Der wichtigste christliche Glaubenssatzlautet aber nicht: Du wirst für deineSünden büßen müssen, sondern: Jesus Christus hatdie Sünden aller Menschen auf sich genommen.Man sagt diesen Satz doch meistens dann, wennJa, es gibt die Vorstellung von der Hölle noch – auchjemandem ein Missgeschick passiert. Und indemin den evangelischen Kirchen. Werman das sagt, vermutet man, dassIch mag den häufigen aber ständig von der Hölle redet,hinter dem, was da schiefgelaufendas, was Jesus Christusist, eine böse Absicht steckte. AlsoGebrauch des Wortes verkehrtgelehrthat,ins Gegenteil. Derzum Beispiel, wenn jemand einen„Sünde“nicht.sprach nämlich meistens vom ReichLuftballon mit Wasser füllt und derGottes!– Frank Muchlinskyplatzt, bevor man ihn auf jemandenwerfen kann, um man wird selbstDarum sollten wir in vielerlei Hinsicht vorsichtig sein,nass. Aber steckte hinter dem Vorhaben, mit demwenn es um die Sünde geht. Weder sollten wir soBallon zu werfen, tatsächlich eine böse Absicht?tun, als könnten wir tun und lassen, was wir wollen,Oder war es einfach ein harmloses Spiel?noch sollten wir ständig von Sünde reden, wenn wirvon einer Regelübertretung sprechen.Ich mag den häufigen Gebrauch des Wortes Sündenicht. Wenn jemand die eigeneDiät bricht und dabei sagt: "Heutesündige ich mal", hat das sehrwenig damit zu tun, was dasChristentum unter Sünde versteht.Eine Sünde zu begehen bedeutet,sich durch eine schlimme Tatabsichtlich von Gott zu entfernen.Die erste Sünde, von derausdrücklich in der Bibel steht, istder Mord von Kain an seinemBruder Abel. Über solche Kategorien reden wir.Wir sollten uns überlegen, ob wirdie Hölle vor allem deswegen gutfinden, weil wir andere dortschmoren sehen wollen.Wir sollten und klar machen, dasskein Mensch jemals ohne Sündesein kann, sondern dass wir alleauf Vergebung angewiesen sind.Und darum sollten wir selbstvergeben.Mehr bei evangelisch.deContact Pastor Hahn for an English translation.Page 4

CONNECTING WITH OTHERSTune in on Thursdays at 7:20 PM so you will be readywhen the presentation starts. Just listen and learn.You will not be asked to comment or speak.Here is the login pwd QVFONFdpM3FGclY2RGw3UXF0TFdEQT09Thursdays at 7:27 PMVia Telephone or InternetYou might as well be honest and admit it: You havenot really done what you promised with yourconfirmation vows, your membership vows, and youraffirmation of baptism vows: “To proclaim the goodnews of Jesus Christ through word and deed.”And there are probably various and valid reasonswhy you have not really done what you promised.One of the reasons may be that nobody taughtyou how to do it. That is a valid point. No one canbe expected to do something, even if theypromised it, if they have not been equipped,prepared, or trained.Meeting ID: 885 5207 3779; Passcode: 282583Dial in: 646-558-8656Meeting ID: 885 5207 3779Passcode: 282583CongratulationsWe congratulate Jennifer Trepper (granddaughter ofJoan & Ted Schmidt) who graduated from NeshaminyHigh School. She will attend Manor College.Address ChangeBut now there is a remedy. A series of onlinepresentations to help you understand and do whatyou have promised.Gerlinde KraftPaul & Alma DallasPlease contact the church office for their addressesIn Christian SympathyWe extend our Christian Sympathy to Robert Camburn and his family and friends as they are mourningthe loss of Robert’s wife, Julie, who passed away July 18. Robert is a friend of the Immanuel Church family.Please keep the Camburn family in your prayers.We mourn the loss of Dave Mitchell, who passed away on July 19. In the spring, Dave had been elected toserve on Immanuel's congregation council. He had also agreed to begin serving as treasurer in the nearfuture. His funeral service was on July 24 with Pastor Hahn officiating. Please keep the family and friendsof Dave in your prayers.Page 5