First Sunday in Lent, March 4^th
Pumpernickel, Power, and Parapet Luke 4:1-13

Second Sunday in Lent, March 11^th
Prophets, Pharisees and Prayer Luke 13:31-35

Third Sunday in Lent, March 18^th
Penitence, Parable and Production Luke 13:1-9

Fourth Sunday in Lent, March 25^th
Prodigal, Pigs, Parent, and Party Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Fifth Sunday in Lent, April 1^st
Pennywise and a Pound Foolish: Perfume and the Poor John 12:1-8

Pastor Tom,

I cannot thank you enough for your willingness to visit our member’s sister during her stay at Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas.  I knew that the surgery was serious and that she was frightened.  Your willingness to be a partner in ministry encouraged me and challenged me in my ministry.  God bless you for all that you’ve done.

In Christ,
Kenya Rogers

Greetings!  As I picked up today’s paper and opened the sports section I immediately thought of you and your hearty respect for Kirby Puckett.  I hope enough votes go his way, at least a sufficient amount to elect him to the Hall of Fame.

I hope to get out your way in a couple months.  I hear from several members of Good Samaritan and they seem to be okay.

God bless you and all the loved ones of the cherished Good Samaritan family.

In Christ,
Bob Young

Faith Lutheran Jr/Sr High’s current tuition is $5,820 compared to $5,850 at Bishop Gorman and $12,500 at The Meadows School. Enrollment is expected to reach 900 students by the Fall of 2001 with 60 teachers on staff.

Starting salary for a teacher at Faith is about 89% of the starting salary for a Clark County teacher. The new gymnasium which includes a wrestling room, locker rooms and classrooms, opened in November. Plans for another Capital Funds Campaign is underway.

• Church Council Meeting, Sunday, March 11, at 7:00pm

• Women's Bible Study - Saturday, March 10, at 10am.
  Book of Acts & the work of the Holy Spirit.
  Service project is layettes for LSSN.

• Drama Ministry meets on Wednesdays, March 7, 14, 21, 28, at 5:30pm
  Everyone is welcome to join us.

• Knitting, Crocheting  & Crafts - Every Thursday at 9am -
  March 1, 8, 15 & 22

• Thursday Morning Bible Study at 10am - Everyone is invited to attend!!
  We are studying Revelation

• The First and Third Wednesday of each month (March 7 & 21)
   C.A.R.E. - Cards And Recreation for Everyone
   10am until…….
   Bring a sack lunch and a friend!
   Lots of LAUGHING & FUN!!!

Dear Good Samaritan,

We at Lutheran Social Services of Nevada truly appreciate your donation of $500.00 for LSSN.

Judy Shumway

Sincerely, LaVerne

To our friends at Good Samaritan,

We would like to say "Thank You" for your generous donation of $75.00 to Oasis Community (formerly Protestant Campus Ministry at UNLV).

Please pray for our ministry team and the students.

Brian Johnson
Oasis Ministry Team

"Fast food reflects the individualistic relation between man and God introduced by Martin Luther, explained Salani.  "Lacking the community aspect of sharing, fast food is certainly not a Catholic model."

Reactions from Italians-600,000 of whom eat at McDonalds each day-has been mixed.   Lutherans have been critical.  Hans-Michael Uhl, a Lutheran pastor in Rome said he finds it difficult to imagine Luther sitting down all alone eating a Big Mac.

Dr. Timothy Lull, President of Pacific Lutheran University, Berkeley, and author of Conversations with Luther, a book based on his imaginary meetings with Luther, says he plans to meet with Luther over a Big Mac to discuss this.

Good Samaritan Lutheran

Dear Friends,

Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas would like to thank you for helping make 2000 our most successful and productive year ever. As of the end of the year, we have completed six new homes for disadvantaged families (twice as many as in 1999), and we are looking forward to wrapping up three more in January. We could not have done it without you.

As some of you already know, 2001 will be our 10^th anniversary in Las Vegas and we are looking forward to even greater success! Overall, we are gearing up to build a total of ten homes, and we hope that your organization will once again want to contribute time and energy to helping people get into their very own homes for the first time.

Thanks,
John Briggs
Resource Development

Wednesday, March 21
6:30 - 8:00pm

7th Grade Confirmation Teacher
Susan Gentry
Joachim "Joe" Woerner

The black robe is part of the heritage of the Reformation. In German it is called a "Talar"-deriving from the Latin word talus, talaris-which means a long robe reaching down to the ankle. While Martin Luther was very strict in theological questions in his confrontation with the Catholic Church, such external/outward issues such as what kind of robe the Lutheran clergy should wear did not mean much to him. For many years Lutheran pastors kept either their Catholic robe or just wore a special kind of suit for services. Eventually Luther decided that all Lutheran pastors should wear the black gown with white ties as their official robe which was very popular among the university professors. At that time, this decision had an anti-Catholic implication as Luther wanted the Protestant pastors to look different than the Catholic priests. The white tie that goes with the Talar is called

"Baeffchen." This derives from a Dutch word meaning small collar.

During the 19th century the style of the robe was changed in the different parts of Germany. I am wearing a Talar which was designed in Prussia and it differs slightly from those designed in Bavaria, Hannover or Schleswig Holstein.

Hence, the Talar has been the original gown of Lutheran pastors for centuries. The question for me was, therefore, why do American pastors of the ELCA wear white robes? Doing some research, I found out that the black robe was common here in the U.S. until the first decade of the 20th century. Around 1945 the black cassic with white surplus and a stole became more and more popular. Only in the 1970’s the white alb with different stoles for the various seasons of the church year came up.

I’m turning 50 very soon. (Slap hand to forehead!) It may happen before you read this. In Greek, the word fifty is Pentecost. In the Old Testament, 50 is the day that follows the seven weeks of grain harvest. This Feast of Seven Weeks began around Easter time when the barley was first ready to reap and 50 days later the wheat was harvested. The festival was an act of gratitude to God for the continuing productivity of the crops and later became a symbol of all the ways God loves and supports us. To demonstrate that God is the ultimate owner of everything, nothing was planted or harvested in the seventh year. It was a sabbatical year. Whatever the land produced on its own went to the poor. The respite gave wildlife a chance to repopulate itself. Moreover, enough food is promised in the 6th year to carry the people through the sabbatical year. The Jubilee year then is the seventh sabbatical year. The 50th year. A ram’s horn was blown. Liberty was proclaimed throughout the land. All debts were forgiven. Slaves were set free. Prisoners pardoned. It was one cool party. As Christians, Easter is a season of 50 days finishing on Pentecost, which is the birthday of the church and the Sunday we celebrate confirmation here at Good Samaritan.

So 50 feels pretty good to me. It fits like a comfortable shoe. Dave Berry has written a book about the phenomenon. Judith Viorst, has composed a collection of poems entitled, Forever 50. Paul Simon assigns 50 as the number of possible ways to leave your lover. Hopping on the bus, Gus, is one of them. Bobby Thomson hit a very famous homerun 50 years ago. J.D. Salinger penned Catcher in the Rye, and the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was passed limiting a President to two four year terms.

So, for me anyway it’s a Jubilee year! Toot my horn! Thank my God! Bring in the barley and wheat! Live on the ‘God promised’ leftovers of last year. Set the captives free. Beg your pardons.

Now, if I can just get a moratorium on my Master Card bill…...