What's Happening

​May is busy month with inspirational opportunities to worship our Lord here at St. Luke.
All Sundays in May include the sacrament of Holy Communion.

• May 6 is New Member's Sunday, come and celebrate as we add to the family of God here at St. Luke.  We will enjoy special music by the Cherub Choir.  Following the service, we will have our semi annual congregational meeting in the sanctuary.
  
• May 13 is Mother's Day and First Communion Sunday. This will be special day to remember/honor our mothers and to share in the joy of First Communion. Maggie Carkeet and Luke Wright will present a special offering
  
• May 27 is Church Picnic Day, we will worship in the sanctuary, but all are invited to dress casual and stay after service for a cook out in the pavilion.
  
• May 20 is a day to honor our High School graduates with prayers and gifts. We give thanks for our Sunday School teachers as this is the last Sunday for Sunday School until the fall.

"Transformation 2.0: What is it and who is involved?"
Greetings from the T-2 Ministry Team ("T2" is the abbreviation for "Transformation 2.0")!  Our Team is comprised of: Paul Wright (Team Leader), Sue Malone, Sandi Oakley, Burk Renner, Cathy Dafoe, and Pastor Cliff. We have been charged with the challenging task of guiding the transformation process at St. Luke of becoming a "missional church".  
Mission renewal requires a paradigm shift in all of us to move away from asking the "how to's" (How will we attract more people? How will we increase giving? How will we fill the sanctuary with more people?), and begin asking instead the challenging "who?" and "what?" questions (Who is St. Luke not currently reaching in our community that God is asking us to reach? What is God calling me to do in between Sundays that makes an eternal impact for His Kingdom?)
This transformation process cannot succeed if we are not focused on growing in our own spiritual lives.  I challenge you today to commit to the hard work and discipline of spiritual growth. The 7 Marks of Ministry are an excellent starting point to direct your spiritual growth:
Pray Daily.
Worship Weekly.
Read the Bible Daily.
Serve At and Beyond St. Luke.
Relate with Others to Encourage Spiritual Growth.
Give to God Sacrificially of Time, Talent, and Financial Resources.
Commit to Spiritual Leadership and Personal Integrity.
If you would like to learn more about how you can be an active participant of the Transformation 2.0 process at St. Luke, reach out to one of our T2 Team Members! You may also visit: www.elca.org/future
In Christ,
Paul Wright

Interested in knowing ore about St. Luke, and possibly joining us? 

Plan to attend the New Members' Class Wednesday, April 25, 5:30-8:00 pm.  You'll get a good meal and lots of information. 

​Child Care is available if needed!  patti@stlukememphis.org

​Springtime gets me thinking about the Natchez Trace Parkway and my goal to bicycle all
444 miles from Natchez, MS to Nashville, TN. Today the Trace is preserved as a part of the
National Park System. It once was a trail for native peoples of the southeast, and later
transformed into a path by the European settlers. As a former park ranger, a former chaplain
serving in National Parks, and as a current Lutheran pastor in Cordova, Tennessee, finding God
in the cathedral of nature is a core component of my own faith. I consider protecting and
restoring God’s creation to be an important expression of my faith. Our public lands, which are
for our collective enjoyment, are also under our collective care.

That is why I am deeply troubled that in the past year, our nation has witnessed the
most significant loss of conservation protections for public lands in our history. In December
2017, President Trump signed proclamations to drastically reduce the size of Bears Ears
National Monument (by 85%) and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (by 50%).
Trump’s action in December came from an Executive Order that calls for the Department of
Interior to review of all national monuments designated after 1996. Unless people of faith and
good conscience speak up to defend God’s creation, we will likely see the diminishment of
more national monuments.

Our nation’s public lands are not only places to take Sabbath; they also conserve our
collective memory by protecting natural, cultural, historical, and spiritual heritage. The loss of
protections for Bears Ears National Monument particularly grieves me, as this was the first and
largest area of public land benefitting from conservation protection at the request of
Indigenous tribes. By taking this recent protection of sacred sites away from the tribes, our
country has set back a much-needed pathway to healing.

On April 4, I gathered with faith leaders and concerned citizens to remember 50 years
since the murder of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King in Memphis, TN. This modern history also links
us to 350 years of slavery and the 150 years of struggle for full inclusion by people of color in
our country. Many national monuments established since 1996 reflect our country’s journey
toward healing, and reconciliation. Yet, just as the Antiquities Act of 1906 has been used in the
past to honor the heritage of communities of color, many leaders of the current Congress and
Administration are taking actions to diminish and undermine this law’s power. We must be
watchful and active to protect diverse cultural heritage sites in the Department of Interior’s
care.

Since 1906, U.S. presidents from both political parties have designated national
monuments under the Antiquities Act so that future generations can experience our nation’s
open spaces, historic sites, and cultural treasures. Experience has demonstrated the wisdom of
giving presidents this authority—nearly half of our country’s national parks were originally
protected by the Antiquities Act, including the Statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon.
This Spring let us seek silence in a world of great noise. Let us respond to our yearning
for relaxation, peace and contentment. Let us reconnect with our cultural and spiritual
heritage. Let us also work to protect and preserve the public lands we so love and that have
been entrusted to our care.

-Pastor Cliff

As part of the Community Health Fair on April 14 (9am to noon at St Luke Lutheran Church), you can register for a free mammogram below.

https://secureapps.methodisthealth.org/Mammo/SchedAppointment.aspx
Use the following information to register:
Employer = St Lukes Lutheran
Date = April 14

 Easter is more than one day; it's a 7 week season on the church calendar. This year for Easter St. Luke will explore a series of teaching on "Kingdom Living." 
    How can we live in God's kingdom here and now? How can we seek the kingdom of God today? Join us April 8-May 13 for our Easter sermon series on "Kingdom Living."