April 3, 2025

Philippians 3:4b-14

Scripture readings

for Sunday, April 6

Isaiah 43:16-21

Psalm 126

Philippians 3:4b-14

John 12:1-8

[Paul writes:] 4b If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

• For our community of faith as we seek to do God’s work in the world.

• For those in our congregation and community who suffer silently with illness, financial burdens, and family obligation.

• For for all those affected by illness and those who care for them.

• For Judy Kelly, Ann Saar, Kay Marker Magneson, Roy Pihl, George Balcom, Thom Shagla, Mabel Tranum, Linda Fryberger, Heather Miller, Bryan Dahlberg, Lois Rumfelt, Nick Johnson, Pastor Gerry Zimmerman, James Dieter, Joe Gauvin, Emerson Allaby, John Gingrass, those serving in the military and law enforcement and their families, including Sean Pecuch, Ben Wickerham, Paul Hebert, and Nicholas Hebert, and those caught up in violence and war who have no safe home in which to live.

• For the ELCZ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe and ELCZa Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Names will remain of the Prayer List for a month - at which

time it will be taken off unless, or course, there is still a continued need

for our prayers and we’re asked to keep the name on.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CALENDAR

April 6

April 7

April 7 & 9

April 10

Dear St Timothy Family and friends,

As we start our 30th year of ministry in La Villa De San Francisco, Honduras, we have been amazed by the difference our small and humble support has made in the lives of hundreds of people.

While on our recent mission trip (January 2025), we took on 4 new children. We are now looking to triple-sponsor each child, so we can meet our monthly promise for food, school uniforms and supplies, tutoring and teaching in English, Computers, and Christian education.

Therefore, we are currently seeking 12 more sponsors for our Promise Children mission work. We ask for a monthly donation of $30, totaling $360/ year per child. We are also grateful for 1/2 sponsorships, if that’s is better for you.

If you are willing and interested, please see Sarah Goebel or Gale Svenson-Campbell or call Sarah at

1 (716) 450-2986.

Thank you!

Lenten Bible Study at ST. Timothy starting March 9 following worship.

Week 5-Lutheran Services in Iowa

Community Services during Lent.

Throughout the season of Lent, we are invited to join midweek worship in the chapel at First Lutheran, Jamestown. The service is at noon, followed by lunch. They will be taking place Wednesdays, 3/12- 4/9.

5 Loaves & 2 Fish Backpack Ministry

24/25 School Year

Our next packing date is April 22 at 7:00 pm.

The 24/25 school year is well underway and packing backpacks for our Bemus Point and area students. We can't thank our volunteers enough for all you do to make this happen! If you're looking for a wonderful way to give back to your community, please consider volunteering 1 time a month packing bags of food for area students.

We continuously collect food items for the 5 & 2 Ministry. Bring your donations and place in the black bin in church narthex. Lists detailing items needed are also available in the narthex. Monetary donations welcome! Contact Gale-Svenson-Campbell for details gales1949@gmail.com

If you can volunteer, please contact

Gale Svenson-Campbell at the link above. Thank you!!

Anyone that has any pictures or stories that they would like to share? Send them to sttimothy2015@gmail.com

Thank you

Marge Fiore

Administrative Assistant

REFLECTIONS

Pr. Ivy Gauvin

Paul’s life was hard and busy. He was in prison. Why bother spending so much time focusing on Christ and living for him? His motivation was“because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (v. 12b). Paul’s sense of acceptance by God energizes his continual pursuit of calling.

He compares the life of faith to a race. Each race is different, with its own variables of heat and the elements. Is it a cross-country race that’s being engaged in, indoor track or outdoor track? One runs differently in each, using different strategies for each.

In cross-country, for example, you don’t want to be in the lead early on. If you are, you’ll tire and won’t be able to sustain that pace. It seems to me that the race of the life of faith is more cross-country, or even more so, like a marathon.

Paul shows the Philippians what imitating the Christ who laid down his life for us looks like. It is a way to set aside the past to continue forward to what lies ahead. Nothing can distract Paul from the new and joyful pursuit of life in God by belonging to Christ.

So what do we get out of it? The same thing as Paul. What we gain is a vision for today that will not be fully ours until Christ makes us his own in the resurrection, in the future (Holladay). The joy and hope of falling and/or being in love is the best we can do to come near to the emotion in this passage. It is emotion that is both human and divine.

Couples discover a love for one another that brooks no opposition. Parents fall in love with newborns, which takes them into a new relationship of selfless, future-imagining love. And children love their parents too, though it is something they grow into, pressing on for a love that is already theirs and indeed has given them life (Henrich)

Resources

Holly Hearon, Sarah Henrich, workingpreacher.org

Carl R. Holladay, Preaching Through the Christian Year

Pastor Ivy Gauvin

Worship with Communion

Bible Study following worship

Dog Lessons 4:30 pm

Healthy Bones 9 am

Tai Chi 12pm

Choir 5:00 pm