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University Lutheran Church

340 E. 15th Street, Tempe, AZ 85281-6612 (480) 967-3543

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News

Page Turner’s Book Club

January 2, 2018

The Page Turner’s Book Club meets at noon in the Campus Center on the first Thursday of each month. New members are welcome, even if you can only attend once in awhile. We will be reading the following selections through the end of the year:

Luther the ReformerFebruary 1, 2018: “Luther the Reformer: The Story of the Man and His Career” (Second Edition), James M. Kittelson (author) and Hans H. Wiersma (editor) (Kim)
For nearly thirty years, James M. Kittelson’s Luther the Reformer has been the standard biography of Martin Luther. Like Roland Bainton’s biography of the generation before, Kittelson’s volume is the one known by thousands of students, pastors, and interested readers as the biography that gave them the details of this dramatic man and his history.  The accolades were well deserved. Fair, insightful, and detailed without being overwhelming, Kittelson was able to negotiate a “middle way” between the many directions of historical research and present a more complete chronological picture of Luther than many had yet portrayed. For this revised edition, Hans H. Wiersma has made an outstanding text even better. The research is updated, and the text is revised throughout, with images, bibliographies, and timelines to enhance the experience.

Pope JoanMarch 1, 2018:  “Pope Joan: A Novel” by Donna Woolfolk Cross    (Lori Z.)
Donna Woolfolk Cross brings the Dark Ages to life in all their brutal splendor and shares the dramatic story of a woman whose strength of vision led her to defy the social restrictions of her day. For a thousand years her existence has been denied. She is the legend that will not die—Pope Joan, the ninth-century woman who disguised herself as a man and rose to become the only female ever to sit on the throne of St. Peter. Now in this riveting novel, Cross paints a sweeping portrait of an unforgettable heroine who struggles against restrictions her soul cannot accept. An enthralling, scholarly historical novel.

Filed Under: News

Baby Grand Debuts

January 1, 2018

Aiko Mancini at the Baby Grand Piano
Aiko Mancini at the new Baby Grand Piano

Christmas Eve was the first time we used our baby grand piano for worship. It was a gift of David and Nancy Tollefson. The Tollefsons had once been members of ULC and had two daughters, Ellen and Kristin, come through our campus ministry. Kristin continues to be here as a member and leads our altar guild.

We will continue to use the previous piano for some worship ( Easter Sunrise, for example) and for other events. That piano had been given in the early 1990’s by Muriel Cronin in memory of her brother. Thanks to the Tollefsons for the gift of a baby grand piano (and transportation to ULC) and to Muriel for many years of great music through her gift of a piano.  Thanks to Music Director Aiko Yamada Mancini, the choir, musicians, and all who work to give us such great music!!

Filed Under: Gallery, News

Rival to the Throne

December 26, 2017

Pastor Gary N. McCluskey

Pastor’s Notes
Gary N. McCluskey, Pastor

We miss it this year. The gospel text from Matthew concerning Herod’s order to slaughter children under the age of two who lived in and near Bethlehem. It was, according to Matthew, Herod’s attempt to destroy the possible rival to his throne about whom the wise men told him.

Many years this is the gospel text the Sunday following Christmas. It is assigned for the First Sunday of Christmas. Merry Christmas indeed!?! It is bad enough that many years we sit in church following Christmas and the poinsettias are a bit droopy, the light is not the warm glow of candlelight, and the entire feeling and attitude is different. No more looking forward. No more expectation or preparing. It’s over. And here comes January feeling like one long Monday.

I wonder, however, if in it’s strange and horrifying way, this is where the rubber of the message of Christmas hits the asphalt of life? The incarnate one gets an immediate lesson that in life no one is immune from the difficult hurdles and dead ends that life can put in our path. Even one sent from God must deal with them. This time Jesus and his family escaped to Egypt. We who know the entire story know eventually Jesus comes to a time when he is unable to escape. Life eventually gets Jesus, too.

Author, poet, and speaker, Maya Angelou wrote a book titled, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”. She says the whose wings are clipped, feet bound, and restricted to a small cage sings songs of freedom, songs of hope, and songs of things unknown.

We who follow Jesus and proclaim him to be Savior of the world know that much of what makes the Good News of Jesus good is that in Jesus God has not come to be a spectator. Nor is God simply a fan to cheer from the sidelines or stands. What makes this news good is that God comes as one involved. God comes as one of us to be with us and to be one of us. God comes to face the very painful things we may face. The caged bird may sing songs of freedom, songs of things unknown, and songs of hope. in our very uncertain times we can sing. We can sing in harmony and in unison. We are not alone. There is nothing we can face that the God who comes in Jesus has not faced.

We cannot laugh at the Herods of the world nor dismiss them. The horror they cause is real.

Yet neither the Herods of the world nor their horror need define us or define life. Caged birds do sing. Followers of a God among us can as well. Happy New Year? Happy New Year!

Filed Under: News, Pastor's Notes

Always Time for Food and Fellowship

December 25, 2017

University Lutheran Church - Patio BBQ

Filed Under: News

Music leadership for Christmas Eve – December 24, 2017

December 24, 2017

Music leadership for Christmas Eve worship with University Lutheran Church & Missio Dei Community.
Music leadership for Christmas Eve worship with University Lutheran Church & Missio Dei Community.

Filed Under: Gallery, News

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Sunday

10:00am Worship with Communion

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Wednesday activities will resume in August.

Our Staff

Arhiana Shek Dill

Interim Pastor
Arhiana Shek Dill

Elizabeth Tomboulian

Music Director
Elizabeth Tomboulian

Amanda Waters

Secretary
Amanda Waters

Dylan Weeks

Campus Ministry Associate
Dylan Weeks

Bryan Gamelin

Young Adult Coordinator
Bryan Gamelin

Reconciling Works

Reconciling Works - Lutherans for Full Participation

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