Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them. Isaiah 42:10

Have you ever laughed at Scripture? Not because it’s funny but because the chances of you putting it into action are unlikely. Isaiah 42:10 is a call to sing a new song; to raise our voices, rejoice, sing for joy, and proclaim His praise. But when we’re struggling to get through the day, it’s not quite so simple or easy.

Many of us find ourselves feeling wearier and more worried than overflowing with worship and wonder. Financial worries, grief, loss, parenting struggles, or a fragile marriage, among many other unnamed cares, can weigh us down.

It’s tempting to think Isaiah 42:10 is a text for when life is all rainbows and butterflies, not stress and struggle. But it’s exactly moments like this — when life is hard, we’re tired and want things to change — that this text is for. When Isaiah spoke these words to the people of Israel, they were again in captivity, and the people were worn out and worried beyond belief. Yet in the middle of these tough times, God calls them to sing a new song — to burst forth in joy, hope, and peace in the darkness.

I quietly hum “Amazing Grace” as I walk into the hospital for a visit, and I realize the victory and freedom this grace has given me. No matter what we face or how tired and anxious we are, we can sing a new song or an old one. We can exchange our weariness and worry for worship as we find God in our darkest places.

Over the past several months, Timothy intentionally promoted some of the many organizations receiving our 10% tithe in the form of prayers in worship, through the weekly emailed prayers, and postcards distributed after worship on first Su7ndays. Letters of appreciation like the one below affirm our commitment to tithing. Thank you for continuing to pray for missions here locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. They all appreciate our prayers and financial  support. Just one way to join Jesus on His Mission!

“Thank you, dear saints in Blue Springs,
I am incredibly grateful for your ongoing prayers and financial support! Last Thursday evening, before we began our Chinese class (reading Luke’s gospel), my dear friend/Chinese teacher, Kass had an “ah ha” moment.  We were talking about my deaconess studies, and I showed her the first commandment with its meaning that I was memorizing for class.  Kass read it with a question mark in her voice, as if it were hard to believe: “No other gods?!”

I think that it was Kass’s first moment of realizing that Christians have only one God and are not just adding Jesus to a collection of other go-to gods.  Most of the Taiwanese have a god for business, a god for fishermen, a god for farmers as well as praying to their ancestors for their own earthly peace and for their ancestors’ well-being in the afterlife.

Please join me in praying that God will continue His good work in Kass’s heart and bring her to complete understanding, faith and joyful salvation in Jesus.

Barb Rebentisch
Asia Regional Office Building
cell phone: 651-359-5107
5F-1, #167 Gongyuan Street
East District, Chiayi City, TAIWAN”

On May 21st, the Stewardship Team presented a brief explanation after the worship services about Tax-Advantaged Giving to help Timothy members consider how wise stewardship practices can benefit both members and Timothy. If you were unable to attend the session that day, please stop by the Information Center at either campus to pick up printed materials which may be helpful in planning. You will find information about “donating your IRA distributions to a charity,” ” your required minimum distributions: we’ll help you make the most of the money you must withdraw,”  and “qualified charitable distributions: support your favorite causes with IRA distributions” as well as the introductory information from the Stewardship Team about topics for future sessions. Stay tuned for the next quarterly stewardship session, and please contact any of the Stewardship Team members if you have questions (Dave Domsch, Gary Flandermeyer, Mel Falk, Doug Spilker,  Joe Sauter, and Doug Hick).

Where is one place you can join Jesus on His Mission?  Right where you are—here at Timothy! You can do this by volunteering as a Care Connector. It’s easy and rewarding! From the convenience of your own home or anywhere, you can reach out to a group of people via phone, email, or cards, whatever works best for you! For more information, contact Sandy Gregory, Care Coordinator, at 816.228.5300 ext. 8042 or sandyg@timothylutheran.com .

Last Friday, Timothy kiddos and friends showed up to bump at Bump City, to the tune of 100 in number! What a fun opportunity to share the love of Jesus! Mixed in with lots of playing, they enjoyed pizza and snacks. It was a great way to kick off the summer together!

It’s time to Join Jesus on His Mission over the upcoming holiday weekend! This year, the revitalized Blue Springs Ministerial Alliance is coordinating events for kids in conjunction with the Red, White, and Blue Springs event on Saturday, July 1^st, at Blue Springs South High School. We will share His Mission by hosting a simple, fun fishing game in the “kid zone” that allows kids to win small prizes. Consider signing up for one of two shifts between (5:30 – 7:15 pm or 07:15 – 9pm) AND THEN stay for the always-amazing, free fireworks show! To sign up, go to the Events page on Timothy’s website (www.timothylutheran.com) or contact Pastor Ryan (ryanh@timothylutheran.com).

Sr High: A group of senior high kiddos and adults are heading to Tulsa on our mission trip Tomorrow, June 10^th through Friday, June 16^th. Keep us in prayer as we serve the people in Tulsa and grow in our calling to Join Jesus on His Mission! Keep tabs with us during the week at ppm.org/18555 or on our Timothy Facebook page.

Sr High: Revolution midweek youth study is meeting throughout the summer.  Contact Pastor Ryan for the schedule.

Jr & Sr High: It’s time to chillax and float down the river together!  It’ll be a full-day outing on June 26^th from about 7:30am-8pm as we head down to the Niangua River and swim, float, and row row row our boats.  Cost will be $35.  Scholarships are available.   Adult drivers/chaperones needed also.  RSVP by June 16^th to Pastor Ryan.  Ryanh@timothylutheran.com

All children & youth:  VBS is coming at you July 10-14^th.  Kids pre-k through 5^th are welcome to sign up for a Stellar week of fun Sign up to attend here! Those 6th  grade and up are encouraged to sign up to help for this joy-filled, intense week of Jesus. Volunteer sign up! We will have middle school swim talks that week as well on Tuesday and Thursday!  And a Sr. High BBQ Wednesday night! Invite your friends and neighbors!

All seniors are invited to the annual Pairs & Spares picnic on June 20th in the Family Life Center (FLC).  Bring a dish to share for the potluck luncheon and enjoy fellowship with friends. Hot dogs, brats, drinks, and  paper products will be furnished. Contact Janet Masters (jlmasters44@gmail.com) with questions.

Timothy’s current GriefShare session recently completed, and we thank God for Pam Lund’s commitment as its facilitator for the past three years. What a blessing her leadership has been to many people coping with various kinds of grief! The next GriefShare session will begin this fall, and we look forward to offering this ministry to many more people. If you are interested in helping to facilitate the next session, please contact Sandy Gregory, Care Coordinator (sandyg@timothylutheran.com or 816.228.5300 Ext. 8042).

The second TLS trailer was delivered this past Monday, June 5th, with no problems. Timothy’s staff is now waiting for the leasing company to complete the set-up process so that electrical and plumbing work can proceed as soon as possible. The goal is to prepare the trailer for occupancy by end of June.

Discussions continue with interested partiesd about the sale of RD Mize. The Real Estate Task Force is also researching commercial real estate brokers and attorneys for possible assistance when needed.

Feel free to stop by the “free tables” in lobby at RD Mize to select many additional items. The congregation is also welcome to stop by the Children’s Library (Room 304) and Adult Library (Room 303) to select books or other materials you would li9ke to own.

One of Timothy’s members recently shared the following story, and we pass it on for the congregation to enjoy:
My sister-in-law’s younger brother unexpectedly passed away. He had been single all his life, but had a vast network of friends and fraternity brothers from college. She wanted to invite them to his Celebration of Life, but after rummaging through all his files, she could not find any contact information for any of them. She assumed she could get the information from his cell phone, but it was password protected. She tried and tried to open his phone, but with no success. One evening when she was sitting quietly, a soft voice whispered in her ear, “. . . Bill’s favorite number is 23.” She jumped up, ran to the cell phone, and typed in “232323,” and the phone opened! She was able to use his contact list to share the unfortunate news with all his friends. She later confided in me that she was convinced that it was an angel speaking to her in that soft whisper.
Dear Lord, help us all to be open and receptive to the “soft whispers” from You, the Holy Spirit, and your angels!”