Issue 9 - Lutheran Church in Great Britain

Lutheran Ladies Summer Get TogetherOn Saturday 18 June a group of 18 ladies met atthe home of Marlies Adam in Leicestershire. Theday began with Sarah Owen leading the MorningPrayers, adapted from the Evangelical LutheranWorship book. The service included a reading ofPsalm 8 and a reading from John’s gospel (14:15-17) on ‘The Promise of the Holy Spirit’:15‘If you love me, you will keep mycommandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, andhe will give you another Advocate, to be with youforever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the worldcannot receive, because it neither sees him norknows him. You know him, because he abideswith you, and he will be in you.’The hymn ‘Blessed Assurance’ and prayersfollowed the reading. The ladies sang withoutinstruments or music, but sang with deep feelingand gusto - they would make a good Lutheranladies Choir. I am sure that there are good malesingers within the LCiGB that would make aLutheran Men’s Choir, as well! Thank you, Sarahand readers.After the service, Marlies introduced a colleaguefrom the University of Leicester Chaplaincy team,Julie-Ann Heath. Julie-Ann gave a lovely, andlively, insight into her life (so far), and how shebecame an Ordained Minister within the Churchof England. Julie-Ann was able to connect withline ‘This is my story, this is my song’ from therefrain of the hymn ‘Blessed Assurance’. Shewas sent to Sunday school, with her brother andwas Con rmed at eleven years old, even thoughshe did not realise ‘what she was signing up to’.Julie-Ann left school at fteen and started workat sixteen years old, as an Of ce Junior. In thisjob, she encountered many new aspects of life,like posh cars, and different people. She wasasked by the company’s director, ‘What wouldyou like to achieve and by when?’ After somethought, she replied ‘I would like your job by thetime I’m 30 years old’. With a lot of hard work anddetermination she achieved this ‘dream’, with allthe perks. She realised that there must be ‘moreto life than this’.To the astonishment of her colleagues andhusband, she left the job. Julie-Ann was ableto try things she had never done before. Sheparticipated in an ALPHA Course, even thoughher ‘faith had not gone anywhere’. This was thestart of a ‘new journey’ in her life with ‘brandnew dreams’. Julie-Ann had a clothes shop forthe ‘larger lady’ (which had been suggested bya friend), as she had experience in textiles. Shethen held an ALPHA Course in her shop, whichwent down well. This led on to Julie-Ann changingher ‘direction in life’. She studied Theology, and isnow a Non-Stipendiary Minister and has no Parishof her own. Julie-Ann is a very busy lady. She is achaplain to international students at the Universityof Leicester, a work place chaplain in the centreof Leicester, takes part in services at LeicesterCathedral, and takes services at other churches.As well as all this she is an accomplished writer,and has published both children’s (Sparky andMirabelle & Maude) and adult (The Angel at theBottom of the Garden) books.She has published these books through her ownpublishing company, Potters Maze, which shestarted with a friend. She is also an artist, a wifeand very modest but not afraid of coming forwardand talking, plus other attributes that we are stillto learn about. We were all able to ask manyquestions about her work, books and so on.As is traditional, a good spread was provided forlunch, which was enjoyed by all. In the afternoonPastor Libby led a Eucharistic Service, which wasmoving. Thank you Pastor Libby. We were ableto socialise over tea and home baked goodiesprovided by several ladies. Thank you one andall. Photos were taken, mainly indoors (due tothe British weather), those taken outside werebetween the rain ‘showers’. We all had a greattime. Thank you Marlies for opening your home forthe annual summer get togetherLivija UpmalisSt Luke’s Lutheran Church, LeedsEventsPhoto Courtesy of Annette Higgins3