Serving in all seasons

Ed Kaelberer, 92, leads singalongs at the assisted living community where he resides in Parker, Colo., for an hour every Friday afternoon. A retired church worker, he served as minister of music in congregations in Minnesota, Illinois and Colorado. (Sandy Hiltman)

From LCMS’ “Reporter by Morgan Consier and Cheryl Magness

Two seasoned LCMS Lutherans are demonstrating, in their local communities, that God’s faithfulness never ends, nor does His call to serve one’s neighbor as He enables.

‘The room is always full’
Ed Kaelberer, a longtime minister of music in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), retired from church work years ago but still serves through music by leading singalongs in his assisted living community in Parker, Colo. Kaelberer’s son, Jon Kaelberer, says his father’s “love for music and serving others runs deep.”

Kaelberer, 92, didn’t set out to be a church worker. In high school, he was involved in music, but when an admissions representative from the Gale Institute in Minneapolis (formerly the Electronic-Radio Institute) came to talk to his class, he decided to enter the school’s program to become a railroad telegrapher. “It was a good job,” Kaelberer said. “I enjoyed it. But I missed music.”

Kaelberer enrolled at Concordia University, Nebraska (CUNE), Seward, Neb., where he studied organ, played trumpet and sang with the concert choir. He would go on to graduate from CUNE and serve as a minister of music in congregations in Minnesota, Illinois and Colorado — more than 25 of those years at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Denver. He earned a Master of Music from University of Colorado, Boulder, and, in 1969, served as musician for the 1969 LCMS convention, which was held that year in Denver. “Paul Manz was the featured performer,” Kaelberer said. “I just oversaw the daily worship.”

After retiring from music ministry, Kaelberer continued to maintain an active schedule for many years as a performer for special events and concerts in the Denver area. He is no longer able to play in the broader community but finds joy in bringing music to his retirement community, where he moved after the death of his wife, Ruth, in 2020. Each week, on Friday afternoon, community members gather for an hour of singing, led by Kaelberer.  

“The room is always full,” Kaelberer says. “I pick a theme — hymns, patriotic songs, Christmas music, country/western — and we sing those songs for a half hour. Then I open up for requests for another half hour … or sometimes longer,” he says with a smile.

But with all of his varied musical experiences, Kaelberer says his most important musical contributions were to the church. “Music is so important to the church. It helps people with their faith. It’s the words, the message.” He is encouraged by the Synod’s Set Apart to Serve initiative, which seeks to build a culture of church work recruitment across the church. “We need more young people to go into church work.”

Asked what was, for him, the most rewarding aspect of being a church musician, Kaelberer said it was leading congregational singing from the organ. “People love the organ. It can do so much.” One of his most cherished memories is attending the farewell recital of a retiring organist he once taught. “I only got him started,” Kaelberer said. “He went on to study with Charles Ore [former organ professor at CUNE] and become a fine musician. But he dedicated the first piece on his recital to me because I was his first teacher. That meant a lot.”

Kaelberer acknowledges that church work is hard. “Everyone has an opinion. It doesn’t pay very well, and you don’t get many breaks.” But he says he’s “never been sorry that I did what I did. If I had a chance to do it all over again, I would.”

Ruth Werning, 103, is pictured at American Family Field in Milwaukee, where she threw out the first pitch before a Brewers game on Aug. 15, 2024. (TMJ4 News/Brendyn Jones/Used by permission)

Ruth Werning, 103, is pictured at American Family Field in Milwaukee, where she threw out the first pitch before a Brewers game on Aug. 15, 2024. (TMJ4 News/Brendyn Jones/Used by permission)

‘The blessings are countless’
On Aug. 15, 2024, before the start of the Milwaukee Brewers–Los Angeles Dodgers game at American Family Field in Milwaukee, 103-year-old Brewers fan Ruth Werning threw out the first pitch, marking yet another item off her personal bucket list. It’s a list that included things like “become a Lutheran school teacher,” “marry a pastor” and “have children,” all of which she has also checked off. Through it all, the constant in Werning’s life has been her faith, which she continues to share with anyone she meets, especially her neighbors at Harwood Place in Wauwatosa, Wis., where she has lived in an independent-living apartment since 2006.

Born in 1921 to devout Lutheran parents and raised in the Milwaukee area, Werning got her two-year teaching degree at Concordia College (now Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon, Wis.) and served as a Lutheran school teacher. She continued to teach until she and the Rev. Waldo Werning were married in 1945 and moved to his first pastoral call. The couple went on to have five children, and Ruth stayed home with them until they went to school. As the family moved for Waldo Werning’s calls, Werning found ways to serve those around her as a pastor’s wife. “I was part of the connection [with the congregation], and it was a very important part of my life,” Werning said.

Once her children were in school full time, she returned to school herself to obtain her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Her particular area of interest was in special education, both for children with learning disabilities and for gifted students. She loved to help them learn each in their own ways and at their own paces. She was a listening ear to those who might have felt like others didn’t want to hear what they had to say.

Werning credits her love of serving others to the example her parents set for her in childhood. When she was a child, her parents took her to every Sunday and midweek service at church. They were active in serving their congregation and with organizations such as the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League and Milwaukee’s Kinderheim and Altenheim homes (now The Lutheran Home).

Throughout her life, Werning has continued to watch for opportunities to serve others and share the blessings God has given her. After she retired from teaching in 1989, she continued to work with gifted students at Concordia Lutheran School in Fort Wayne, Ind. She then worked with a group called Future Problem Solvers of America within that school until moving to Wisconsin and continuing her work with Future Problem Solvers at Divine Savior Lutheran School in Hartland, Wis. Even before she moved in to Harwood Place, she was volunteering at The Lutheran Home, leading a program for seniors with early-onset dementia. Since becoming a resident, she has been an active volunteer, even emceeing the annual Christmas program put together by residents.

Werning never thought she would end up living to be over 100, as her mother died at the age of 88. Her sister, however, lived to be 104, so that is Werning’s next goal.

When asked for her advice for living to be over 100, Werning said: “No. 1 is all praise and glory to God. I say that, and I mean it. There would not be one thing going on without Him leading and guiding me. The blessings are countless.”

“If I can witness just by my daily living, just by being God’s child in all that I do, then I will have completed my purpose in life, because that’s the only reason I’m here, to be a servant of the Lord,” Werning said.

Werning takes each day as an opportunity to serve and build community with those around her.

“So many people say, ‘I don’t know why the Lord hasn’t called me home yet. I don’t know what the Lord wants me to do,’ said the Rev. Derek Wolter, chaplain at The Lutheran Home and Harwood Place. “Ruth is taking that gift she has of making connection and continuing, even with her prayer life, to keep a connection with people and letting them know ‘You are important to God.’ ”

Werning feels content with what she has accomplished in life.

“I have accepted [God’s] blessings for so long in my life,” Werning said. “And when it’s time for Him to call me home, I’ll accept that blessing too, by God’s grace.”

Werning’s second piece of advice, as someone who has lived over a century, is telling people to always choose joy, no matter their circumstances or what obstacles they might be facing.

“They may not see any joy in their life right now, but it’s there because the joy of salvation in Christ doesn’t change.”

That joy of salvation shines through Werning, especially to those at The Lutheran Home.

“She is full of joy and happiness. And reaching out to others,” said Sheri Polczynski, executive director of Harwood Place. “She walks the common areas each day. She’s stopping in at staff doors and checking in on them, making them laugh, making them smile.”

“The joy is definitely there. It’s not forced. The joy is … present in Ruth because she is … so grateful for God’s presence in her life,” Wolter said. “It just springs forth.”

Werning’s faith has sustained her throughout her life, and she encourages people of all ages to keep the Lord at the forefront of their lives, whether they are young or old.

“Keep the Lord with you no matter how old you are. It’s not a case of ‘I’ll live my life without worship, without God, because later on when I get older then I’ll spend more time in worship,’” Werning said. “It doesn’t work that way. Eternity may start today, this moment, for anyone.”

Every morning, with her coffee thermos in hand, Werning sits in her recliner to pray. She prays for those close to her, including five children, 10 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild and the staff at The Lutheran Home. With all those people to pray about, it takes her a while to get to everyone’s names individually.

“By the time I get down to the youngest great-grandchild, sometimes I have to stop and think, ‘Did I get all five in that family by name?’” Werning said. “Not that the Lord wouldn’t know if I said, ‘Bless all my grandchildren.’ ”

Werning tells those about whom she is praying that she is doing so, because she wants them to notice the work that God is doing in their lives through those prayers and to encourage them to keep people in their lives in their prayers as well. She continues to live her life, thanking the Lord for the countless blessings He has given her.

“I am so blessed. It’s the last thing I say at night, in the middle of the night, and in the morning. I am blessed by the Lord. … And I thank God every day for everything, all by God’s grace.”

 Morgan Consier (morganconsier@wccta.net) is an editor and writer who lives with her husband and children in central Iowa. 

Bulletin: Sunday February 23, 2025 + This Week at Zion

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THIS WEEK AT ZION

Saturday February 22
No Events Scheduled

Sunday February 23
8:00 a.m. — Worship Service with Communion
9:15 a.m. — Adult/Teen Bible Study & Sunday School
10:30 a.m. — Worship Service with Communion
(The 8:00 a.m. service streamed on our YouTube channel)

Monday February 17
6:00 p.m. - Confirmation
6:00 p.m. - Grace Bell Choir Practice
7:00 p.m. - Confirmation

Tuesday February 18
6:15 p.m. - Faith Bell Choir Practice
7:15 p.m. - Adult Choir Practice

Wednesday February 19
2:00 p.m. - Mid-Week Worship Service
2:30 p.m. - 30 min. Bible Study
(Service streamed on our YouTube channel)

Thursday February 20
7:00 p.m. - LWML Meeting (Additional Information)

Friday February 21
6:30 p.m. - Family Bingo Night and Pot Luck Dinner (Additional Details)

Saturday February 22
No Events Scheduled

Sunday February 23
8:00 a.m. — Worship Service with Communion
9:15 a.m. — Adult/Teen Bible Study & Sunday School
10:30 a.m. — Worship Service with Communion
(The 8:00 a.m. service streamed on our YouTube channel)

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We Mourn the Loss of Dennis Finney

We Mourn the Loss of Dennis Finney
It has pleased the Lord to call unto Himself our brother-in-Christ, Dennis Finney, this morning at 11:00. Dennis had suffered cardiac arrest earlier this week and was in the ICU at the hospital. Funeral details will be forthcoming. Please continue to pray for his wife, Melanie; his mother, Esther; and the rest of his family. May the Lord comfort them with the assurance of eternal life in Him.

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Shout Out to Students (Part 2 of 2)

Joshua Grimenstein, a senior at South Fayette HS, broke the SFHS school swimming record in the 100 Fly - a record that was 26 years old. Joshua now holds 4 high school records - the 100 Backstroke, 200 IM, 100 Fly, and the 500 Freestyle. In the fall, Joshua has committed to swim at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, MI, where he will double major in Computer Engineering and Computer Science. 

The 2025 WPIAL Swim Championships take place February 27th and 28th at Trees Pool at PITT, and Joshua has qualified in numerous events - as well as several relays with his brother Daniel. 

Go Joshua and Daniel! 

Shout Out to Students (Part 1 of 2)

Pippa Carter, a 7th grader in the Mt. Lebanon School District, performed with her String Quartet from the Mellon Middle School Orchestra at Mt. Lebanon’s annual Winter Market & Holiday Celebration on December 7th. The quartet played a festive selection of Christmas hymns and carols. 

Bravo, Pippa! 

VIDEO: Wednesday February 19, 2025 - Complete Service

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Worship Service: 2:00 p.m.
Bible Study (the Book of Malachi): 2:30 p.m
All are welcome, bring a friend, neighbor or relative

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AUDIO: Readings & Sermon for Wednesday February 19, 2025

View the Bulletin for Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Worship Service: 2:00 p.m.
Bible Study (the Book of Malachi): 2:30 p.m
All are welcome, bring a friend, neighbor or relative

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Ezekiel 44:1-16, 23-29 
Then he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces east. And it was shut. And the LORD said to me, “This gate shall remain shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered by it. Therefore it shall remain shut. Only the prince may sit in it to eat bread before the LORD. He shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gate, and shall go out by the same way.” 

Then he brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple, and I looked, and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple of the LORD. And I fell on my face. And the LORD said to me, “Son of man, mark well, see with your eyes, and hear with your ears all that I shall tell you concerning all the statutes of the temple of the LORD and all its laws. And mark well the entrance to the temple and all the exits from the sanctuary. And say to the rebellious house, to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: O house of Israel, enough of all your abominations, in admitting foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and flesh, to be in my sanctuary, profaning my temple, when you offer to me my food, the fat and the blood. You have broken my covenant, in addition to all your abominations. And you have not kept charge of my holy things, but you have set others to keep my charge for you in my sanctuary. 

“Thus says the Lord GOD: No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the people of Israel, shall enter my sanctuary. But the Levites who went far from me, going astray from me after their idols when Israel went astray, shall bear their punishment. They shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the temple and ministering in the temple. They shall slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before the people, to minister to them. Because they ministered to them before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have sworn concerning them, declares the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their punishment. They shall not come near to me, to serve me as priest, nor come near any of my holy things and the things that are most holy, but they shall bear their shame and the abominations that they have committed. Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of the temple, to do all its service and all that is to be done in it. 

“But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept the charge of my sanctuary when the people of Israel went astray from me, shall come near to me to minister to me. And they shall stand before me to offer me the fat and the blood, declares the Lord GOD. They shall enter my sanctuary, and they shall approach my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my charge. 

Romans 9:1-18 
I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. 

But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 

What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. 

The Sacrament of Holy Baptism
What is Baptism? 
Baptism is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God’s command and combined with God’s word. 
Which is that word of God?
Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Matthew: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matt. 28:19)