- Fifth Sunday of Easter | May 18
Easter initiates a new day. It anticipates a new heaven and a new earth. The risen Christ is making all things new. God has made new people of us; it takes a whole season; it takes a whole lifetime. Jesus invites us to see everyone in a new light—through the … - Game Night & Potluck | May 17, 6 pm
Meet in the Fellowship Hall of First English Lutheran Church, 3001 Whitis Ave. Enter though the door marked Fellowship Hall, or the door marked Kitchen. Bring food you like to share, bring board games if you want, or just try one of the many games that will be available. Anyone … - FELC Book Club | Sunday, May 18, 1-3 pm
The FELC Book Club gathers Sunday, May 18, 1:00 to 3:00pm, for potluck lunch and discussion of The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, by James McBride. Join in the conversation; all are welcome, even if you haven’t read the book. For information and meeting location contact Anne Wiebe at wiebeanne@hotmail.com. - FELC Caregiver’s Circle | May 26
Caregiver’s Circle meets monthly on the 4th Monday from 7-8:30 pm. via Zoom. If you have accepted the responsibility to assist another adult with the activities of daily living, you are a “caregiver.” You may live together or apart, but another person depends on you in an important way. Caregiving … - May 11 | Good Shepherd Sunday
This Sunday, as we approach halfway through the great 50 days of Easter joy, we are reminded that the gift of new life, of eternal life, is the gift of the risen Christ. It is the promise of Jesus. It was true for Dorcas in Joppa. It was true for … - Highlights from the May 3 Southwestern Texas Synod Assembly
Friends, I had the privilege of attending last weekend’s Synod Assembly as a voting member from First English, along with Holden Fuerst. Thank you for that opportunity! The Assembly celebrated Camp Chrysalis’ 75th anniversary with a wonderful slide show of the many years in operation. The Assembly Offering was dedicated …Continue reading “Highlights from the May 3 Southwestern Texas Synod Assembly”
- Discover Ukraine: A Benefit Concert | Saturday, May 3On Saturday, May 3 at 7:30 PM at FELC, join Cantastoria Chamber Choir in a benefit concert for Liberty Ukraine. Cantastoria Chamber Choir uses choral music, ancient and modern, to tell stories in the form of projects that they write and produce for video and live performance. Passionate about collaborating with …
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- Southwestern Texas Synod Assembly | May 3The Southwestern Texas Synod Assembly meets on Saturday, this year for one day, at Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in San Antonio. Pastors, deacons, and lay voting members gather from ELCA congregations and ministry settings throughout central and south Texas. The Synod Assembly meets for worship, connection, sharing resources, and conducts …
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- Third Sunday of Easter | May 4
We continue the great fifty days of resurrection rejoicing! In the gospel story this week (John 21:1-19), Jesus’ first disciples make a big splash and eat breakfast with the risen Lord. Wading in the water (remembering baptism) and eating with Jesus (celebrating holy communion) is our weekly, community encounter with … - MMIWG Awareness | May 5
Monday, May 5 is a national day of support for the families of Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). Show your support by wearing something red this Sunday, May 4, and include the Murdered and Missing Women, Girls, and their Relatives in your prayers. In 2021 the ELCA … - Meditations on Christ’s Seven Last Words
On Good Friday we remember our Lord’s passion and death, and his triumph on the cross for the world that God so dearly loves. This year, in addition to the adoration of the cross in the evening, we offered a Tre-Ore (3-hour) service beginning at noon. Mixed with prayers, scripture … - Council Meeting Highlights | April 2025
President LaRu Woody reminded all that the specially called Congregation Meeting on Sunday May 4 will include three potential votes to decide whether or not to: 1) extend a call to our Primary Candidate, the Reverend Katie Rode, 2) approve a compensation package recommended by our Finance Committee and approved … - April 27 | Second Sunday of Easter
It is often hard to believe, to actually trust. Because it’s hard to believe, we will invest ourselves in the Easter mystery for fifty days (a week of weeks). Faith is an investment. Because it is hard to believe, the stories of John the evangelist will provide sign after sign celebrating … - Chicken BBQ | Saturday, April 26
Everyone is invited to the longest-running community & social event of FELC (since 1964): the annual chicken BBQ, to be held in the parking lot (weather permitting)! Pitmasters will start smoking chickens in the outdoor smoker pit in the afternoon, & the potato salad & beans team will be getting the sides ready. You’re … - Repertory Chorus in Concert | Monday, April 28
Join UT’s Repertory Chorus in concert at FELC on Monday, April 28 at 8:00 PM. It’s a concert of mostly American, mostly folk music: “Yesterday”, “Clementine”, “I’ll Fly Away” and more. Repertory Chorus is a mixed chamber choir directed by graduate student conductors. FELC partners with UT’s Butler School of …Continue reading “Repertory Chorus in Concert | Monday, April 28”
- Celebrate Holy Week & Easter
Maundy Thursday | April 17, 2025 | Noon & 7PM The Noon liturgy will be abbreviated. 7PM: Confession & Absolution, Holy Communion, footwashing ritual, & stripping the altar in preparation for Good Friday. Good Friday | April 18, 2025 | Noon & 7PM Noon to 3PM: Tre Ore (3 hours) … - April 13 | Palm Sunday
“Hosanna” or “Hoshana” (הושענא) is a Hebrew word meaning save us now. Saint Augustine, fourth century bishop of the church, called Holy Week, the “Great Week” because of the great things that were accomplished during these days. Augustine said, “Unless the church can learn to identify itself with Christ in … - 5th Sunday in Lent | April 6
On the fifth Sunday in Lent, we enter the culmination on the wandering journey. We’ve been praying, fasting, and offering ourselves. And we are once again reminded that God makes all things new. In the Hebrew scriptures God promises this newness. In the gospel story from John this Sunday, Mary … - Mozart Anew | Sunday, April 6
Secrets in Plain Sight: A New Way to Hear and Perform Mozart’s Music will be offered on Sunday, April 6, 3:00 PM at the University of Texas Butler School of Music, Dedman Drive, Room 2.614 (next to the Recital Studio). Mozart scholar and pianist Dr. Mary Robbins introduces an important … - Austin Cantorum in Concert | Saturday, April 5, 7:30 PM
Join FELC music partner, Austin Cantorum, on Saturday April 5 at 7:30 PM, for an evening of choral music exploring personal growth in the face of adversity. With music from composers Benjamin Britten, Gwyneth Walker, and Brandon Waddles, plus Veljo Tormis’s powerful “Raua needmine” (Curse Upon Iron), we’re all “Facing …Continue reading “Austin Cantorum in Concert | Saturday, April 5, 7:30 PM”
- Romani Music in Concert at FELC | Friday, April 4
hAmaro Fest 2025 – a two-day event celebrating Romani culture! Friday, April 4 beginning at 7:00PM Join everyone at FELC for an evening of Romani music & dance featuring world renowned artists (including our own Oliver Rajamani) of the Romani diaspora musical traditions – flamenco, kathak dance, Balkan Romani, & …Continue reading “Romani Music in Concert at FELC | Friday, April 4”
- March 30 | Laetare Sunday
Laetare Sunday is the fourth Sunday in Lent in the western Christian liturgical calendar. This Sunday has been a day of celebration, within the austere season of Lent, and gets its name from the first few words of the traditional entrance verses in Latin, Laetare, meaning Rejoice. On Laetare Sunday … - Council Meeting Highlights | March 2025At the Council meeting on March 24, 2025, Terry Porter was approved as chair of the Support Ministry Team. Charlie Boas has received input from members related to the technology upgrade effort. He stated that he welcomes suggestions as well as expertise. He provided additional information about the keypad entry …
- First English Lutheran Child Development Center!
The First English Child Development Center has openings! It’s rare for a high-quality child development center to have open spots—especially for infants–but we do! Visit: https://www.firstenglishcdc.org/ Post or Share our flyer: Have an info board at your office or know someone who might be interested? Share this flyer! Follow us on …Continue reading “First English Lutheran Child Development Center!”
- March 23 | Third Sunday in Lent
These forty days called Lent (not counting Sundays) are like no other. The warnings are plentiful and blunt on the third Sunday in Lent. Cut it out or get cut down! The warnings are accompanied by God’s invitation to attentiveness: “Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that … - Learning Ministry
Our Saints and Icons series continued last Sunday with an inter-generational session on Fannie Lou Hamer, facilitated by Leigh Northcutt-Benson. Thank you to all of our participants and especially our young teaching assistants. Sunday, March 23, 9AM in the Parlor, Leigh Northcutt-Benson will be leading Adult Faith Formation, continuing our … - Repertory Chorus in Concert
UT’s new choir, Repertory Chorus, was in concert at FELC on March 3. In the theme “When the Dark is Done” the choir offered a stunning program, including J.S. Bach’s Aus Tiefer Not (BWV 131) with instruments, including harpsichord. Repertory Chorus is a mixed chamber choir directed by graduate student … - Council Highlights | February 2025At the meeting of the church council on February 17, 2025, newly elected council members Elijah Aguirre, Betsy Appleton, Paul Barlow, and Lillian Martinez-Rodriguez were welcomed. Thanks were given for those who rotated off council including Anne Wiebe, Nancy Neuse, and JD Aguirre. The recently created orientation packet for new …
- Lent 2025
DEVOTION & ENGAGEMENT IN LENT The season of Lent began on Ash Wednesday, and continues for five weeks and Holy Week. This Lent you are invited to contemplate the theme Wandering Toward God. We often use the theme of a journey to describe life, but that journey is not usually … - Ash Wednesday | March 5
Noon & 7:00 PM Noon – at the church building | 7:00 PM – at the church building & online The season of Lent begins with this solemn day of repentance and receiving ashes as a sign of mortality and humility. We are invited to begin the Lenten disciplines of … - Alleluia – there were pancakes!
On the last Sunday after the Epiphany, before Lent began on Ash Wednesday, we sang and shouted “Alleluia” as we omit and remove this Hebrew word of praise until the Easter Vigil. Worshipers colored Alleluia art and each sheet was placed in a box, put inside the altar, awaiting Easter. … - Fastnacht Celebration | March 4
Join FELC for a Fastnacht celebration on Tuesday, March 4, in the FELC Fellowship Hall. Tuesday night before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday we have a “night before fasting” or Fastnacht. At 6 PM we’ll serve pancakes, and after we’ll begin the talent-show-and-hymn sing. Bring your appetite, talent, favorite hymn, … - Repertory Chorus Concert | March 3Join Repertory Chorus in concert on Monday, March 3 at 8 PM. This new choir of UT’s Butler School of Music serves as a laboratory chorus for the master’s and doctoral students in choral conducting. FELC is excited to collaborate with UT in this new music and teaching endeavor. This …
- Transfiguration | Sunday, March 2
Transfiguration Sunday is a bridge between the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany cycle that comes to a close as the Lent-Easter cycle begins on Ash Wednesday, March 5. Throughout the liturgy we offer “alleluia” which is expressed in a variety of ways. Alleluia means “God be praised.” This word of joy is “buried” during the season … - Stephen Mark Youngdahl (1946-2025)
We join family, and many friends, colleagues, and parishioners, in giving God thanks for the life and witness of Pastor Steve Youngdahl. Pastor Youngdahl was the founding pastor of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran in Austin, and served that congregation for 35 years. Steve was the sixth vicar/intern pastor at First … - February 23 | The Seventh Sunday after Epiphany
The promise and its fulfillment may not look at all alike, even though they are intimately connected. Saint Paul speaks about seeds and plants as he tries to picture resurrection life. Joseph’s brothers never thought they would see him alive again, so how shocking he must have appeared to them …Continue reading “February 23 | The Seventh Sunday after Epiphany”
First English Lutheran Church | Austin, Texas
God Loves. We Love. Everyone!