St. Luke's Communicator May 2006

Easter morning I mentioned that Tent City would be leaving in four weeks and I had to catch myself as I choked up a bit. What is that about? Okay, maybe the fact that I am a bit of an emotional weenie has something to do with it but there is more. I have come again to the realization in this act of hospitality how vital stewardship is to the spirit of Christian living.

Like so many things we do as a church where we are led to believe that we are acting in order to be a blessing to others in their need, we discover the true blessing has been ours. These people have blessed us. We have had the opportunity to experience the joy of giving and this community of homeless has in return gifted us enormously. And not just St. Luke’s but the community around St. Luke’s. We have neighbors for whom the homeless are no longer stereotypes but now (at least for awhile) their neighbors. They have come and made gifts and prepared meals and made donations of support.

What a remarkable ministry Tent City IV equipped us to be able to reach into our community. Christian stewardship is the managing of the Master’s resources, risking His possessions to care for His people and then trusting in His provision. What a joy to see how blessings have multiplied beyond the limits of our imaginations. We just thought we were doing something nice for the homeless. How wrong we were as we have been gifted with a first-hand experience of what scripture reveals will be our reward when we love in His name.

Scripture exhorts for us to give liberally (Luke 6), sacrificially (2 Corinthians 8), cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9) and regularly (1 Corinthians 16) and in doing so you have shown exactly where your heart is… “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34). Your heart is loving as Christ has loved you… I knew your treasure wouldn’t be far behind.

May 13^th is the departure date for Tent City. As of this publication their next host site was as yet to be determined. Keep our friends in your prayers. Take a moment to say good-bye and thank you for being a blessing in our life.

The following is a list of the works we have read, studied and made conversation over this past year:

The last book we are reading for our June 10^th class is, Leap Over a Wall, Earthy Spirituality for Everyday Christians, by Eugene H. Peterson. Pastor Tom has ordered one dozen books. If none are available you are invited to purchase your own and join us at 4:30 on that Saturday afternoon. We will pick up the class again in the fall.

The dates for this spring’s last class are May 8 and 22 and June 5, 12, 19 and 26. The resource book we will be using is Robert Capon’s book by the same title. It is currently out of print but you are encouraged to try to procure it. Used copies may be purchased on Amazon.com. If it is unavailable, materials will be provided.

The Boomerang Effect

Boomerangs have always fascinated me. You throw something away and it returns to you. During Holy Week this year, the boomerang brought new meaning to me.

One of the joys of my position here at St. Luke’s is visiting men and women who have difficulty attending church services. During Holy Week, I set a goal of visiting as many people that I could and bring communion to those who wished it. I “thought” I would be doing something worthwhile and that I would help make Holy Week and Easter more meaningful to those I visited. What I didn’t anticipate was the boomerang effect. I learned how meaningful this was for me.

As part of the Communion Service there is an opportunity to read scripture. During Holy Week, I often read about the suffering of Jesus. I thought I was reading it for the benefit of the person I was visiting; however, I benefited from the repetition. For me, Easter means more when I have walked the path of suffering with Christ. To hear that story over and over again and then hear the glorious story of the resurrection on Easter fed my heart.

A few years ago I discovered the benefit of attending the services on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of Holy Week. This year those worship services came alive for me in a new way. I think it was partly because my week has been spent doing what feeds my soul – visiting others and sharing the Word and the Eucharist.

One person said (after hearing the story), “Just think, He did that for me.” Another, when asked what to pray for, said, “Pray for all the people who don’t know Jesus.” Comments like that from people who may not be as alert as you or me, show us what is really important.

There are other areas of my life the “boomerang” effect is evident. As a catechist for the Affirming Your Faith class, l became better acquainted with new members and their sponsors. As a member of the Health Support Group I have received support from several others and know they are praying for me. When I bring ice to Tent City I am greeted with smiles, conversation, and a thank you. When I am part of a group that prepares and serves a meal for Tent City, I am blessed. Whenever I give, I am blessed.

Is there anything I can do that doesn’t have a boomerang effect?

Shalom,

The youth program is growing!!! I’m so excited to see what will happen next. Thank you to all of you who have donated items to the youth space and for those of you who offered to donate things. If you have not been by the old sanctuary lately you should go by because the wall is looking good and so is the space.

There are some other needs we have that we can use anyone’s help. We are looking for a couple of basketball hoops to put outside in the parking lot for the youth. If you are able to donate, please let me know.

Please continue to pray for us to keep growing and that God can show the youth of our congregation that He will guide them and be with them through thick and thin.

Summer is almost here! You know what that means…Vacation Bible School! All Aboard! The Gospel Express is on its way! That is the theme for this year’s VBS which is August 7^th-11^th. Look for sign-up sheets in the Narthex to sign your child up. Also, be prayerfully considering how you might help with VBS this summer. We need supplies, decorations, teachers and more!

Before we can get to summer, Sunday School will come to a close, so let’s celebrate all the hard work that has gone into the program this year. Let’s celebrate teachers, parents, and children that have been participating this year. Our closing celebration will be on Sunday, June 4th during the Sunday school hour.

Teachers! Our monthly teacher meeting will be on Wednesday, May 10^th at 6 pm. We will be discussing the Sunday school closing, what has worked this year, and what we could do better. Come and share your thoughts!

Faith Formation Committee’s next meeting is on Wednesday, May 3^rd at 7 pm.

What a pleasure it is to be in the Easter season! We are currently enjoying the familiar liturgy of Now the Feast and Celebration (NFC) at both the 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. services, and will continue to do so through the end of May.

The season of Easter will last for fifty days, the fiftieth being Pentecost on June 4. This will mark the beginning of our summer schedule. In past years, we have pared down to one worship service during the summer. This year, we are going to keep two services, but the times for those services have not yet been determined. Please keep an eye out for the change in worship times.

The Worship and Music Board and the Worship Planning Team are also working on developing distinct characters for the two Sunday morning services. The early service will remain relatively traditional, using familiar liturgy from the Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW) and Now the Feast and Celebration (NFC). The later morning service will have a distinctly different character to it. Taking this beyond the blended style that has been developed for this service on the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays, the character will be less formal and will include more contemporary music consistently every Sunday.

Taizé

As we enter into the brightness of the summer months, Taizé services will be postponed until this fall. Continuing into the month of May, we invite you to join our Taizé worship services. This is a truly blessed experience which is not intended to be a replacement for Sunday morning worship.

Come enter into the presence of the Lord in the quiet, candlelit sanctuary. Come join with Christians around the world as we pray using the songs of Taizé (pronounced: Tay’Zay). Let the words of scripture and the simple beauty of the music settle in your voice, your mind, and finally your heart as the noise and chaos of our world fades away.

Through May 20^th, every Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m. we will come together to worship and pray in this quiet way. Sprinkled throughout the service are readings of scripture and extended moments of silence. Come join our prayers for peace. Peace in our world, peace here in our community and peace in our hearts.

~Amy Corsini, Worship Coordinator

For Lutherans, worship matters. In fact, worship lies at the heart of how we understand ourselves together. Today, worship practices among Lutherans reflect different patterns, different pieties, different ethnic backgrounds and experiences, and some influences that are not Lutheran at all. For the sake of the mission we share and with the hope of coming to understand more deeply who we are as Lutheran Christians together, With the Whole Church invites people from every corner of the church into conversation and study about worship.

This study guide is part of the Renewing Worship project, which was initiated by the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in the fall of 2000. Over the next five years, Renewing Worship involved thousands of people in the process of identifying things we hold in common and developing materials that will shape the next generation of worship resources. Timing for this shared work was determined by need. Recognizing growing diversity within this church regarding worship practices and the challenges of being responsive to changing mission needs, Renewing Worship literally renewed an ongoing conversation.

Jim Frerichs will lead us in a seven week study for Renewing Worship: Jim has a passion for worship and liturgy; we are fortunate to have him lead this study. This will be helpful for new members, those who have been Lutheran a long time, and those new to the faith. Come April 23^rd and see what it’s all about.

May 14 Session 4: Means of Grace – The Word in Holy Baptism and Holy Communion

Congregations that approach financial stewardship from a biblical perspective do not view the money Christians give to their church merely as a way to pay its bills. Rather, such congregations see financial contributions as a way to help people grow spiritually in their relationship with God by supporting their church’s mission and ministry with a percentage of their incomes.

Our congregation’s stewardship committee has selected the New Consecration Sunday Stewardship Program as a way to teach the biblical and spiritual principles of generous giving in our stewardship education emphasis this year.

New Consecration Sunday is based on the biblical philosophy of the need of the giver to give for his or her own spiritual development, rather than on the need of the church to receive. Instead of treating people like members of a social club who should pay dues, we will treat people like followers of Jesus Christ who want to give unselfishly as an act of discipleship. New Consecration Sunday encourages people toward proportionate and systematic giving in response to the question, “What percentage of my income is God calling me to give?” During morning worship on Consecration Sunday, we are asking our attendees and members to make their financial commitments to our church’s missionary, benevolent and educational ministries in this community and around the world.

Every attendee and member who completes an Estimate of Giving Card does so voluntarily by attending morning worship on Consecration Sunday. We urge people to attend who feel strongly opposed to completing a card. The procedure is done in such a way that no one feels personal embarrassment if he or she chooses not to fill out a card. We will do no home solicitations to ask people to complete cards. During morning worship our guest leader will conduct a brief period of instruction and inspiration, climaxed by members making their commitments as a confidential act of worship.

We will encourage participation in Consecration Sunday events through the Consecration Sunday team and governing board members. Since we will make no follow-up visits to ask people to complete their cards, we will make every effort to inform, inspire, and commit everyone to attend Consecration Sunday worship.

Thanks in advance for your enthusiastic participation in Consecration Sunday events.

Two more weeks and Tent City IV will be gone. A huge thank you goes to you, the congregation, for making Anne and me look good. You have stepped up to the plate in so many ways, some that we are aware of and other ways that we only found out through the grapevine. I have felt your overwhelming generosity when I have stood out in the Narthex asking for money or asking you to take a slip of paper and go shop for them. Residents will tell me, “Someone came by and got our apples to make applesauce for us.” You see, the apples are difficult for them to eat and homemade applesauce is a treat for them. Another person went and purchased deodorant for

everyone; as mundane as that sounds, can you imagine how appreciated it was? You have purchased eggs, hot chocolate, shaving cream, etc. You have donated towels, blankets, clothes. The list is endless and I could go on and on about all you have done as individuals that reflect on us as a whole congregation. Again, thank you, thank you.

So this is one more notch in our belt. It is one more thing we can say we did. But what does it all mean? Is this where we end our outreach into the community? Yes, we do one month a year housing Congregations for the Homeless and we help with the Crossroads feeding program. I look at our path and know Tent City is not here by accident.

What is God’s plan for us? Personally I think He is just warming us up, but for what? Do we reach out into our community even more? If so, what would that look like? My question to you is where do we go from here?

Facilities Update

During the last few months there have been several lapses in security; windows left unlocked and open, doors unlocked, lights left on, etc. We can no longer continue to overlook these incidents.

We are now instituting several new procedures for closing and securing the church. We now require the person who is closing the building to sign off on a security sign-out sheet. This form can be found on a clipboard below the alarm system keypad. Please be mindful of thoroughly following the check-out procedure before setting the alarm. The church is charge approximately $150 each time the police respond.

If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact Jodi Daub, Office Administrator at (425) 822-7907. We hope that these changes will make us all more vigilant in our efforts to keep St. Luke’s a safe and secure facility.

Did you all notice how wonderful the church and grounds looked on Easter Sunday? Our regular “worker bees” were here and with the help of volunteers from Tent City IV we were really looking good for over 500 people who attended that day. Thank you all and watch the Sunday bulletin for the next work day date.

Thank you to everyone who has been supporting the Ensenada trip! We will be leaving for Mexico on Thursday, May 11^th. Please pray for us throughout the week.

The commissioning service will be on Sunday, May 7^th at the 11 am service.

Our Amigo Sponsors Dessert will be on Friday, June 23^rd @ 7 pm. We will share our Four M’s (Most Memorable Mexico Moments), watch a slide show, and enjoy fellowship. Thank you to everyone for your donations.

Our Director of Youth Ministry, Ben Richards, has also transferred his membership to St. Luke’s.

A new and exciting project is set to begin sometime in May; parishioners, family, friends and members of the community are invited to become part of the Witness Window Art Guild. The art guild under the instruction of Joe Hester (the artist who created the rose window) will be crafting the Witness Windows. The windows will be divided into small sections with individuals/groups completing each separate section to then be installed together to form the finished windows. No art background is needed to participate. Come and join this educational and inspirational project which will become a permanent part of our sanctuary. For more information or to sign up for the art guild, call the church office.

"Sharing Stories" at our Spring Luncheon—Saturday, May 20
On Saturday, May 20 we will be inviting special guests to the WELCA luncheon on Saturday,

May 20 at 11:30 a.m. Our honored guests will be men and women who are elderly, home-bound or have difficulty getting to St. Luke’s on a regular basis. We hope to have many of them share their St. Luke’s stories with us. Look for your opportunity to help on the last page of this “Communicator”.

Our featured keynote speaker will be Donna Oiland, the Community Outreach Coordinator with the Evergreen Health Care Department of Spiritual Care. Donna is an author, was the director of a multi-state agency, and, believe it or not, is a Certified Laugh Leader with the World Laughter Tour. Her greatest joy is to help people "rewrite" the stories of their lives in their hearts. She was a wonderful part of our Women's Retreat in March and we wanted more people to have the benefit of her expertise in encouraging people to share their stories. This is especially significant as we approach the 50th Anniversary of St. Luke's.

All members and friends of St. Luke's --young and young at heart, male and female--are invited to attend. Look for additional information and sign up sheets in the Narthex and Sunday bulletins. Child care can be arranged if you let us know there is a need.

For questions or information contact Nancy Quale at 425-746-6559 or Roselyn Olson at

Men and women from St. Luke’s are needed to help with our WELCA Luncheon on Saturday, May 20^th, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Our special guests are men and women who are elderly, home-bound or have difficulty getting to St. Luke’s on a regular basis. We need people to pick them up, bring them here, visit with them, and make calls for arrangements. Can you help? It will be fun and we may learn something more about the past 49 years of the history of St. Luke’s.

If you can help please indicate on a piece of paper and put in the box in the narthex, or call the church office.

___ I will interview guests (especially information for the history of St. Luke’s).

This ministry continues through the summer months. We meet on the third Wednesday of the month at 1:00 p.m. Come join us for a relaxing time of knitting (or any other project you wish to work on) and visiting. For more information contact Donna Kobelin at (425) 822-4536.

How about “To Walk in the Kingdom: God’s Call to Discipleship from Luke 12” by noted theologian Marva Dawn. A weekly study group will meet Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m. from May 30 through August 1 (4th of July excluded). All men and women are welcome. Childcare will be provided upon request. Interested? Call Paula Wells at (425) 503-7949 or Roselyn Olson at (425) 822-7907 to reserve a book.

Grief Support Ministry
Third Wednesday of the month at 10:00 a.m. Feel free to join us once or on a regular basis. Leader is Bob Smith (425) 415-6190.

Join the St. Luke’s Community for camping at Daroga State Park July 13-16.

We are currently looking for people who would enjoy working on an ad hoc committee charged with planning a number of events to aid us in the celebration of this remarkable achievement. There exists in this a wonderful and life-giving opportunity to participate in the life of this congregation. If you are interested please let pastor or Anne Bly, congregational president, know.

Pastor Tom is currently sampling the mood of our congregation to see if there is sufficient interest to begin making plans for such an experience. If this is something you might in fact be open to, leave your name with him or the church office. There could also be the possibility of completing such a trip with a visit to Rome, this latter part being optional.

A Time of Reflection

By The Reverend Wm Chris Boerger, Bishop

One of the key times when the synod staff and a congregation work together is in the process of calling a new pastor. While this is often a time of increased anxiety, a desire for quick decision to call a new pastor with a sense that when a new pastor arrives things will be fixed, it is an important time in the life of any congregation.

The truth is that the ministry of a congregation not only exists and continues through the interim period, it may be seen as a period of some of the most vital ministry and foundation for ministry in the congregation. It is not a time of retreat from ministry or a “marking time while we jump through hoops.” Rather, it should be a time for creativity as the congregation explores existing ministry and new areas for service. It should be a time for new people and ideas to surface and be tested before calling a new pastor. When used well, the interim is a time for growth and renewal as it focuses its anticipation on the next chapter of the congregation’s life.

We are blessed with a number of excellent, trained interim pastors who see God’s call to this type of pastoral leadership. They meet monthly for mutual growth and encouragement. They also hold each other accountable to the interim tasks. These pastors are often unseen and under-appreciated by the synod at large, but essential to the communities they are serving. Since more than half of our active clergy in this synod are over the age of 55, we will be seeing more pastors retiring and more congregations involved in the interim process.

Each interim time is different. How long each one takes is determined by the specific context for mission in each congregation. I encourage interim pastors and congregational leaders to set “interim goals.” These goals mark the work that is to be accomplished during this time and measures the progress of the congregation in preparing to enter the call process. We know the actual length of the interim when we have accomplished the work that needed to be done.

If you are in an interim time now, I encourage you to use this time to continue in ministry and to expand your vision of what God is calling you to be and to do. If you are not in an interim time now, know that you will be some day. The interim time is not a time to be endured before things return to normal. The interim period is a time to pray, to study and to revitalize the congregation’s mission to its community and to the world. It is a time to call on the gifts of God to build up your congregation and renew your ministry for God’s future.

I shall call her Sophie. She is a relative of ours. Not only that, she has been in our hearts and prayers for all her life. She grew up in a home with many conflicts and confusing messages. As a young adult, she experienced blatant emotional and physical abuse by a boyfriend. She also was impacted by the drug culture in England where she was living.

Eventually, Sophie found herself living in Spain with her new partner. He had been married to an alcoholic and mother of his three children. He had also been exposed detrimentally to drug abuse. Now they both wanted to build a good home for his, and now her, children and their child they had together.

This family of six has been doing well. The children have all been going to school and are bilingual. The father has a growing business. The mother has a mini-farm, with goats and olive trees. She sells olive oil.

Not so long ago, Sophie and her partner decided to marry. But before they went any further with plans they put it to their children. All four were excited, in fact elated that these loving parents were going to officially commit to one another. One day we received a formal invitation in our mail box, to the wedding in an Anglican church in their town, and to a fiesta afterwards. The RSVP request information only contained a phone number, indicating that this was really meant for Europeans at a shorter distance than ours. Still, we called to make quite sure that this “invitation” was not only meant as a piece of information. “I can’t believe it! Can you really manage to come all that way for us? How cool!” So we’re going. God answers prayers in lots of different ways. His unconditional love is sovereign.

The Kverndals will be away from May 18 through the month of June for visits to Spain and Norway

But we know already when we say, “Are you serious?” what the answer is. What we are really saying is that you are telling me about something that is very serious and I don’t want to believe it. The term for this is denial.

Our bodies have a limited tolerance for serious. We expel the unwanted information and then take it in at a pace we can manage. It is like there is an internal trampoline that the information hits and bounces out at light speed. Then comes a filtration system with a very fine sieve. And so the absorption is slow. The truth sets in and we slowly feel the feelings as the numbness wears off.

It is a gift of grace that we have such a regulatory mechanism. How overwhelmed we would get without it. The denial is serious also. It is determined to protect us. It slows everything down and then goes looking for emotional resources that will allow us to cope with the news.

God is serious about preserving these creations called humans. God is serious about protecting us from the consequences of sin and brokenness. Not completely, of course. We can’t keep it at arm’s length indefinitely. We must absorb the reality of the impact of the griefs and losses that are an inevitable part of life. But not ultimately. God’s Word of Grace is that these losses are not the last word about our experience of life.

The Jesus Prayer

The Jesus Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ,

You are the light of the world;

fill my mind with your peace,

my heart with your love,

my body with your healing. Amen

		Light in a world of darkness
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