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Ethiopian Dinner & Karaoke Night Monday Night Dessert & Bible Study Other News, Events & Ministries at St. Luke's Spiritual Development & Stewardship Training Session for Assisting Ministers
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Pentecost is 50 days after Easter. It was the Jewish Feast of Weeks and, as Luke chronicles in the Acts of the Apostles, the disciples were gathered in Jerusalem. There the Holy Spirit came upon them and they witnessed with power. They told their story of who Jesus Christ is and many came to believe. And the church began. Well, actually there is a bit of a question about how fast the church really got going since many of the disciples indicated after experiencing the Risen Lord they really weren’t all that sure what they should do with this news and went back to fishing. Anyway, two thousand years later the church continues to be the church of Christ only because disciples’ of Christ tell the story. Actually, it is disciples of Jesus who tell their story. Your story, your story, your story, your story (I am out of cute options), which is to say, we have to tell our story of faith. Especially to those who do not have a church, a faith in Jesus Christ or really any idea who God is. I think most of us are still “fishing.” It is always so curious to me how we are so excited to share with just about anyone a new product, a better guru, the advantages in leasing versus buying or why candidate X must be voted for but invite someone to church… well… Let me suggest a couple of things for your consideration, first… you belong to a very active and committed church —a faith community explicitly dependent on Christ’s Spirit to heal, renew, empower and forgive. You will not have to be embarrassed about a friend, neighbor or family member joining you for worship or any one of dozens of other activities. Secondly, this church is about loving God and loving everyone for whom God died for. Can you think of one person who is not interested in being loved? Nor should we ever be embarrassed about being a Christian. Here are some suggested lines you might try out: “Want to go to church with me?” (Never hurts to start with the basics.) “Let’s go to brunch … right after church.” (Okay, I am not beyond bribery.) “Life is hard … my faith is my rock.”
“Exercise and prayer, couldn’t stay in balance without them … however precarious that is anyway.” (Humor is good.) “I am so sorry for your loss … do you have a pastor to talk to?” (You do, and you can volunteer my name, anytime.)
See how this works? You have what the world needs, you know God loves you and Jesus has made you okay with God. I want you to think about loving someone enough to start thinking about sharing your story. (I will help you.) Here is a simple but important way to start— pray for someone. Someone you know who does not have a church who would be blessed by their being in fellowship with your church… commit to pray for them every day and pray for the insight, strength and opportunity to start the conversation. “Hey, doing anything this Sunday?”
April’s study with Pastor Tom will be a four-week session (April 7, 14, 21 and 28) on The Revelation of St. John. This controversial conclusion to scripture is oft misused and misinterpreted. We will cut through chaff for the gift of the Spirit as John was taken up in a vision to behold the work of God. We will be reusing Craig Hill’s, In God’s Time. Some have used his critical work in the past — if you do not have a copy they will be in the Narthex for purchase. Class will begin at 6:45 p.m. with dessert and class at 7:00 p.m.
Our selected work in May is Timothy Keller’s, The Reason for God. Keller is a New York City Presbyterian minister where in Manhattan he has led a mission church to 6,000 members. This is a remarkably acclaimed work written for Atheists, as well as believers who need help in standing for what they believe in. Keeping in mind that we have more in common historically with the first generation church (The Acts of the Apostles) than any other time in history, this will prove an enormously helpful read. Due to anticipated conflicts with school breaks in April, the Tuesday and Thursday Men’s Groups will meet the third week of the month rather than the regular first week. The amended schedule is as follows: The Tuesday 7:00 a.m. group moves from April 1 to April 15. The Tuesday 7:00 p.m. group moves from April 1 to April 15. The Thursday 6:15 p.m. group moves from April 3 to April 17.
Thanks for your commitment and flexibility.
Associate in Ministry - Roselyn Olson
Confession is good for the Soul When I was about 11 years old I did something that was very wrong. It was very wrong. I knew it was wrong but I didn’t tell anyone and I certainly didn’t ask for forgiveness. I figured out a way to “make it right” in my own 11 year old way. Then I thought I had forgotten that it ever happened. It wasn’t until I was a freshman in college that I recalled the incident and wrote about it in an English assignment about my life. Somehow through the writing of the experience, I relived it and felt a little better. It all started when I was given an assignment at school. To complete the assignment I needed a 25¢ part. I didn’t have the money with me. Now I’m sure my mother would have given me the 25¢ but I needed it “now.” I went into the neighborhood variety store that was across from my school. I went down the aisle and there was the part. It was a small part. It was so easy to slip it into my pocket and walk out of the store. I had never stolen before and never have since. I used the part in my sixth grade school assignment and tried to forget it. But my conscience wouldn’t let me forget. I knew the right thing was to go to the store owner, confess, and pay for it. But I wasn’t able to do the “right thing.” Instead I went into the store, purchased the part, slipped it back on the display, and left the store. I thought I had made things right. It wasn’t until I wrote about it in that freshman paper that I ever told anyone else and confessed. Years later I tried to go back to the variety store. It was no longer there. Last year when Ken and I took an AARP Defensive Driving class in Ballard, we ate lunch in the same building. Part of the building was a restaurant. I was reminded of the incident. During the Lenten mid-week services, while saying the confession (on page 321 of the ELW) I am reminded of the time when I was 11 years old. It goes: “I confess to God Almighty, before the whole company of heaven, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned by my own fault in thought, word, and deed. I pray God Almighty to have mercy on me, forgive me all my sins, and bring me to everlasting life. Then the pastor says, “Almighty and merciful God grant you healing, pardon, and forgiveness of all your sins. Amen.” Confession is good for the soul.
Shalom,
This group will meet at Dumas Bay in Federal Way July 24-26. This is an opportunity to attend workshops and worship services with others in the United States and Canada who use the Catechumenate in their churches. Judy Pagnotta, Yvonne Owen and
Springtime is here at last, which means that here comes the rain, yah!! This is the time of year when you hope for warmer weather and beautiful skies. I love spring because when you drive around in the country it is so beautiful. The animals start coming out of hiding and the streams are flowing full of water. Have you ever just sat and listened to the earth outside of the city? It is amazing and relaxing. You start asking yourself “how did God do it?” There are so many things that He had to think of to create this place and I know that I could not have done it. To be honest I know I could do without rats and spiders, but I know everything was made for a specific reason even though they frighten a lot people does not mean they do not have a purpose on the earth. With all that in mind I encourage you in your busy life to take some time and enjoy what God has created. Watch out for rainbows they’re amazing!!! Please look for all the youth events on the calendar in the Communicator. We have really fun events for this month — a Mariner game and playing Whirleyball are among those events I hope you are all doing well and I will see you at church. Take care and God bless! Take care and God bless!! Ben Richards, Director of Youth Ministry
Most of you have noticed the many changes in the kitchen. As you know, ministries change over time and the kitchen ministry is no exception. One of the changes is our ministry to Eastside Academy. Students are learning nutrition, meal planning, cooking and how to shop for groceries. A lunch program has begun on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The students prepare a meal and it is served to anyone for $3.00. Our Quilters, as well as the office staff, have enjoyed purchasing their lunches. Another part of the food ministry is the preparation of meals for those with an illness or death in the family, or for any other reason. These meals are now being prepared in homes but we hope to prepare them at the church in the future.
Along with our two new stoves/ovens, with your generosity, we have now been able to purchase two new refrigerators. The others were over 15 years old and things were being frozen that were not in the freezer. There was also a mold problem that could not be conquered. One of the old refrigerators is being used in the youth area to hold their soda. The kitchen has been scrubbed from top to bottom and everything has been rearranged. Labels are on the cupboards to aid you in finding items. Thank you to Marsha Roberts, Nelda Brock, Judy Doidge, Anne Bly and Leslie Schofield for their hard work and determination. Some day we will be building a new kitchen in our community hall. In the meantime, we ask your help in keeping our new equipment and our old kitchen as clean and tidy as our ladies have made it. Anne Bly
The 50-day Easter Season is currently underway. Throughout the month of April, we will be celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at both the 8:30 Traditional and 11:00 Informal worship services. At 8:30, we will continue the Easter Season using liturgy from the familiar Now the Feast and Celebration (NFC) setting. Do you have a heart for worship and experience working in PowerPoint? These may seem like unrelated attributes, but this is a part of what it takes to prepare for our regular worship services. If you answered yes to both of these questions, please prayerfully consider serving with the Worship and Music staff. If your heart is so moved, but you are not confident in your PowerPoint skills, training will be provided. Please contact me at amy@slukes.org or call the church office and leave me a message. Calling all Assisting Ministers—Past, Current, and Aspiring alike! Join us on Saturday, April 19th at 3:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary for a training session. This will be a great opportunity to learn more about why we do what we do, and to talk and walk through how best to serve in this role with grace and confidence. If you are uncertain if this is something you want to try, come anyway as it is a chance to learn more about Lutheran worship.
Amy Corsini
Income & Expense for Program Year 2006/2007 and 2007/2008
OOPS – We seem to be heading the wrong way on the “deficit” chart! For the month of February our defect was ($37,000) and it was caused by the very low income during the month. Overall we are only $1800 short of where we projected giving to be in February (YTS) and we are $5,100 under projected expenses (YTD). We were so blessed by the auction and it was such a wonderful jump start on getting back into the black. The ($6000+) that we started out 2008 with was very promising and encouraging. We have come a long way from ($60,000+) in July 2007! We need to remind ourselves to “not look at how far we have to go, but look at how far we have come”. I am not as concerned about the income and expenses right now as I am about some of our members who may be suffering during this current economic situation. We can’t see into the future and how this will play out, but I would encourage everyone to think about Matthew 6:25-27… “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feed them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life span?” God does not and will not leave us, he provides for us in all that we do whether it be in our own lives or in the ministry we do at St. Luke’s. God's Blessings I am always available to meet with you if there are concerns about St. Luke’s financial situation or any other financial matters.
St. Luke’s made a decision three years ago to educate our congregation on the biblical and spiritual principles of generous giving in our stewardship education emphasis. This type of giving 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. The goal of St. Luke’s stewardship ministry is to enable our congregation to be followers of Jesus Christ who want to give unselfishly as an act of discipleship. St. Luke’s stewardship ministry is an on-going education program, not just in the spring when we ask you to make a commitment to God based on your spiritual growth in your relationship with God, but throughout the year as we talk about the faithful management of all that God has given to you. Starting February 24th we began highlighting Bible passages that speak to how God desires Christians to learn to give. We have also handed out bookmarks, with the passages, for you to take home and reflect on. Our hope is that one, if not more of these passages, will resonant with you and the place that you are in your life of giving. Each act of giving to the Lord is a testimony to your willingness to trust God in your life. Each time you give, you are acknowledging your total and complete dependence on Him as your Heavenly Father. R.G. LeTourneau, a Christian businessman, once said, "I shovel out and God shovels in – but God’s shovel is always bigger." We should never "give to get," but we can trust that as we give, God will meet our needs, sometimes in very special ways. Instances arise when it makes no financial sense to give to the Lord. Yet, God wants us to give at times with the realization that we are totally dependent on Him to meet our basic needs and desires. Carolyn Norton
While we are in the process of reactivating a Parish Health Ministry Team at St. Luke’s, ministries of health have been and continue to be an integral part of this church. Consider for a moment all the ways people are ministered to with regard to their mind, body and soul. Sunday morning worship (Word and Sacrament), Bible studies, Sunday School, Pastoral counseling, Spiritual Companions, Care Team, visitations are just to name a few. How about yoga, hosting Alcoholics Anonymous and Overeaters Anonymous and Eastside Academy, Congregations for the Homeless and the Feeding Program? This is just a short list of all the wonderful, healthy ways St. Luke’s ministers to us and our community. We would like to continue to develop ministries of health that impact lives in more ways and across a broad spectrum of age groups. Wouldn’t it be great to have resources on vaccine controversies, asthma, ADD/ADHD available for new moms and parents of young children, or a Lunch and Lecture Series for Seniors on topics like medication interactions, hypertension, sleep issues, etc? How about regular screenings for blood pressure, vision and hearing? Is anyone interested in starting a walking club? Those of you with teenagers…eating disorders, depression and dating violence are a very real part of their world. Did you know that the average age for experimenting with alcohol is age 10? As you can see, the possibilities for our congregation and our neighboring community are boundless! We are very excited about the potential of this ministry and we hope you will be too. On Sunday, April 27th, we will be asking you to complete a survey telling us (your Parish Health Ministry Team) what kinds of programs, screenings, events, you would like to see at St. Luke’s. As you go through your day, dealing with kids and teens, or your elderly parents or your own challenges, whatever it might be, think about ways that St. Luke’s could be a resource for you and those you know. If you would be willing to help by serving on our team, or help with a specific event, or if you have expertise in a particular area, we would love to hear from you. “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 (The Jesus Prayer) Debra Caldwell
Adult Forum—9:45—10:45 a.m.—Northwest Room of Pierson Hall April 6 Life Coaching Program — Paul Tomlinson from Congregations for the Homeless will share how this program is changing men’s lives and getting them into housing April 13 Rev. Paul Fauske April 20 Stewardship #1 — Learning April 27 Stewardship #2 — Growing May 4 Stewardship #3 — Giving
Several years ago, First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue was asked to partner with Stevenson Elementary School. As a result of that relationship, lives were changed and the Bellevue School District opened its doors to the faith community. This is a remarkable thing and an opportunity to act! The world we live in is filled with stereotypes about Jesus. Turning outward through acts of service shows our community the real Jesus in ways that are transforming for us and the people we serve. Jubilee 2008 is a one-day service project where our whole church can put faith into action. Along with several Eastside churches and local Christian businesses we will work in nine Bellevue Elementary Schools to help prepare classrooms for the first day of school. Ardmore, Cherry Crest, Enatai, Lake Hills, Phantom Lake, Sherwood Forest, Spiritridge, Stevenson and Woodridge are the designated locations for our service. We will also be working on 30-40 Eastside homes in need of help. Be part of this incredibly special day – August 16th, 2008. We want 40-50 people from St. Luke’s to participate. All ages are encouraged and welcomed. Those of us who have helped in the past know how fun and rewarding it is to serve in this way. RUMOR HAS IT THAT YOUR PASTOR WILL RETURN FROM HIS SABBATICAL FOR THIS ONE DAY TO SUPPORT YOU IN THIS EFFORT. NOW THAT’S A BIG GIVE! Contact
In our ongoing efforts to help our neighbors and community, we are going to advertise monthly food items for the Seattle/King County Emergency Feeding Program. With the sharp increase in food prices this is a way we can all help those who are finding it difficult to provide nutritious foods for their families. Please bring items to the narthex by Sunday, April 27.
Food of the Month for April
Share your gifts of jars of baby food or Your donation of $28 will buy a week’s supply
Every month Eastside Academy hosts informational luncheons that provide another way for guests to get to know our mission. Our guests meet staff, students and have a chance to ask questions about Eastside Academy programs. In essence, our luncheons are an opportunity to gain better insight into the Eastside Academy story. During our luncheons, students in our cooking class help prepare a meal and serve it to our guests. Our students do a great job with this! Each Eastside Academy Luncheon is held at St. Luke’s from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. If you are interested in attending, or have questions about our luncheons please contact Tony Martin, Donor and Mentor Coordinator: tonym@eastsideacademy.org or (425) 452-9920 ex. 6. We would love to hear from you! Come for lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays As published in the Sunday bulletin, Chef Anne Bly and Eastside Academy students cook and serve lunches at 11:50 a.m. each Tuesday and Thursday in Pierson Hall. Stop by if you’re in the area; if you are bringing guests, please let the office know so Anne will have a count. Here is the menu for March:
St. Luke’s Good Samaritan Fund In difficult economic times, we all need to “tighten our belts” and forego some of the luxuries we enjoy. There are others who, through no fault of their own, are unable to “tighten” any more. We have had an unusual number of requests for financial help for food, gas, rental assistance and heating/electricity. Our budget is depleted. As you tighten your belt this spring, please think of making a donation to our Good Samaritan Fund. For the foreseeable future we do not expect a decrease in requests for assistance. Some people who can give the gift of mobility. Senior Services’ Transportation is seeking dedicated and caring volunteers to drive seniors in King County to their medical appointments. Use your own vehicle, choose the days, times and areas you wish to drive and receive reimbursement for mileage and parking, plus supplemental liability insurance. For more information, call (206) 448-5740 or visit their website at www.seniorservices.org.
Lutheran Volunteer Corps - Concert Lutheran Volunteer Corps of Tacoma is pleased to present folksinger/songwriter, Michael Stern and Friends in concert on Saturday, April 19 at 7:00 p.m. at Pacific Lutheran University. Tickets are $10 (suggested donation) or $5 for seniors and students. All ages welcome. Call (253) 535-7423 for more information and to get more information about LVC go to www.LutheranVolunteerCorps.org. Foss Home & Village is having a book, music and movie sale on Friday, April 11 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Address: Lutheran Memorial Church, 13047 Greenwood Ave. North. Featuring those famous Foss donuts and coffee. Help Wanted - American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society’s King County Unit is seeking new members for its Road to Recovery program. This is a group of volunteers who drive cancer patients to and from medical facilities for life-saving treatments. The schedules are flexible. If you have a car and can spare as little as one morning or afternoon a month to help somebody along the Road to Recovery, call Amber Cook at (425) 322-1140 or email amber.cook@cancer.org. Somebody needs you. Reimbursement of 35¢ per mile is available for our volunteers.
Ethiopian Dinner and Karaoke Night
Help Send Denise and Amy to Israel April 19 at 5:30 p.m. Okay — what do Ethiopian food and Karaoke music have to do with Israel? You may find the connection a stretch, but raising funds for this pilgrimage is our goal. We’ll feed your soul with authentic Ethiopian food supplied by friends of Denise Bradford, and
Blessing of the Quilts and Quilt Drawing
Our annual Blessing of the Quilts will be held on Sunday, April 27 before they are shipped off to Lutheran World Relief for distribution throughout the world. Others are donated to local charities and shelters. You will also have an opportunity to win one of these beautiful quilts (four available) in a drawing for a suggested donation of $40. Watch for the box in the narthex this month. The drawing will take place on Thursday, April 24. All quilts will be displayed on the pews that Sunday. Musical Concert and Hymn Sing Plan to join St. Luke’s Choir and Bell Choir on Sunday, May 18 at 4:00 p.m. for a concert and hymn sing. Watch for more information in the May Communicator.
What are your memories of camp? Meeting new people? Making new friends? Being away from home for the first time? Lutherwood Camp is a fun, safe adventure for kids. It is owned by the Lutheran Church and is located on 103 acres of waterfront on Lake Samish 10 miles south of Bellingham. Camp sessions are available from June 15 through August 22 for those entering grade one through grade twelve. Sessions for first and second grades are three days and two nights. Your kids will attend with others of the same age and there is a wide variety of activities to choose from. For example, June 15-20 there is a Learn-2-Row for girls grades 9-12. Week-long junior high and high school camps are available for water-ski and wakeboard. There is a counselors in training two week program for grades 10, 11 and 12 July 20—August 1. Perhaps your child could be a counselor in future years. For the entire summer schedule or more information check out www.camplutherwood.org or call 1-360-734-7652 (Lutherwood office).
The Reverend Wm Chris Boerger “Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.” ~ Romans 12:9-10 One of the dangers of writing this column is the deadline is often before the activity that I want to write about. That is the case this month. I am writing this article prior to the release of the draft of the social statement on human sexuality. I do not know what will be in that document. I do know that this is not the final proposed social statement. There is work for the church to do. I hear people say that they do not have opportunity to affect things like this. The fact is that every member of this church is invited and encouraged to send comments regarding the draft social statement to the task force. This is perhaps the most democratic part of our process. But it will only work if people do study the draft and respond. After the release of the statement on March 13, you have until November 1, 2008, to submit your responses to the Human Sexuality Task Force. It is my hope that you will make use of this opportunity to study the document and to participate in the creation of this statement. Next year we will have the proposed statement for consideration at our Synod Assembly, and the final proposal will require a two-thirds majority to be adopted by the 2009 Churchwide Assembly. The year for resolutions and memorials is next year. This year is a year for study and discussion. The Romans text that precedes this article is also something to keep in mind. This is a process that is asking what is the church’s faithful position on issues related to the gift of sexuality. This gift is given to all of us. So this is not about us or them, but it is about all of us. We live in relationships. That fact means that we build each other up and we also sin against each other. That truth applies to all aspects of our relationships. It also applies to our sexual relationships. As we share our understanding of good and evil, I also ask that we take seriously the call to outdo one another in showing honor. A discussion of sexuality produces numerous emotions. The reminder to honor one another is often lost in our emotional response. I would like to say that this is the final study on this topic. I would like to say that, but I doubt it. Our culture is so fixated on issues of sex in advertising, media and identity that it is impossible to avoid it. We have something important to say about what it means to be created as sexual beings. This means that our God is a part of the discussion. We now ask the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we talk to each other.
NOT GIVING UP IN A PICKLE Volunteering at a crisis center for addictions was a challenging and very fulfilling activity. A young man I will call Jack was one of the people operating the phones with me several years ago. One day, when we were taking a break, he told me his story. As a teenager, he found himself on the streets getting into all kinds of trouble with the law. He especially remembers one day when he was again standing in the court room. In a cold voice, the magistrate commented, “You will never amount to anything.” As we talked, Jack counted all the institutions he had entered for treatment or punishment in his life. They made up thirteen different places. Now he was sober and clean, giving help to others. He even had his own place to live, and a motorcycle to transport him. He knew that every life is worth fighting for and that giving up is not an option—in spite of dire predictions. Fr. Bill Wigmore, CEO of Austin Recovery, Texas, has written about his own treatment and recovery. One of the most important lessons for him was the story of the pickle: To make a pickle you have to plop a cucumber into brine and spices and leave it there for some time. Eventually the cucumber becomes a pickle. The pickle now has an identity problem: “I was raised a cucumber. My parents were cucumbers. I had cucumber children. So why am I being called a pickle?” That’s a pickle whose life has become unmanageable and is in need of Pickles Anonymous! People can turn a cucumber into a pickle – but they can’t turn a pickle back into a cucumber. Once we’ve crossed the line into addiction it takes a Power far greater than ourselves to save us from the person we have become. The book Alcoholics Anonymous says it takes God to get us out of the pickle we’re in. (The last half of this article is paraphrased from “Praying Our Way Out of a Pickle” from the Publication of the Institute of Chemical Dependency Studies.)
Submitted by Ruth Kverndal
April 2008 Southern Comfort Ah, what an image this conjures: Large white mansions with wrap-around porches, ladies in hooped skirts and parasols, men in white suits with fedoras on a summer’s afternoon. Gone with the Wind! While there was hard work, this kind of comfort was nevertheless real. No wonder the manufacturer of this bourbon wants to call this image to mind and have you order a 7 & 7. Of course you don’t get the plantation when you get the drink, but somewhere in your subconscious lurks the lord or lady of the manor who now sits to enjoy the fruits of their industry. Our conscious dream might be just relaxing, going out to enjoy nature or indulging in some favorite activity. We all long for comfort and rest at times. Some labor hard and get little. Their concept of comfort might be falling into bed to sleep, not to rest up, but to get relief from the relentless strain of scraping by a meager living. For these there is no southern comfort. Southern comfort is a luxury. It doesn’t come every day but we should embrace it when it comes. Did not God sit on a veranda and enjoy a Southern Comfort on the seventh day? We should also pray for and work for those who have no hope of such comfort. To whom much has been given, much shall be required. |
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