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Formation for Spiritual Companions Other News, Events & Ministries at St. Luke's
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Pastor Tom is on sabbatical until September 14th. He will be leading a tour group to Israel leaving Bellevue on September 21st and returning October 1st. During his leave, Pastor Paul Fauske is serving as our Interim Pastor.
On Monday evening June 16th, my wife Chris and I attended an important Mercer Island City Council meeting because one of the agenda items was a proposed ordinance agreement between the City and the
At the Council meeting, anyone who wanted to speak had three minutes to state their name, address and their concerns and ask questions of the Council. The line stretched out into the vestibule and time marched on as concerned residents,
In the course of two hours I heard some people express their fears and concerns about the safety and security of their families and property if “those people” were allowed to set up their tents near their homes. I heard people worry about sinking real estate values, house break-ins, possible physical attacks — real fears based on misinformation, ignorance and prejudicial notions of people they have never met. But, refreshingly, there were many more voices that spoke about
These were heartfelt outpourings from people who had taken the time and made the effort to welcome the stranger and care for those in need. I was deeply moved by their compassion and their efforts. And I suspect that the last speaker was moved also. He told us that he lived just down the street from the
Chris and I were pleased and encouraged that after four hours of shifting on our chairs, watching local government in action and listening carefully to the testimony of many people, the City Council passed the agreement! On behalf of many of your neighbors and friends in
A servant with you in Christ,
Passionate Spirituality (What’s That?)
Passionate Spirituality! What’s that? You may have heard this term numerous times recently. We’re in the process of using Natural Church Development (NCD) to help St. Luke’s become healthier as a church. Of the eight quality characteristics that are necessary for a church to flourish, we discovered that at the present time we are strongest in the areas of empowering leadership, loving relationships, inspiring worship services and effective structures. We found that our weakest area is “passionate spirituality.” The core team for NCD has been studying that in order to develop a plan. We were above average in the area of having a passion for church. We know what it is to be passionate about our church, our family, our school or a team. But what is it to be passionate about our spirituality? We’d be interested in hearing from you. What helps you have passionate spirituality? Would you like to have more? The areas that we need to grow in as individuals in this congregation are: experiencing God, a passion for devotions, and spiritual interconnectedness. We know one aspect is prayer, so in May we invited some “prayer warriors” (people we believe to have a strong prayer life) to our core team. Together we talked about prayer and ways to encourage one another to increase our prayer lives. (A related article about prayer opportunities is also in this issue.) Some of us were surprised to learn that one indication of “passionate spirituality” was based on the percentage of our income we give away. What is the relationship between giving and passionate spirituality? We will continue to ponder and study that one. Regular reading and studying the Bible was another indication of passionate spirituality. When is the last time you read your Bible? When did you take part in a Bible Study? You will find more opportunities in the future. Do you have a daily time for devotions and prayer? When my prayer life is good, the rest of my life goes better. That doesn’t mean that everything goes well, but that I am better able to handle the stresses of life. This summer I am making a commitment to increase my prayer life. In addition to the spiral notebook I use for the prayer chain, I now have a blue folder that I keep with me. On one side are the prayer requests from the new email ministry at St. Luke’s. On the other side are the weekly prayer requests in our bulletin. I also entered the baptismal program for Makena Mary Shephard who was baptized on June 8. There is also a list of our high school graduates to remind me to pray for them. I’m hoping these little additions will increase my passionate spirituality. What works for you?
Shalom,
Thanks to everyone who donated their time and money to help those who are going to the Western States Youth Gathering (WSYG) in July. We had two weekends filled with fundraisers and we appreciate everything you did. Our goal was to raise $1,500 and we raised around $1,945!
The youth who are going to WSYG are leaving on July 25 and returning on August 3. We will be driving down I-5 stopping in Eugene, Oregon, Sacramento, California and Los Angeles before reaching Anaheim. The theme for the gathering is Wired: Live Connected. We will be discussing how we cannot understand things without God’s help, so we need to remember to ask and listen to what He has to say. Please pray that we have a safe trip and that we learn more about God and each other.
Watch the calendar and narthex for information on upcoming events — the Daroga family camping trip on July 10–13, Vacation Bible School August 11–15, and the Youth vs. Adult softball game on August 24. Take care and God bless! Ben Richards, Director of Youth Ministry
Summer Worship Schedule Sundays 9:30 Blended Service Summer worship services on Sunday mornings include a great mix of traditional liturgy and hymns and informal style music. We have combined the talents of Carolyn on the organ along with the Informal Worship Team to lead us through worship as we are Gathered to hear the Word, to partake of the Meal, and then be Sent to proclaim God’s love to the world. Thursdays 12:00 p.m. Word and Sacrament Pastor Paul Fauske is leading a Word and Sacrament worship service every Thursday at noon. This is a great alternative both for those who may find the summer schedule for Sunday mornings challenging, and for all who wish for mid-week spiritual nourishment. Thank You Acolytes Thank you to the confirmation students for serving as Acolyte during this year’s worship services, and thank you
~Amy Corsini, Worship Director
Income & Expense for Program Year 2006/2007 and 2007/2008
A short “State of
We ended last program year (program year 2006/07, which ended on
To bring you to where we are today, June 15th. As recorded in the minutes from the last congregational meeting, our goal was to start the calendar year, January 2008 with a deficit of $18,000. We actually started 2008 with a deficit of $6,834. This was due to the Back into the Black concert and auction which produced $25,399 of income, that was also great fun, and the fact that our giving, through December 2007 had been consistent with what had been pledged. Then we started noticing the economic climate was affecting the giving at St. Luke’s - in that – if the giving (from January to June of this year) could have been fulfilled as was pledged, we would have been in the black at this reporting. Income over expenses for this current ending program year (
This congregation has done what they said they would do, we reduced the deficit and we held down our expenses. As you can see, the expenses for this current program year are projected to be only $577 more than we had budgeted for. Please thank your ministries boards and continue to give them support. We still need to reduce the remaining deficit. Part of our two year plan was to reduce the deficit and be able to build a reserve to draw on when necessary. That is still the plan. This congregation can and does fulfill its goals when, with God’s help, we maintain faith in our vision. As we go into a new program year I ask you to keep your faith and your heart grounded in the vision we have for St. Luke’s. God’s Blessings to You Carolyn Norton
At the congregation meeting held on June 15, the Board of Trustees presented three budget options for the coming program year. The expenses outlined in the box below remain the same with all of the options.
· Salaries/Benefits expenses in all three options reflect the hiring of a part-time Children, Youth and Family Coordinator. There are no cost of living increases this year given to any of the staff. There are two salary adjustments to reflect additional job responsibilities. · Program Development/Sabbatical Salaries expenses in all three options reflect the phase out of the Director of Congregational Ministries to the Associate Pastor, continued compensation for the keyboardist for the Informal Worship Team, the sound engineer (with plans to train volunteers) and the compensation of Pastor Paul as our Interim Pastor during Pastor Tom’s sabbatical. The income to cover these wages is transferred from the Fan into Flame Program Development Fund (the 30% set aside at this time) and $10,000 from the Sabbatical Fund. · Administration expenses in all three options reflect a reduction in paper and postage costs from the projected year end totals. Some of the administrative costs are also fixed costs and cannot be adjusted. · Facilities expenses in all three options reflect projections based on actual fixed costs of utilities, etc. · Mortgage expense is $6,323 per month. Currently the balance on our mortgage is $970,472 and we have a 5¼ % interest loan. In two of the options funds would be transferred from Fan into Flame to help offset the mortgage payment. · Option #1 – proposed expenses total $616,783 necessitating a transfer of $7,498 from Fan into Flame. This option proposes funding the ministries according to the budgets submitted by them.
· Option #2 – proposed expenses total $614,276 necessitating a transfer of $4,991 from Fan into Flame. This option proposes funding the ministries with a 5% reduction to all ministry areas and no reduction to the areas mentioned above.
· Option #3 – proposed expenses total $609,285 with a need to transfer $0 from Fan into Flame. This option is based on the projected year-end totals for program year 2007/08 and no reduction to the areas mentioned above. It shows a $1,842 reduction to the deficit. The Board of Trustees recommended Option #3 and after discussion, the congregation approved Option #3. We all know that we don’t need “opportunities” for prayer. We can pray anytime and anywhere. However here’s an update on some of the ways you can ask others to pray for you or someone you know who is in need of prayer.
Prayer list in the weekly worship bulletin: Call the church office to have a person’s name put in the bulletin. This should be with the permission of the person prayed for. You may also add a word or two to describe the need. Typically names are left in the bulletin for about three weeks. Members of St. Luke’s are asked to pray 20 minutes a day and include these names in their prayers. Prayer Chain: During church office hours (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) call to initiate a prayer on the prayer chain. After office hours call Dorothy Scott (425-453-1425) or Marline Mattern (425- 823-8112). With a person’s permission, give the name (first name OK), reason for prayer and what to pray for. Each person receives the prayer, prays, and phones it on to the next person. No other conversation is to be held during this phone conversation. Confidentiality is important. Prayer requests are not talked about with others. New members of the prayer chain are welcome. Contact Dorothy or Marline to be on this list. www.prayers@slukes.org: St. Luke’s has a new way to receive and distribute prayer requests. We are looking for people who have a prayer request that they would like emailed to five confidential recipients. We will acknowledge by email that we have received your request and it has been forwarded. We are also looking for people who are willing to receive prayer requests via email. They must be willing to keep all prayer requests received in confidence. You will receive an email acknowledging your desire to be a confidential email prayer warrior. If you have any questions, please feel free to email them to the address above. Prayer Team: This is a small group of men and women who are trained to pray with you as a team. They will listen to your need and pray with you. They allow up to an hour so there is ample time to explain your prayer request. To request prayer from the prayer team, contact Dorothy Scott at (425) 454-1425. Prayer after services by prayer ministers: If you would like someone to pray with you, stay after the worship service and go to the front of the sanctuary on the right side. Prayer ministers will be available to pray with you.
Within the Gift Fund there are a number of funds that help support our ministries at St. Luke’s. These funds were established either from designated contributions, memorials or fundraisers. Additional contributions may be made to any of these funds to honor a loved one, as a memorial, or an outright designated gift. Listed below are the different funds that fall into this category and their purpose. If you have any questions about them, please give me a call. At the congregational meeting it was announced that we were establishing a new fund “Step by Step” to be used to reduce the deficit and make additional principal payments on the mortgage. As funds build it will also become a reserve fund for the general fund. Other Established Funds:
Jon Campbell Youth Endowment Fund – These funds are to be used for promoting youth participation in church activities and ministries. Was established with a memorial gift. Wanita Heine Outreach Endowment Fund –These funds are to support outreach and member integration. Was established with a memorial gift. Helen Kittler Children’s Music Program Fund – Supports any children’s music program education, performance, etc. that is not covered by the budget. Was established with a memorial gift. Altar Guild Fund – Supports the replacement and enhancement of chancel and communion accoutrements such as paraments, vestments, communion ware and linens. Art Guild Fund – Supports the framing, display and lighting of our artwork and the hosting of different types of participatory art projects. Ensenada Mission Fund – Used for scholarships and supplies by the Ensenada Mission Team.
Food Ministry – Provides meals to anyone in need for whatever reason. Meals are distributed by Roselyn, Pastor Tom, Jodi and members of the food ministry cooking team. General Missions – Distributed by the Outreach/Giving Ministry Board. Contributions are made to this fund when someone wants to give to missions, but doesn’t designate the recipient. Good Samaritan Fund – Provides assistance to those who come to St. Luke’s seeking help for a variety of reasons. Kitchen Upgrade Fund – Used for upgrades to the kitchen facility. Have used to purchase two stoves and refrigerators. Memorial Garden Fund – Used to help complete the Memorial Garden. Music General – Supports the purchase of music, supplies, and equipment not in the general budget.
Projection System – Will be used to purchase an additional projector that will project to the rear of the sanctuary for use by the Pastor, Worship Assistants and performers in the chancel. Sabbatical Fund – Offsets sabbatical expenses for Pastor Tom and provides the general fund with income to offset costs associated with an Interim Pastor during his absence. Seminarian Fund – Provide support to any congregation member attending seminary. This fund will be seeded by the Outreach/Giving Ministry. Step by Step Fund – As mentioned above. This fund will be the recipient of a fundraiser in January.
OK, Ladies, this month we are focusing on Inflammatory Breast Cancer. I have a dear friend who is currently fighting this disease, and it really needs to be brought to our attention. IBC is an advanced and accelerated form of breast cancer, usually not detected by mammograms or ultrasounds. It requires immediate and aggressive treatment with chemotherapy prior to surgery. It is treated differently from the more common types of breast cancer. IBC usually grows in sheets or nests in the breast, rather than in solid lumps and can be diffuse throughout the breast. This means that there is no solid mass to palpate. The cancer cells clog the lymphatic system just below the skin and lymph node involvement is assumed. If your current breast density is greater than it was in prior mammograms, this would be suspicious. The symptoms are as follows:
Remember, you don’t need to have a lump to have breast cancer. My friend thought she had a little infection and wasn’t concerned until it was too late. Some women may have IBC and remain undiagnosed for long periods, even while seeing their doctor to learn the cause of her symptoms. Often doctors see “mastitis” rather than IBC and will prescribe antibiotics, as in the case of my friend. If the “infection” doesn’t respond to antibiotics in a week, don’t wait – head directly to a breast specialist for evaluation. This information was taken from the Inflammatory Breast Cancer website (www.ibcresearch.org) where you can find all the information you need to answer your questions. Please do your homework so you can be prepared.
Have you participated in the Spiritual Gifts Inventory yet? Not only is it a fun project, but one that is designed to discover what God has gifted you for his service. For those who have participated, thank you so much. For those who haven’t had the opportunity yet, please join us. During and after the brunches, or even during the week if you like, we will be working on a project of discovering our Spiritual Gifts and creating glass tile mosaics of those gifts that will be displayed in the narthex. Children, youth and adults will have the opportunity to participate in this project. This is designed to be a family project and is being sponsored by our Member Integration Ministry and the Art Guild. It is guaranteed to be fun and something you won’t want to miss! It is so easy—while enjoying brunch, take the inventory and turn in your results sheet. The following Sunday we will have your results sheets ready for you and after brunch come into the narthex and create your own personal line in the mosaic. That is all there is to it! You can do the mosaic part of it yourself or have someone do it for you. We will have tables set up in the narthex like we did for the Witness Window, so that everyone can see the progress we are making. There will be people there to help you if you need it. We started on June 29th and will run through the weekend before Labor Day. There will also be people here during the week if you can’t do it on Sundays. Your Spiritual Gift results will be used to help you identify areas in which your gifts can be used to help support the many ministries of St. Luke’s. You are encouraged to participate and see what a colorful mosaic all of our gifts together will make.
Let’s all do our part!
It was only a few months ago that volunteers worked hard to get the kitchen clean and everything in its place. Now it is especially important for everyone to clean up after yourself so the kitchen is clean and ready for the next group to use. Here’s a few simple rules we can all follow so someone doesn’t have to do a major overhaul again. #1 Clean up after yourself! Please follow these simple rules each time you or your group uses the kitchen. If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to Anne Bly or
An anonymous donor has pledged up to $10,000 if we come together as a community to do work around the church. After the noon service on Thursday, July 24, we will be gathering to weed, clean, prune and plant. There will also be some small projects inside the church. You and your family can come at any time during the afternoon or after work. We will be preparing a meal that you can enjoy either before you begin work or after you’re done. The more people that participate, the more money we can earn. In one Sunday alone, 22 people signed up to help, but we can still use your help.
(Action required) It’s time to renew your Lutheran Magazine subscription. For those who have been receiving it at the reduced church rate, we will need a check for $8.00 to continue. (The reduced rate is only available because the church orders 20 copies to keep your cost down.) If you have not been receiving it at home and would like to, send a check to the office and we will get you on the subscription list. If we do not have enough subscribers to make it financially prudent, we will have you subscribe personally at the rate of $15.95. We also have copies in the narthex you may read.
Each year, St. Luke’s has given graduating high school seniors who are members, an opportunity to receive a scholarship to apply toward their college/school costs. The money comes from our Endowment Fund. This year we had two seniors apply — Ben Kappler and Annie Saunders. Below are the articles they wrote as part of their request. Ben Kappler When picking the perfect pineapple, you must test the stems to see how easy they are to pull out of the fruit itself. My experiences in church have been like me picking the stems to see how ripe my faith really was. Within the first couple of years at St. Luke’s, I didn’t really put a lot of stock into faith. I attended church because my parents wanted me to get confirmed. However, as I kept picking the stems of my pineapple, I realized what my faith meant to me. One of these experiences happened about two years ago when I was working at Vacation Bible School. Two kids, Nick and Julia, who I named Velcro and Velcro Jr., were always around me and they enjoyed playing with me. Later, all of the kids started to joke around with me and always asked for piggy back rides or to walk them to their next activity. This made me feel very special, but then I thought about it and I realized that these kids liked me and I enjoyed helping them out in teaching them how to grow in their faith. This is turn made me realize that my faith has become very ripe and that I was a strong person spiritually, which I didn’t think I was up until this point. This was the main turning point in my faith. Now I enjoy going to church and I have formed many strong relationships. Annie Saunders I can still remember a particular church service many years ago on Good Friday. The service recreated the night Jesus was hung on the cross. Before the sermon began, the lights were dimmed and the music stopped. A man began to drag an enormous cross down the aisle up to the altar, and the noise of the wood dragging on the floor echoed eerily around the room. I remember feeling so uncomfortable and wanting to leave. I asked myself why the church service had to feel so dark and depressing. It felt painful to remain sitting in the room as I watched the cross, that infamous symbol of suffering, drug all the way to the altar. Suddenly I realized that the uncomfortable feeling was important for me to endure. As much as I would have liked to skip over Jesus’ crucifixion to Easter Sunday, the history is real, just as Jesus’ suffering is real. Sometimes when I read the account of Jesus’ persecution, his life feels far away. However, Jesus’ life relates more to my own that I sometimes recognize, and he faced the same struggles to develop his faith, to create peace, and to stand up for his beliefs. Through that particular service, I remembered how I need to keep Jesus close and personal in my faith, and remember that he is not just a figure in history but a role model I can look up to today. Thank you Ben and Annie for your very poignant essays
Steve Holmberg, St. Luke’s Director of Children’s Music has announced that St. Luke’s will host a summer camp for K – 6. This camp will consist of drumming, marimba and dance. Camp will run August 4th through August 7th (9:00–11:45 a.m.). The cost will be $80 per child; if you register early (before July 15th) the registration fee will be $65. Class size is limited to 30 children.
Other News, Events and Ministries At St. Luke's SCHOOL’S OUT HUNGER’S IN CHALLENGE “20” The final bell has rung out another school year and many kids in our community may be facing more than summer vacation. With no subsidized school lunch, these kids may be facing hunger. Hunger is not just limited to summer time; it is a problem that is prevalent both locally and globally everyday of the year. Based on 2 Corinthians 9:12, “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God”, St. Luke’s Outreach Ministry and Stewardship Ministry are challenging the members and friends of St. Luke’s to participate in the Emergency Feeding Program for the next year. Each month a new list of needed items will be published and the amount we are challenging ourselves to will be indicated. Bring the food on Sundays, deposit it just inside the sanctuary doors and at the end of each month, all the food collected will be brought forward to be blessed for those who will be receiving it. Let’s show our gratitude for what we have by sharing with those who are facing hunger. Let’s help insure that these kids in our communities not only have a fun-filled summer, but one free of hunger. 20 Peanut Butter (18oz plastic jars) 20 6 oz cans of tuna If you can’t bring food you can participate by making a donation to St. Luke’s marked for EFP.
Nancy Quale, Dorothy Scott and I have been planning the fall sessions of “Formation for Spiritual Companions.” We are encouraged by the enthusiasm of persons who have completed the program. From their evaluations we received such comments as:
The fall opening retreat will be offered on Saturday, October 4th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. You may choose between attending the six sessions on Monday evenings (6:30 to 8:45 p.m.) or Wednesday afternoons (1:00 to 3:00 p.m.). All classes will be completed prior to Thanksgiving. Brochures will be available later.
Get this date on your calendar for a fun-filled day at a Mariner’s Game. We plan to attend Monday evening, August 25. The cost is only $10. Call Pam Webber at (425) 827-5861 or email her at pam.webber@fmglobal.com. Watch for more information
Kevin Kotecki with the Navigators in Kenya sent a letter and asks us to pray for the following things for him: Perseverance; Wisdom; Finances; and Energy. For more information see his blog: (http://kevinknews.blogspot.com/)
Let’s celebrate the beginning of summer by getting together for lunch at The Keg! It’s time to catch up on the happenings in your lives, see old friends and have a good meal. We’ll meet at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, July 25. Don’t forget the sunscreen.
This is a fun family event held by the beautiful Columbia River with lots of activities to participate in while enjoying God’s creation. There will be volleyball, croquet, swimming, fellowship and worship. The price of the camp varies depending on the size of the family and number of days you will be staying. On Saturday we will go to the water slide park.
Please come and get to know other members of St. Luke’s; bring your friends too so they can enjoy the fellowship and fun in the sun. Sign up on the Family Board in the hallway if you plan to come. You can come for one day or all days as you choose but we do need to know how many are coming. Questions? Call
I know we are just starting to enjoy our summer but once again Congregations for Kids is having their annual school supplies drive. Congregations for Kids is a wonderful organization consisting of about 25 congregations collecting school supplies and backpacks for eastside children in need. Our church has supported this extraordinary ministry for many years. Do you remember the joy of having new school supplies? Many eastside students will not have this opportunity without your support. We are expecting to help over 1,300 children this year. Look for the list of supplies in the narthex by the “Good Start” box. We will be collecting supplies beginning July 13 through August 3. Another way to participate is to volunteer to help sort donated supplies and pack backpacks. High school students can accumulate Community Service hours if they are interested in this opportunity. We will be sorting and packing backpacks from August 4 through August 14. I know this is vacation time but even if you can volunteer one day or a few hours it would help. Please contact Patty Drew (425 822-2992) for more details. And thank you in advance to anyone willing to give to this ministry.
Rainforest Adventure Please save the date for your children, neighbors and friends to attend VBS at St. Luke’s. Join us for a rainforest program of faith-filled fun! Rainforest Adventure invites kids to share the good news of Jesus’ love for us by being caretakers of all that God has given us. You’ll hear stories about Jesus, make cool crafts, learn catchy rainforest tunes, play super fun games, and make new friends There are also many opportunities for parents, teenagers, grandparents, etc. to help. - Serve as our registrar Registration forms are in the Narthex.
If you have any questions please call Nancy Quale at (425) 746-6559,
Ole and Sven grabbed their poles and headed out to do some ice fishing. As they were augering a hole in the ice they heard a loud voice from above say, “There are no fish under the ice.” Ole and Sven moved about 25 feet over and started to make another hole. The voice said a little stronger, “There are no fish under the ice.” They both looked around and then looked up. Ole said in a humble voice, “Are you God?” The voice spoke back, “No ya idiots! I’m the ice rink attendant.”
Ole and Sven went fishing one summer and decided to rent a boat from the resort instead of fishing from the shore. They rowed out a ways and started to fish. They caught one fish after the other. Ole says to Sven, “I wish we could mark this spot. It’s the best fishing I’ve seen since I was a boy.” Sven replied, “I got some chalk in my tackle box, so why don’t I put an X right here on the bottom of the boat?” Ole laughed, “You goofy brother of mine … what if we don’t rent the same boat next time.”
Missing Wheelchair Many years ago Al Rongstad donated a wheelchair for use at St. Luke’s. We are unable to find it and assume that at some time it was borrowed and not returned. Could you please check your garages and storage areas to see if you have it and return it to St. Luke’s. We have someone who is in need of it. Thank you.
The political season is warming up again. It is increasingly more difficult to tell when we are in the middle of political campaigns and when we are between campaigns. With the reality of a 24-hour news cycle it seems that we are in continual campaign mode. However you view the coming elections, I want to encourage you to be a part of the process in making decisions for this nation and the world. The ELCA has a wonderful publication online that details what church can and cannot do when it comes to political activity. It is available at http://archive.elca.org/advocacy/publicchurch/index.html . I encourage congregational offices to have a copy handy to answer those perennial questions. Rev. Mark Hanson. presiding bishop of the ELCA, has raised the vision of the public church for us in new ways. Dr. Cynthia Moe Lobeda, a member of University Lutheran Church in Seattle, has written an excellent volume in the Augsburg Fortress Lutheran Voices series by the same title Public Church, For The Life Of The World. Rev. Paul Benz, Lutheran Public Policy Office of Washington Director, stands ready to help you in deciding how to be a public church. (Visit http://www.lppowa.org .) Bishop Hanson also challenged the 65 Synod Bishops to be a part of this effort. In response, the Conference of Bishops has established five Ready Benches made up of Bishops who are paying attention to certain topics and who are looking at what the social statements of the church are related to their topics. I have agreed to serve on the Environmental Ready Bench and also the International Ready Bench. The other topics with ready benches are Domestic policy, Middle East policy and Immigration policy. I am most focused on the environmental question. My understanding of our scriptural tradition is that we have been created in the image of God to steward God's good creation. When we overstep our call to steward and become owners, creation suffers. Much of our current debate is about how we will decide the future of the planet. I would argue that we need to bring our understanding of creation, and our understanding of sin and repentance to the current debate. I invite you to find those areas of interest that are part of the public debate. We will not all be on the same topic or even have the same point of view. We are called to enter the debate as part of God's calling to us to care for the creation and for the neighbor. So, the debate continues. It has been going on since creation and our being a part of it is part of God's calling of us to serve as God's people. The Mysteries of Simplicity and Giving Many of us have heard of the second richest man in the world, Warren Buffett. And many people are fascinated by descriptions of the lifestyles of the “rich and famous.” I came across an article the other day that had a different twist: Warren Buffet recently donated $31 billion to charity . . . He still lives in the same 3-bedroom house in midtown Omaha, bought after he got married 50 years ago. It has no fence or wall around it. He says he has everything he needs there. He does not have a driver or security people. He never travels by private jet although he owns the world’s largest private jet firm. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies… He has given his CEOs only two rules: 1) Do not lose any of your shareholders’ money; 2) Do not forget rule number one. Bill Gates, the world’s richest man, met Buffett for the first time only five years ago. Gates did not think they had much in common so he scheduled his meeting for half an hour. But when they met, the meeting lasted for 10 hours . . . Buffet’s advice to young people: Stay away from credit cards. Invest in yourself and remember that money doesn’t create people, but it is people who created money. Live your life as simple as you are. Don’t do what others say. Just listen to them, but do what makes you feel good about yourself. Don’t go for brand names. Wear those things in which you feel comfortable. Don’t waste your money on unnecessary things. Spend on those who really are in need. After all, it’s your life. Why give others the chance to rule your life? Warren Buffet is my new hero. Sometimes I wonder how I ever survived without a cell phone or email. How would we all? I’m sure we would, but wouldn’t it be cool if we connected with ourselves and each other through the original wireless? I think they call that God. (Excerpted from an article by Alan Cohen, author, in a recent issue of “Recovery Today,” a publication of the Institute of Chemical Dependency Studies (www.cdstudies.com). For more about giving, go to www.boldergiving.org, started last year. One of the true stories is about Tom Hsieh who, when graduating from college, “God pointed out to me that he has a heart for the poor, and I didn’t.” Submitted by,
July 2008 Some Comfort II The Holy Spirit, the Comforter will come to you and strengthen you. Thanks for nothin’! The Holy Spirit will come and propel you into the eye of the storm is more like it! “Here, guys, stand up, talk in some other tongues, call attention to yourselves. Here is a little flame so we can’t mistake who is who! Maybe we can bring all those who would like to silence you out of the woodwork for a little target practice.” How’s that for comfort? Maybe I’ll pass. Martyrdom was never my thing anyway! But, not so fast! This Paraclete, this one who is called to aid and comfort, not only convicts us of the Truth, but strengthens us for the challenge. This Spirit is with us physically because Jesus is not. Well, that’s a little more comforting, I guess. I mean, if Jesus were here in the flesh, I’d be braver, wouldn’t you? Well maybe…. Is it possible that we take too little comfort from God for the struggle? Is it possible that we are more timid than we need to be and unnecessarily put ourselves on comfort deprivation because of it? Maybe our courage will rise to the level of our risk! What a concept! Maybe the eye of the storm is the Comfort-able place to be! Perhaps we have to trust and to risk before we can receive the comfort. Maybe vulnerability and risk precedes comfort. Scary thought! Maybe you could give it a try sometime. Maybe the comfort is worth the danger! |
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