January 2015
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The Promise of Christmas
Scriptures tell us that Jesus, born of Mary, will one
day be great (Luke 1:32). But this is not apparent when
he is born. He’s in the barn with the animals and
shepherds. And in a short while he flees with his family
to Egypt to hide from the deadly king, Herod (Matthew
2:14). No greatest there – in either of these episodes.
So when does he fulfill this promise of Christmas?
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John 12:23-32 has the answer – it happens
on Good Friday! But what an unlikely place for
glory – hanging there, nailed and dying on the
cross. That would seem more like unadulterated
shame, termination, failure and loss. Anything
but glory!
Yet this is precisely what Christmas is
driving toward. This is precisely why the Word
became flesh. Christ is born to die on the cross
– to save us from our sins.
So keep Christmas in perspective. Keep it
linked to its goal on the Cross. Do that and you
won’t have to worry about your Christmas
celebration turning into simpering, silly,
sentimentality. Thanks be to God!
Pastor Marshall
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What We’re Supposed to
Be
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Shakespeare on Being
Human
Pastor Marshall
One
more time I’m looking into Harold Bloom’s,
Shakespeare: The
Invention of the Human (1998) for congenial secular
clues for what the ideal human being looks like.
This last time I’m lifting up Shakespeare’s other great
female character, Rosalind. Bloom says that her
greatness lies in her “intelligibility.” She displays
that best when she rejects Orlando’s protest that he
will die if she won’t love him: “Men have died from time
to time, and worms have eaten them, but not for love” (As
You Like It IV.i.106-108). Here she “deflates subtly
and definitively,” Bloom writes, “the male refusal to
grow up.” Bloom adds that this intellectual prowess
includes as well, freedom, happiness and wit (210-11).
Nevertheless, “Rosalind is as integrated a personality
as Shakespeare created…. Her changes unfold persuasively
and only deepen the selfsame continuity of her nature”
(209).
This forcefulness and breadth of mind in Rosalind
is also there in the admonition of Jesus to be “wise as
serpents, and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16).
Because of that, she should be useful to Christians
trying to explain to an uninterested world what makes
for excellent human living.
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The Civil War
Anniversary
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1865–2015
By Pastor Marshall
The
Civil War (1861–1865) ended this year, 150 years ago―and
it deserves our attention because of the role the
churches played in it. I think the best way to do that
is to read Allen C. Guelzo’s new book,
Fateful
Lightning: A New History of the Civil War &
Reconstruction (Oxford, 2012). He teaches at the
Lutheran college in Gettysburg. This is a revision of
his 1994 book,
The Crisis of the American Republic.
One of Guelzo’s major points is that the Civil War built
upon our previous civil wars―the War of 1812 (1812–1815)
and the American Revolution (1775–1783). On these two
wars, which normally are not thought of as civil wars,
see Alan Taylor,
The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British
Subjects, Irish Rebels (Knopf, 2010); and Thomas B.
Allen, Tories:
Fighting for the King in America’s First Civil War
(Harper, 2010). These are startling findings because
they say that the Civil War wasn’t an accident but
deeply engrained in our country from the beginning, and
having to do with more than slavery, like the economic
development of tariffs, taxes, banks and international
trade (12–28).
Regarding the matter of slavery, over which the war was
primarily fought, Guelzo describes a surprisingly
complex situation: “Just as the South’s cotton
agriculture bound Southern whites to the defense of
slavery, it also bound the Northern bankers and
merchants who lent the planters money to the toleration
of slavery” (48).
And regarding the role of the churches in the war, the
North differed from the South. In the North the church
“could not escape the uneasy sense that slavery… was
indeed sanctioned by the Bible, and [so] they found
themselves driven to the unlikely expedient of arguing,
not from the letter of the Bible but from its much more
intangible spirit, [putting] them uncomfortably close to
the Romantics” (414). For the South, however, General
Robert E. Lee was “canonized… after his death in 1870 as
a kind of Protestant saint [in that his] dignified
surrender… was a model of Christian fortitude in the
face of disaster…. [His] courageous and humble bearing
showed [Southerners] that suffering might be a nobler
calling than victory, and that the South could claim
through Lee that it had surrendered not to superior
political morality but only to superior numbers”
(527–28).
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These very different religious strains make this
war difficult to understand. And events in
Ferguson, Missouri, this year, with a white
officer killing an unarmed black man, make it
all the more look like it’s still going on. In
this regard Guelzo laments that we, to our great
detriment, are still missing ― what might help
us most in understanding this disaster of 150
years ago ― a first-class “Iliad
for the Civil War” (529).
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PRESIDENT'S REPORT....by
Larraine King
O Morning Star, how fair & bright, You shine with God’s
own truth & light,
Aglow with grace & mercy!.......Our hearts to serve you
only!
So begins the first verse of Hymn #76.
What a grand hymn tune and outstanding text.
Hymns specific to Epiphany are found in Lutheran
Book of Worship #75-90.
There are some gems.
Great devotional material.
Year’s end and the beginning of the new year –
different, but also the same, mostly because we carry
from one year to the next, situations and problems that
have not been well resolved.
At the December council meeting, we discussed the
financial health of our church, and we’re still running
behind budget by about $6,000.
Hopefully that is now old news and we met budget
at year’s end.
If not, then we will be looking very carefully at
the 2015 budget and making necessary cuts to match
giving expectations.
We all want to do what is necessary to maintain
our facility – repairs and upgrades – and we want to pay
our staff well.
But the bottom line is our giving.
If it falls behind or doesn’t meet the level of
what has been budgeted, we have to make adjustments and
cuts. Pray
about our stewardship and giving to First Lutheran.
We must remember why we tithe and desire to
return thanks for the many blessings we have received.
More specifics of the budget will be discussed at
the Annual Meeting which will be held on Sunday, January
25th, 2015 following the 10:30 am liturgy.
The 6th St. Nicholas Faire was a success!
We have over $6,700 to donate to the West Seattle
Helpline and the West Seattle Food Bank.
Best ever!
Thanks to everyone who donated, helped at the
event, and attended.
It makes a huge difference when we work together
for a common cause.
There is a need to donate extra money to our
Agape Fund.
In November a large amount of money was used to help a
single mother of 11 children pay her utility bills.
We are grateful that the church was able to step
in and help her.
We learned about her from the West Seattle
Helpline, but they were not able to help her.
Now the Agape Fund has very little money in it to
help others who might be in similar desperate
situations.
Work continues around the church facility and
parsonage to upgrade and maintain the buildings, and do
projects that have been waiting for attention.
We are especially blessed to have such qualified
members as Dale Korsmo, Alex Ceaicovschi, and Andy
Nelson who are such willing helpers with these projects.
As we enter 2015, pray that we remain faithful
willing servants of the body of Christ, generous donors
of our talents and treasures.
We are all members of this church; we all have
responsibility to do our part.
And while it is often joked that there is no rest
for the wicked, it is more accurate to say that there is
no rest for the faithful, for they must always be on the
alert to Satan’s temptations to divert us from the
straight and narrow path of obedience to our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ.
This is a 24/7 occupation that has no down time.
This makes an excellent resolution for 2015.
We have been led by the star to the manger.
Now we have to walk in the way of our Lord every
moment of every day of our lives.
This is the way, walk in it, says the prophet
Isaiah.
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Stewardship 2014
Month (November)
Year to date (Jan-November)
Budget
$19,330
$223,567
Received
$22,129
$226,019
A
Definition of Faith
One
definition in the dictionary for steward is “a person
who manages another’s property or financial affairs…”
So, let’s consider for a moment that we are to manage
the Lord’s financial affairs that he has generously
entrusted to us…
Reading from Matthew 6:25-31 we are not to worry
about our lives. The Lord takes care of the birds not
knowing where they will sleep, the lilies are taken care
of and do not toil or spin but continue to grow. Luke
12:22-28 tells us not to worry about food, clothes, or
life as we will be taken care of and to have faith. Our
Father knows what we need. We then should not concern
ourselves with abundance but be thankful; and in
thankfulness return a portion of our gifts to the Lord.
In hymn 410, “We give Thee but Thine Own” from
the Lutheran Book
of Worship – we sing in the first two verses –
“We
give thee but thine own, What’er the gift may be;
All that we have is thine alone,
A
trust, O Lord from thee.
May we thy bounties thus, As stewards true receive,
And gladly, as thou blessest us,
To
thee our first-fruits give.”
As stewards of God let us each strive to do God’s
will and be better custodians of his properties and
finances. Let us also continue to thank God for his
blessings and in return give back to the Lord that which
is His.
─Jeff Sagmoen, Church
Council
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Plumbing the Depths
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Robert W. Jenson’s
Metaphysics
By Pastor Marshall
This
is my last column on Robert W. Jenson’s new book,
Theology as
Revisionary Metaphysics: Essays on God and Creation.
In it I want to show how he thinks about depictions of
Christ in the church.
Jenson begins by noting that there are problems with
depicting Jesus Christ because the Bible rules against
making any graven images of God in Exodus 20:4 (171).
But since Jesus is revealed as the very image of God
(Colossians 1:15), we have license to have, for
instance, a crucifix of him on our altars. Because of
this image, “God’s acts by which he makes himself our
merciful God, take place and are historical realities as
the human story of Jesus Christ,… events which make up
the personal history of Jesus of Nazareth [and] are
(with no qualification) God’s history-creating acts by
which we have a life with him.” And so we can then “make
and use liturgically significant images, images in which
our history with God is posited, without the fake
attempt to grasp in a work of our hands the union of God
and man in Christ, without creating graven images of a
divinized man” (178).
To our great amazement, nothing in these depictions of
Christ―“in the image itself―nothing whatsoever”―can be
distinguished from those “secular works of art where
Jesus’ story simply provides historical subject-matter.”
The goal here is to “resolutely avoid all attempts at
showing Christ’s divinity by a spiritualizing of the
forms.” The key differentiation is instead “the use made
of [the] image within [a] liturgical action” in the
church, and especially in a location which points to
“God’s coming to us”―like the altar rather than “the
nave with its aisles” (178).
More to the point, then, all depictions of Christ must
be based on “events from the evangelical [or Biblical]
history, rather than portraiture.” So the common “head
of Christ does not belong in a house of worship. It is
the crucifix, the manger-scene, the cleansing of the
temple, etc., which are the human nature we are allowed
to depict.” So in showing this history of Christ we must
“avoid all modes and styles of realization which
suggests that this human life is finished and fulfilled
in itself. Impressionism and the allied movements which
grow out of the scientific impulse, which seek to be
empirical and capture the present visual reality just as
it is in the moment, will not produce liturgically
suitable images of Christ, nor will naturalism or
realism, whether of the trick-the-eye or ashcan
school―for here again it is what the subject is in and
of its own reality that dominates. A good liturgical
image will be distorted and abstracted, not to
spiritualize the image but to break it, to open it, to
destroy its self-contained sensuality. Even a strong
dose of crudity will often be in order” (179).
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ST. NICHOLAS FAIRE
“THANK
YOU!!!!”
ST
NICHOLAS FAIRE 2014 can be described as a tremendous
success!!!!
And without everyone who donated, helped, attended, and
purchased silent auction items, played the ring toss
game, and tasted and purchased wine, there would be no
accolades to share.
You all are simply awesome!!!
It takes everyone banding together and each doing
their part to make an event successful.
Many thanks to everyone who donated items that
were made into baskets to be sold, or baked cookies to
be purchased, or cider to be sipped, or wine to be won
at the Ring Toss Game: Dale and Teri Korsmo, Bob and
Mona Ayer, Ernie and Lynn Hopson, Ted and Maxine Foss,
Tim and Gina Allen, Wendy Eaton, Pastor Marshall, Jane
Harty, Jose and Sonja Clemente, Janice Lundbeck, Bob and
Connie Baker, Lorraine Toly, Phil and Natalie Nesvig,
Dana and Matthew Kahn, David King, Liz and Justin Olsen,
Sue Olsen, Andrew King, Peter and Janine Douglass, Earl
and Carol Nelson, Andy Nelson, Chuck and Doris Prescott,
David Juhl, Valerie and Scott Schorn, Ieva Young,
Kathrine Young and Steve McCord, Sue and Ted Fletcher,
Kari and Alex Ceaicovschi, Evan Ceaicovschi, Simon
Ceaicovschi, Kendall Jones, Jim Coile, Matthew and Ali
Richardson, Mariann Peterson, Evelyn Coy, Bridget and
Jeff Sagmoen, Whitney Tjerandsen, Ting Ting Chang,
Howard Storhoff, and Mary Goplerud.
A special thank you goes to Matthew and Dana Kahn
for preparing and serving such delicious appetizers.
Yummy!
All freshly prepared with gourmet flavor and
flare!
Having Rich Marshall share the delights of Maryhill wine
with us is extra special, plus he had a phone that we
could watch the end of the Seahawks game.
That was over the top!
(Next year we will consult the game schedule
before setting the time for our event.) Thank you to
Pastor Marshall for being willing to do whatever needs
doing. And
to Jane Harty for typing all of the bid sheets.
My co-chair, Liz Olsen, is a constant source of
good ideas and enthusiasm; ever willing to execute new
and creative ways of presenting the gift baskets,
organizing the room, etc.
This event would not happen without all of the
contributions by many people.
Much of the work happens behind the scenes and is
not at all glamorous.
My gratitude is immense for everyone’s help and
participation.
The best part
of the event is knowing that all the hard work yields
proceeds to help 2 worthy organizations – the West
Seattle Food Bank and West Seattle Helpline.
This year we have over $6,700 to donate to their
work in our community.
That is what it is all about.
And to have such a fabulous time doing it, is
wonderful.
Thanks again to everyone who helped and came and
supported our 6th annual St. Nicholas Faire!
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With the Mind:
Readings in Contemporary Theology
3-5 pm in the Church
Lounge, Saturday, January 17th
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The
book for January is
The
Juvenilization of American Christinaity (2012), by
Thomas E. Bergler, a professor at Huntington University
in Indiana. This book is about youth ministry gone awry.
It’s about how the church “embracing immature versions
of the faith,” and insisting that they are “appropriate
for Christians of all ages” (4). This unfortunate trend
started in the 1930s in America and exploded on the
scene in the 1950s and 1960s with the advent of teenage
culture (5). At the heart of this movement is the
conviction that the passion and authenticity of youth is
“the gold standard of Christian spirituality” (2). Even
though there have been some gains in this youth trend,
it also has “hurt” the church (7). This book exposes
that damage and seek to remedy it.
A copy of this important, in depth study of youth
ministry is in the church library. If you would like to
purchase one for yourself, contact Pastor Marshall. Feel
free to attend our meeting when we discuss how best to
pass on the faith to young people in the church and in
society as a whole.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS:
OFFERING ENVELOPES
for 2015 are now available on the office window counter.
2015 FLOWER CHART
is available for sign up.
Sign up early for the best selection!
FOOD BANK COLLECTION
suggested donation for January is pasta, noodles and
sauces.
ANNUAL REPORT
for 2014:
Staff, officer and committee reports are now due.
If you have not already submitted your report
please get it in to the office as soon as possible.
If you need inspiration, dust off your report
from last year, or pick up a copy from the office.
SCRAPPERS
will meet on Wednesday, January 28th.
SUNDAY ADULT EDUCATION:
All Bound
Up – Luther’s Great Treatise on the Human Will.
In this short, four week class, we will study
Luther’s greatest book,
The Bondage of
the Will (1525). The class will study a collection
of excerpts from Luther’s treatise. This class is the
nineth in our series of studies in the Reformation
leading up to its 500th anniversary in 2017.
PASTOR MARSHALL’s
next Koran Class
starts on Thursday, January 8th.
Call the office if you plan to attend.
He has been teaching this 4 week class 4 times a
year since 2003.
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Acts 28.6
Monthly Home Bible Study, January 2015, Number 263
The Reverend Ronald F. Marshall
Along with our other regular study of Scripture, let us
join as a congregation in this home study. We will
study alone
then talk informally about the assigned verses together
as we have opportunity. In this way we can "gather
together
around the Word" even though physically we will not be
getting together (Acts 13.44). (This study uses the RSV
translation.)
We need to support each other in this difficult project.
In 1851 Kierkegaard wrote that the Bible is "an
extremely dangerous book.... [because] it is an
imperious book... – it takes the whole man and may
suddenly and radically change... life on a prodigious
scale" (For
Self-Examination). And in 1967 Thomas Merton wrote
that "we all instinctively know that it is dangerous to
become involved in the Bible" (Opening
the Bible). Indeed this word "kills" us (Hosea 6.5)
because we are "a rebellious people" (Isaiah 30.9)! As
Lutherans, however, we are still to "abide in the womb
of the Word" (Luther's
Works 17.93) by constantly "ruminating on the Word"
(LW 30.219)
so that we may "become like the Word" (LW
29.155) by thinking "in the way Scripture does" (LW
25.261). Before you study, then, pray: "Blessed Lord,
who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our
learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn,
and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever
hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which
you have given us in Our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen"
(quoted in R. F. Marshall,
Making A New
World: How Lutherans Read the Bible, 2003, p. 12).
Week I.
Read Acts 28.6 noting the word changed. What was
it that they changed their minds about? On this read
Acts 28.4 noting the word murderer. Why did they
think Paul was a murderer? On this read Acts 28.3 noting
the words viper and hand. Why should this
verse lead to that conclusion? On this read Genesis 9.5
noting the words lifeblood and reckoning.
Was there any reason to suppose that Paul was a
murderer, and that dying by snake bite was his
reckoning? On this read Acts 7.58 and 9.1 noting the
words stoned and murder. (Note that Saul’s
name later is changed to Paul – Acts 13.9.) Why aren’t
murderers shown any mercy? On this read again Acts 28.4
noting the word justice. Read as well Isaiah 61.8
noting the line I the Lord love justice. What
does justice require? On this read Isaiah 1.17 noting
the words correct, defend and plead.
Read also Psalm 99.4 noting the word equity. Are
there any exceptions to this even-handedness? On this
read Numbers 35.9-12 noting the words cities,
refuge, manslayer, intent, avenger
and judgment. Do you think these cities were a
good idea? Explain your answer.
Week II.
Read again Acts 28.6 noting the line expecting him
to… suddenly fall down dead. Is this the way God’s
justice works? On this read Luke 13.5 noting the words
unless and perish. Read also John 5.14
noting the line sin no more, that nothing worse
befall you. So is there to be sudden
recompense or not? On this read Acts 12.23 noting the
words immediately and smote. Is that
always the way it’s supposed to go? On this read Psalm
50.21 noting the words done, silent and
now. What does this verse imply – that there isn’t
always immediate, sudden recompense? Luther thought that
when God “postpones” his punishment, it’s actually worse
because when it finally comes, we think we’ve escaped
only to find out, much to our chagrin, that the opposite
is actually the case (Luther’s Works 28:159-60).
Do you agree? On this delay read Habakkuk 2.3 noting the
phrase if it seems slow. Read also on the passage
of time, 2 Peter 3.8-9, noting the contrast between the
words one and a thousand, and the phrase
not slow… as some count slowness.
Week III.
Reread Acts 28.6 noting the line waited a long time.
Why did they wait so long before changing their minds –
especially since they were expecting a sudden death? On
this read Acts 28.5 noting the line shook off the
creature into the fire. Was this unexpected? On this
read Proverbs 23.29-35 noting the words wine and
serpent. These words describe a relentless
creature that blocks any shaking off. Because of that
they may have been puzzled by what Paul was able to do –
and had to wait and see what would come of it. On this
strange ability of Paul’s, read Mark 16.17 noting the
line pick up serpents and… it will not hurt them.
Does this still pertain today? On this read Matthew
12:38-41 noting the line no sign shall be given…
except the sign of Jonah. This goes against the
signs in Mark 16. Read also Matthew 4.7 about not
forcing God to rescue you, by recklessly endangering
yourself. That also goes against Mark 16. But Mark 16
still is valid – but only for the first century mission
in Jerusalem. Once the church spread outside of
Jerusalem, Matthew 12 pertains – or so thought Luther (Sermons
of Martin Luther, Lenker edition, 3:241-42). What do
you think?
Week IV.
Read Acts 28.6 one last time noting the word god.
Why this flip-flop? On this read Acts 14.8-18 noting the
words gods and nature. The analysis here
is that the Lycaonians couldn’t grasp divine mediation
through human agents. Instead they collapsed the one
into the other – thereby identifying the two. Against
this wrong-heading identification, read Romans 1.25
noting the words exchanged, worshipped and
rather. How is this warded off? On this read 2
Corinthians 4.7 noting the words treasure,
earthen, vessels, transcendent and
belongs. How does that block idolatry? Are there any
other ways to do so?
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The Epiphany of Our Lord
On Tuesday, January 6, 2015
The Feast of the Epiphany of our Lord
will be celebrated at 11:45 am in the chapel with Holy
Eucharist.
Only
Matthew's Gospel remembers this event.
Celebrate the magi's coming to worship and bring
gifts to the Christ child.
.jpg)
The Baptism of Our Lord
First
Sunday After the Epiphany
The Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord
will be celebrated
Sunday, January 11, 2015.
In Matthew 3:15 Jesus tells John to baptize him in order
"to fulfill all righteousness."
Luther teaches:
Baptism was instituted by God primarily for Christ's
sake and then afterwards also for the sake of all men.
For first he must sanctify baptism through his
own body and thereby take away the sin, in order that
afterwards those who believe him may have the
forgiveness of sins
(Luther's
Works
51:318).
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EXTENDED MINISTRIES FOR
JANUARY
EXTENDED
MINISTRIES…..We have just had a wonderful holiday
season, and are recovering from the events and
gatherings.
Back in the real world, members of our community are
still suffering from hunger, homelessness, needing money
to meet basic expenses.
January is traditionally a very difficult month
for social service agencies.
The needs are huge, and the giving goes way down.
What can be done about this???
For starters, we can purpose to continue to bring
food every time we come to worship.
This will help keep the Food Bank supplied to
meet the needs that still exist.
We can donate money to the West Seattle Helpline
to help them fund clients who need help with paying
their utility bills.
Winter is an especially difficult and expensive
time for someone’s utilities to be shut off – not that
any time is good to be facing that – but we can donate
to alleviate that.
Donate gently use clothing to the Clothing Bank,
a branch of the West Seattle Helpline.
And even closer to home, we can donate cash to
our church’s Agape Fund, which exists to help people in
our community who find themselves in dire need.
We are so blessed.
We have food.
We have heat, water, and electricity.
We have clothes and shelter.
We probably have little experience what it would
be like not to have these necessities.
Start the new year well by sharing with those in
need.
You will be blessed as you bless others.
─Larraine King, Extended
Ministries Committee
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OUR MANY THANKS to Larraine King and family for all of
the work they did to organize and put on the St.
Nicholas Faire!
Once again it was an impressive event bringing in
close to seven thousand dollars for the West Seattle
Food Bank and Helpline.
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Christmas
Help
This year we did something a little different to help
our neighbors at Christmas.
There was a family in West Seattle who had their
water turned off and were struggling under very
unsanitary conditions.
They had 11 children at home.
Because other agencies in the area were not able
to help them we decided to help them get their water
turned back on ($800 from our Agape Fund).
Thank you to those who donate regularly to this
fund so that when there is a need like this, we can
help.
Thanks also to those who put together Christmas
gift bags to cheer the elderly who are not able to make
it to church.
Pastor Marshall delivers the bags when he makes
his regular visitations.
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Thank You
to those who brought in Christmas gift items for
Compass Housing Alliance.
This year Pastor Marshall was able to take to
the Compass Center: one pair of fleece pants size L,
five pairs of winter gloves, one knitted scarf,
seventeen pairs of winter socks, eight winter hats,
eight tooth brushes, two lip gloss, two packs of
razors, five gift cards and 40 personal size,
toiletries.
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X
PARISH PRAYERS
X
Remember in
prayer before God those whom He has made your
brothers and
sisters through baptism.
Jeannine Lingle, Dorothy Ryder, Emma Sagmoen, Evelyn
Coy, Sam, Nancy, Kim and Kevin Lawson, Jim Coile, Kyra
Stromberg, Nora Vanhala, Mary Goplerud, Michael Nestoss,
Cynthia Natiello, Clara Anderson, Leah Baker, Peggy &
Bill Wright & Wendy, Bob & Barbara Schorn, Cameron Lim,
Ion Ceaicovschi, Luke Bowen, Tabitha Anderson, Kendel
Jones and her Family, Rosita & Jim Moe, Kristine and Ové
Varik, Ken Sharp, Jack Garon, Brian Mangon, James
Stojack, Dee Grenier, The Johnny Tarrant family, Brett &
Kathy, Carol McCord, Larry Johnson, Kate Stannard, Kathy
Heynes, Ruth Johnson, and those suffering from and
fighting the Ebola virus.
Pray for the shut-ins that the light of Christ
may give them joy:
Clara Anderson, Donna Apman, Pat Hansen, C. J.
Christian, Louis Koser, Anelma Meeks, Dorothy Ryder,
Lillian Schneider, Crystal Tudor, Nora Vanhala, Vivian
Wheeler, Peggy & Bill Wright.
Pray for our bishops Elizabeth Eaton and Brian
Kirby Unti, our pastor Ronald Marshall, our deacon Dean
Hard and our cantor Andrew King, that they may be
strengthened in faith, love and the holy office to which
they have been called.
Pray that God would give us hearts which find joy
in service and in celebration of Stewardship.
Pray that God would work within you to become a
good steward of your time, your talents and finances.
Pray to strengthen the Stewardship of our
congregation in these same ways.
Pray for the hungry, ignored, abused, and
homeless this New Year.
Pray for our sister congregation:
El Camino de Emmaus in the Skagit Valley that God
may bless and strengthen their ministry.
Also, pray for our parish and it's ministry.
Pray that God will bless you through the lives of
the saints: Saint Peter; Saint Paul; and Martin Luther
King, Jr., martyr, 1968.
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A Treasury of Prayers
O Lord
God, I know that you are the end for which I was
created, and that I can expect no happiness except in
you. Give me strength to fill my heart with your love so
that it may be the motive for everything that I do with
my understanding, affections, senses, health, time and
talents. Rule my heart without rival; dispose all my
thoughts, words, and deeds to your glory. In Jesus’ name
I pray. Amen.
[For
All the Saints
(ALPB, 1994-1996) 4 vols.,
I:44, altered]
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