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Febuary 2018 Volume 26, Issue 12
Our Mission: Reflecting God’s Light through love and service. Our Vision: The Father’s love… Our love. Christ’s life… Our light. The Spirit’s work… Our hands.
-- Adopted November 21, 2010
A Newsletter from Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church
South Haven, Michigan
In this issue: Words PT’s PC Pub Theology Couple’s Retreat Worship Notes Education Events Salmagundi Healthy Corner Scholarships Sharing Talent
Calendar
Who Am I??? My descendants lived in Babylon and built a great tower to the heavens. God caused them to speak in different languages.
See the Answer on Page 3.
Feb 11 - Transfigura-tion Sunday, 8:30 & 11 a.m.
Feb 13 - Youth Pasta Meal, 6 p.m.
Feb 14 - Ash Wednesday service, 7 p.m.
Feb 20 - Pub Theolo-gy, 7 p.m., Taste, downtown South Haven
Mar 2-4 - Couples Retreat, Ludington Holi-day Inn
SEE YOU IN A PEW!
Words Many moons ago, when your humble editor was in college, he took a class called “Voice and Diction.” We examined the English language, regional dialects, and local colloquial-isms. One day, the professor produced a short story called “Ladle Rat Rotten Hut.” Our
assignment: translate it. The “Little Red Riding Hood” tale was familiar to all of us, but reading this version silently or aloud was quite a chore. Here’s a tidbit: “Wants pawn term, dare worsted ladle gull hoe lift wetter murder inner ladle cordage honor itch offer lodge dock flo-rist. Disk ladle gull orphan worry ladle cluck wetter putty ladle rat hut, end fur disk raison, pimple caulder ladle rat rotten hut.”
You get the gist. Even with substituted words, our brain can make sense of what seems to be gibberish. In another twisted tale, “Slipping Booty,” the charm-ing prince was warned not to go into the tangle of briars. He said: “Eye down peony tension tomb!” Malapropism is a cousin of Dr. James Grissinger’s fairy tales above. Comedian Norm Crosby, known as the “Master of the Malaprop,” made a good living in the 1970s using the wrong words in a humorous way. Example: “That skinny dog looks emancipated!” The fact is, we all use the wrong word sometimes, ending up in grammatical gaffes. Understanding what is meant is the real communication meat. Our unique upbringing and experiences help us un-derstand the spoken word. It is no wonder, then, that Jesus’ disciples had difficulty coming to grips with His concepts. These were regular, hard-scrabble folk, eking out a living wherever they could. Being under Roman rule didn’t help either. Jesus’ love and pa-tience paid off, however, and we are the beneficiar-ies of a movement that swept the globe. All it took was the Word. And the Word was with God. And the Word was God!
Peace Evangelical
Lutheran Church A congregation of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
06321 Blue Star Memorial Highway South Haven, MI 49090
Contact Us
Phone: 269-637-4104
Fax: 269-637-0212
E-Mail: [email protected]
Office Hours
Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Church Staff Rev. Travis W. Wilson, Pastor
Office Hours - 8-4, M-Th ([email protected])
Janet Gilbert, Parish Administrator
([email protected]) Rev. Raymond Bartels, Pastor
Emeritus
Graeme Shields, Church Musician
Tami Brush, Director of Choirs
Brandie Rainey, Activity Coordinator for
Children and Families ([email protected])
Linda Harness, Parish Nurse
Deb Berkey, Lay Ministry Coordinator
Susie Yule “KID’S HOPE” Co-
Coordinator
Dayla McMullen, Wedding Coordinator
Scott Mark, Sexton
Visit us on the Web at: www.peaceinsouthhaven.org
2018 Congregational Council & Officers Nancy Whaley, President
Laura Beckwith, Vice President Beth Kuhn, Secretary Karen Willming, Treasurer
Megan Savage, Financial Secretary Randy Bartels Jeannie Gerling Jan Jessup John Kener Greg Scholl Mark Wallace
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PT’s PC I don’t know about you, but it seems like I’ve been bom-barded with ads, or Facebook statuses, or blog posts, or news articles calling us to “get back to the basics.” The “basics” could be the easier way of doing something as opposed to what we might have made it. Getting back to the basics could be getting more in touch with your body (mindfulness, yoga, prayer), or eating healthier, or exercising more, or just plain simplifying your life (de-clutter, de-stress, etc.). We’re about to enter into the season in the Church year that talks about us getting back to the basics, and that season is Lent. We’re called back to ourselves through confession and forgiveness, through alms giving, prayer, worship, and fasting. We’re called to get back in touch with the imago dei - the image of God - that dwells in each of us. The image of God tells us that we are wor-thy, valued, loved, forgiven, and freed – regardless of what else we tell ourselves or what others tell us. In her book, Searching For Sunday, Rachel Held Evans writes: “Once a year on a Wednesday, we mix ashes with oil. We light candles and confess to one another and to God that we have sinned by what we have done and what we have left undone. We tell the truth. Then we smear the ashes on our fore-heads and together acknowledge the single reality upon which every Catholic and Protestant, believer and atheist, scientist and mystic can agree: ‘Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.’ It’s the only thing we know for sure: we will die. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust” (P. 45). In the simplest, basic form of our lives lies our mortality and on that everyone can agree. But our mortality isn’t the end of things. We know the promise of Jesus who is God in the flesh who doesn’t want us to die, but to live and to be in relationship both with God and others. That’s what Lent is all about - reconnecting to God, to our-selves, and to the world. All of this lies at the heart of the vision that I laid out for our congregation in November at the Annual Meeting. My vision statement is that Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church would “build authentic, vulnerable community through radical hospitality, discipleship, love, and service.” It’s all about connection with God and each other, it’s all about getting back to the basics of the community we know as Jesus people. Our Council is in the process of helping me form some Cottage Meetings so that we can get some feedback on this vision and the goals/parts of it, but so that I can also get to know some of you in smaller groups. I hope that you will agree to par-ticipate in these sessions, or that you might even feel a call/nudge/or poke to host a meeting in your home. Together, we can do more than we might imagine possi-ble, and as we get back to the basics this season perhaps we would also gain a different lens with which to view our congregation and world. That is my hope and prayer for all of us. Council has asked if I would publish that slideshow. You may access it by clicking here. Thanks for being on the journey together! Gratefully “Lenting” With You,
Potluck
Join us for the Senior Social Potluck Luncheon the third Thursday of each month!
Our Weekly Worship Rhythm
Sunday mornings - 8:30 and 11 a.m. - Worship: Liturgy of Holy Communion
Sunday mornings: 9:30 a.m. - Peace Café Breakfast
Sunday mornings: 9:45 a.m. - Adult Choir Rehearsal
Sunday mornings: 10 a.m. - Adult Forum
Sunday mornings: 10 a.m. - Sunday School - for all children from pre-school to Grade 5
Mondays - Monthly: Congregational Council meeting, 6:30 p.m., Library
Thursday Evenings: 7 p.m. - Worship: Brief Order of Holy Communion
Pub Theology is a small group ministry that tackles questions of faith and life in an informal atmosphere. Join us as we talk about where God is in the midst of our lives - all are welcome to join us. We will meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at Taste in downtown South Haven.
ALL are welcome to join in!
Who Am I? Answer from Page 1
Noah [Genesis 11:1-9]
“Like” Us Check out our Facebook page, our Web
site (www.peaceinsouthhaven.org), or our mobile app to access sermons or to help keep up with what’s go-ing on at Peace!
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Between the Lines: “Talking in tongues” first occurred at the Tower of Babel.
Coffee Break What is a cold, winter day without a hot cup of coffee? Just another cold day in Michigan! Perk up your morn-ing by purchasing Lutheran World Relief coffee! Now, some of you
don’t drink coffee or buy coffee from the Lutheran World Relief stand in the narthex. There are other ways to contribute! You can give a smokeless cook stove for $35, medical supplies for $25 or send 12 quilts for $27. Other items are available by calling 800-597-5972 or contacting www.lwr.org/gifts.
Couple’s
Retreat This is the last call to regis-ter for marriage retreat
that will once again be held in conjunction with First Lutheran Church in Muskegon and Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos! The dates are Friday evening, March 2 – Sunday afternoon, March 4. We’ll be in Ludington at the Holiday Inn and Suites. The cost for the event is $210 plus dinner on Saturday evening. There are a limited number of scholarships available for couples who need them, so please talk to Pastor Travis if you are interested in going or if you might need a scholarship!
Our Brother Martin had stern words for those who fasted superficially. He urged “fasting for God.” “God gives his blessings for the purpose that we may use them with thanksgiving, and not that we may let them lie idle, and thus tempt him; for he wishes it, and forces us to fast by the Spirit or by a need which we cannot avoid. This is written for our admonition, that we may in the light of this exam-ple also cheerfully suffer want and temptation for the service of God and the good of our neigh-bor, like Christ did for us, as often as necessity required it; which is surely accomplished if we learn and confess God's Word. Therefore this Gospel is sweet con-solation and power against the unbelief and infamy of the stomach, to awaken and strength-en the conscience, that we may not be anxious about the nourishment of our bodies, but be as-sured that he can and will give us our daily
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Education Events
The Adult Forum Sunday School class will continue to read through Kelly Fry-er’s book Reclaiming the “L” Word: Renewing the Church from Its Lutheran Core. We will meet in the Library at 10 a.m. and read the book right there in class - no homework! Please join us!
Confirmation Class will meet on Feb. 7 and 28 from 6 - 7:30 p.m. Bring your binder, Bible, and keep up with your faith conversations and sermon notes!
The Women’s Bible Study always gathers on Wednesday mornings at 9 a.m. for anyone who wants to come and discuss the readings for the coming Sunday. We would always love to have you join us!
Did you Know … Noah’s descendants were living in Babylon. They spoke one language and decided to build a tall, proud symbol of how great they had made their nation… a tower that would "reach to the heavens" so that they could be like God and no longer need Him. They be-gan to construct a great ziggurat. God did not like the people’s pride and arrogance. He caused the people to suddenly speak different languages so they could not communi-cate and work together. This caused the people to scatter across the land. The Tower of Babel was so-named because the word “Babel” means confusion. This story is a powerful reminder of how important it is to obey God's Word and to not think that we can build a successful but godless life on our own!
Worship Notes
On Sunday, Feb. 11 we celebrate the Transfiguration of Our Lord (also known as the last Sunday before Lent!) where we traditionally say goodbye to the Allelu-ia for the season of Lent and behold Jesus’ glory.
Join us at 7 p.m. for worship on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 14). Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent in the Christian church. The sea-son is one of stripping away all of the non-essential and unimportant things and provides for us a time to reflect upon our sinfulness as individuals and human beings and then to focus on God's act of forgiveness that comes to us through God's son, Jesus Christ. On Ash Wednesday, we confess that all of our finery,
our clothing, our possessions, our abilities - all that we think makes us who we are - is not who we are. We are only dust and we stand before God as humans so in need of forgiveness and love. It's a powerful night; it's a powerful worship service- come and see. Because of Ash Wednesday, there will be NO Thursday Service on Feb. 15.
The Left Hand Band will lead worship at the 11 a.m. service on Sunday, Feb. 25.
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Members of Peace: Thank you so much for your generosity in re-sponding to the Mort-gage Match Challenge at the end of 2017. Throughout the month of December, we raised $23,000 in response to the challenge which will go directly on the prin-cipal of our mortgage. What a wonderful gift and opportunity for us to reduce the term of our loan. Thank you very much!
Your Healthy Corner
This Month’s Topic: Influenza - AGAIN!
Yes, I felt the need to spend a little more time with you on this subject. Thanks to all of you who received your flu vaccine from our Peace clinic [or from other vac-cine sites]. For those of you who have NOT received the vaccine, PLEASE DO SO! This season has been said by the Centers for Disease Control to potentially be one of the worst in recent years, possibly reaching epidemic proportions. Thirty pedi-atric patients have died thus far in the U.S. this season, and Michigan is being hard hit as well. The vaccine is a dead virus that cannot cause the flu when vaccinated. Flu symptoms include: malaise, fatigue, headache, lethargy, fever, lack of appe-tite, sinus and chest congestion, as well as a deep cough, sometime uncontrollable. Ways to avoid getting the flu include: GETTING THE FLU VACCINE, drinking plen-ty of fluids, proper nutrition, getting plenty of rest, and staying away from crowds where illness may be prevalent. It takes about two weeks post flu vaccine to be immune to the flu strain prevalent this season, so don’t dawdle! GET YOUR FLU VACCINE NOW! Our families, church, communities and world are counting on each of us to do our part to minimize the spread of this disease.
-- Linda Harness Parish Nurse
PT’s Open
Office
Hours Starting this month on Mondays Pastor Travis will hold open office hours at the church where you are encour-aged to drop in, chat, have some coffee or water, and even pray as you would like. As his schedule permits, Pastor Travis will re-serve 12 – 4 p. m. every Monday after-noon.
Please call the Church Office to let us know if you or a family mem-ber have been hospi-talized or admitted to Hospice Care. Health care agencies are not allowed to call and tell us of those things.
National Youth Gathering Fundraiser
and Concert! On Tuesday, Feb. 13, the group of youth going to the National Youth Gathering will serve a pasta meal from 6 – 6:45 p.m. prior to a Chorellenium choral con-cert in the sanctuary at 7 p.m. Join us for a night of fun – a free will donation will be taken for the dinner.
Peace is on Amazon Smile! If you shop on Amazon, you can now designate a portion of your purchase cost to go to Peace! There’s no cost to you, but through a program called “Amazon Smile,” they will send a percentage of every eligible purchase toward Peace or any other non-profit organization that you designate. To begin, just go to smile.amazon.com, log in with your account then choose Peace Evangelical Lu-theran Church; or just use this link: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/38-2329592. To get this benefit, be sure to go to Amazon smile each time you place an order through Amazon. Thanks for your support!
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The National Youth Gathering is less than a year away! Please consider joining 30,000 other high school aged youth and adult leaders in Houston, Texas in June 2018 as we talk about grace - the thing that changes everything! This event is open to students who have completed 8th grade as of June 2018 or have just graduated high school as of that month. Contact the church office for registration information.
Sharing Your Talents at Peace Consider being a communion assistant, or Assisting Minister, or Lector in worship. [Training is provided for all three!] How about becoming an usher, or cantor who leads the psalm, or perhaps join the choir, or start a small group, or host a gathering for 8-10 people in your home with Pas-
tor Travis. Maybe you’d like to join the PT Cruisers ministry and help drive, run errands, and visit people with Pastor Travis (be in touch with the Church Office or Deb Berkey). There are always opportunities to help on the 4th Tuesday of the month at the Open Door Supper at First United Methodist Church, or on Tuesdays at River Ridge Assisted Living Center singing with Mimi’s Tweeters, or spending one hour a week with a student at Lin-coln Elementary School with Kids Hope. Be a part of Peace! Get involved! Call the Church Office, or talk to Pastor Travis about where you might best use your gifts. It’s not as hard or scary as you think!
Mission Endowment Fund
Scholarship and Grants The application window for college scholarship and other grant funding will be open between January 1 and March 31, 2018. If you have plans to enroll as a full time student in an accredited college, university, seminary, technical or vocational school, sign onto peaceinsouthhaven.org and click on
Documents and Forms for scholarship criteria and the actual application. Follow the instructions and return your application no later than March 31. We will also have grant funding available for missions such as social service agencies, ELCA Colleges or Semi-naries, civic uses, community needs or other worthy causes not currently funded by the operating budget of Peace Lutheran Church. The grant application is also on our web site. Funding is made possible by the generous donations to the Mission Endowment Fund from members of our church. Remember, your personal gifts, bequeaths, or legacy giving to the Mission Endowment Fund will live on forever as we carefully invest your dollars and will never spend more than the earnings.
