the bellringer · 2020. 8. 31. · the bellringer a monthly update from st. luke's episcopal...
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The BellringerThe Bellringer
A monthly update from St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Sequim
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From Mtr. ClayOla News and Notes Prayer List
Celebrating God's Abundance in Creation
by Sherry Niermann and Diane Grove
Fall! Traditionally
that time when we
celebrate the
harvest, school
beginnings, the last
warm days of
swimming (really?
Maybe not here in
Sequim). All of
which remind us of
God’s abundance.
2020 has been a
year of abundant
harvest; raspberries
and blueberries
were sweet and
plentiful. Garden
flowers were more
beautiful than ever,
even the grass
remained green
longer this season.
The St Luke’s Photo Club has had a cornucopia of beautiful subjects to
photograph. Each month we have continued through the challenges of
COVID-19 to meet virtually. Each month with a theme, we have
individually found photos to share with each other during our gallery show
using Zoom. In June, our theme was signs. Click here for one sign; click
here for another.
Then, in July we held a virtual field trip of the lavender farms – we each
became the eyes of the rest of the group by going to different lavender
farms and taking photos to share during our virtual gallery show. It was
so much fun to see the wide variety of lavender through each
lens. Here's a beautiful lavender picture; here's another.
Through all of it, we celebrated God’s paintbrush in this place we all call
home. Which brings us to the present. The Photo Club is joining with the
Liturgy Planning Team to make Sunday, September 20 a day when we
celebrate God's abundance in creation. We are all taking photos of what
we see everyday to share with our parish family. Watch for a photo to
arrive on your doorstep during the 3rd week of September, when a team
of parishioners will bring you a photo, just as we did with the Pentecost
banners. You can set the photo up in your worship space for Sunday, to
remind you of God’s abundance in creation and our abundant care for
you. See you then!
Click here to see more St. Luke's photos
The Parable of the Prodigal Sonsubmitted by Stacie Koochek
11 Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger
one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he
divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger
son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there
squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything,
there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in
need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who
sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the
pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired
servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set
out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned
against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called
your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and
went to his father.“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw
him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his
arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and
against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the
father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on
him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened
calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine
was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to
celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the
house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants
and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied,
‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe
and sound.’ 28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So
his father went out
and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these
years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet
you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my
friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property
with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 “‘My
son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is
yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of
yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’’
Allison Funk’s poem speaks
through an unnamed woman
in the parable: the Mother.
What’s the part of this story
that isn't being told? The
parables imbed themselves in
us in different ways. Can we
imagine them from another
viewpoint, another character?
We are given that opportunity
in Allison Funk’s poem, “The
Prodigal Mother Speaks to
God.”
The Prodigal’s Mother Speaks to God.The Prodigal’s Mother Speaks to God.
When he returned a second timethe straps of his sandals broken,his robe stained with wine,
it was not as easy to forgive.
By then his fatherwas long gone himself,
leaving me with my other son, the sullen onewhose anger is the instrument he tunesfrom good morning on.
I know.
There’s no room for a manin the womb.
But when I saw my youngest coming from far off,so small he seemed, a kidunsteady on its legs.
She-goatwhat will you do? I thought,remembering when he learned to walk.
Shape shifter! It’s like looking through water—the heat bends, it blurs everything: brush, precipice.
A shambles between us.
Allison Funk is a poet and Professor Emerita at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Her latestbook of poems is Wonder Rooms from Parlor Press (2015). She has published four other books ofpoems: The Tumbling Box (C&R Press, 2009); The Knot Garden (Sheep Meadow Press, 2002); Living atthe Epicenter (Northeastern University Press, 1995); and Forms of Conversion (Alice James Books,1986). She has received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and prizes from the
Illinois Arts Council and the Poetry Society of America.
Biscuitssubmitted by Melodie Cannon
A visiting pastor attended a men’s breakfast in the middle of a rural farming
area of the country. The group had asked an older farmer, decked out in bib
overalls, to say grace for the morning meal.
“Lord, I hate buttermilk,” the farmer began. The visiting pastor opened one eye
to glance at the farmer and wondered where this was going.
The farmer loudly proclaimed, “Lord, I hate lard.” Now the pastor was growing
concerned.
Without missing a beat, the farmer continued, “And Lord, you know I don’t
much care for raw white flour.” The pastor once again opened an eye to glance
around the room and saw he wasn’t the only one to feel uncomfortable.
Then the farmer added, “But Lord when you mix them all together and bake
them, I do love fresh biscuits. So Lord, when things come up that we don’t like,
when life gets hard when we don’t understand what you’re saying to us, help
us to just relax and wait until you are done mixing. It will probably be even
better than biscuits. Amen.”
Stay strong, my friends, because our LORD is mixing things together that we
don’t really care for, but something even better is around the bend.
Brian Hart’s Homemade BiscuitsBrian Hart’s Homemade Biscuits
Makes 12 biscuits
3 1/2 cups All-Purpose flour2 tablespoons granulated sugar1 tablespoon kosher salt1 tablespoon baking power½ teaspoon baking soda1 ¼ cups cold unsalted butter, cubed1 cup whole buttermilk, chilled1 large egg, lightly beatenFlaked sea salt, for sprinklingSoftened butter and honey to serve
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, kosher salt, baking powder,
and baking soda. Using a pastry blender, cut in cold butter until mixture iscrumbly. Stir in cold buttermilk until a shaggy dough forms.
3. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat dough into a rectangle,
and cut into fourths. Stack each fourth on top of each other, and patdown into rectangle again. Repeat procedure 2 more times. Pat or rolldough to 1-inch thickness. Using a 2 ½ inch round cutter dipped in flour,cut dough without twisting cutter, rerolling scrapes as necessary. Place 2inches apart on prepared pan. Freeze until cold, about 10 minutes. Brushwith egg wash and sprinkle with sea salt.
4. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.
COVID-19 and Lonelinesssubmitted by Mary Jo Camagna
Julianne Holt-
Lunstad, a
Professor of
Psychology and
Neuroscience at
Brigham Young
University who has
studied loneliness
extensively, says
our social connection is something we biologically crave. "We're social
beings, and our bodies respond when we lack the proximity to others,"
she said. So the new normal prompted by COVID-19 "is a difficult kind of
situation where we need to try to remain socially connected while still
being physically distant," she said.
(NY Times 4/20/2020)
Here in Sequim, there are ways to connect with others that don't involve
masks and a 6' tape measure. Members of St. Luke's have made new
friends and discovered a world of topics to engage.
Let's start with what St. Luke's is currently offering online via Zoom:
Men's Spirituality Group, 1st Mondays at 9 amMen's Cursillo Group, Tuesdays at 9:00 amDon Freeman Study Group, Wednesdays at 10:00 amPhoto Club, 4th Wednesday at 1:00 pmInteractive Bible Study, Thursdays at 10:15 amCentering Prayer, Thursdays at 12:00 pmGrief Support Group, 4th Fridays at 10 amCaregivers Support Group, 4th Fridays at 1 pmEnneagram class, Wednesdays at 3 pmMorning Prayer, Wednesdays at 8 amAnti-racism Training from the Diversity and Resiliency Institute of ElPaso (self-paced, with scheduled Zoom discussions)Study of the book, White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White
People to Talk About Racism by Robin J. DiAngelo, Tuesdays 1:00
If you would like information about joining any of these meetings, contact
the office at officeatstlukes@gmail.com.
The YMCA has reopened portions of their usual offerings. You can
contact them at (360) 477-4381.
And the North Olympic Library System has worked long and hard to
adapt to the pandemic: curbside library service, including returns and
holds pick-up, is available 11 am-5 pm Monday through Friday in Sequim
(360) 683-1161. They also offer online jigsaw puzzles with other unique
features like the Museum of New Zealand collection.
Online book clubs include The Second Saturday Book Discussion Group
brings great fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary books to life,
exploring those shared lives together.
Now is an ideal time to pick up the phone and check in with friends and
family with whom you've lost contact. And just getting out and taking a
walk around the block can help replicate the routine of your day pre-
COVID-19.
A Chance Encountersubmitted by David Melvin
A visitor stopped by today. Unsure of what I was, he was given a
soft and warm refuge from his struggles of the day. After some
comforting soft strokes along his tiny body, we made eye
contact. Deep inside that tiny black pool was a thank you and I
have to go. Thus two souls shared a chance encounter. I hope I
represented our species well.
We need you...During this time when we are closed, we still have costs related to keeping the
church running. Please remember to continue your giving during this time to
help us continue the work of God that we do at St. Luke's. You can mail your
pledge, drop it by, or go to the Diocesan website at www.eecw.org and click on
the button for St. Luke's there. Watch for other online and phone donations
options coming soon, including a PayPal button.
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