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TRANSCRIPT
Volume 75 February 2020—March 2020
Contents of this newsletter are the sole property of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church. Contact the church office or [email protected] with concerns or permission to reprint.
Christmas Eve 2020
The Wedding of
Libby Miller & Mathew Brenfleck
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STEEPLE VIEWS is published bi-monthly by
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church 211 S. Main St., North Wales, PA 19454
215-699-4604
www.stpetersnorthwales.org
Office E-mail: [email protected]
Pastor: Rev. Andreas Wagner [email protected]
Director of Christian Family Ministry: Jennifer Bodolus [email protected]
Director of Music/Organist:
Kirsten Olson [email protected]
Director of Handbell Bells: Liz Allen [email protected]
Administrative Assistant: Lisa Miller
Articles for Steeple Views should be submitted to the office or
It is the Mission of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church to invite all people to
know, live, and share Jesus Christ
Baptisms
April 11, Easter Vigil: David S.
May 3: Meredith Katherine V.
May 10: Charles Lawrence D.
Weddings
Elizabeth “Libby” Miller and Matthew Brenfleck en-
tered the Holy Covenant of Marriage on a lovely winter
day on January 5, 2020 at St. Peter’s. Parents Brian and
Sharon were amazed at this milestone as was younger
sister Jessica.
Funerals Laura A. Halpen (1932-2019)
Laura Halpen passed away on Monday, December 23,
2019 at the age of 87. She moved here a few years ago
from her beloved home in Venice, Florida, where she had
lived and worked for over 30 years, following her hus-
band’s retirement. Laura was born in Brooklyn in 1932
and grew up Lutheran. Prior to her Florida years she had
lived in the North Wales area where she raised her chil-
dren - Ellen, Eric and Kenneth. When she came back for
her final years, we “adopted” her, and Maryann Landmes-
ser served as her visitation deacon. A beautiful ceremony
was held to remember her at St. Peter’s on Saturday,
January 11. May she rest in peace!
Kimberly Gail Rueffer died on January 16, 2020 at the
age of 60. She was part of “the other church at St. Pe-
ter’s,” as I call our friends from the various AA groups that
gather in our Fellowship Hall five days of the week, year-
round. A service and luncheon was held for her on Janu-
ary 23. Kimberly died after 20 years of health struggles
following a brain hemorrhage at age 40. She is survived
by her devoted husband Bob, two sons (Matthew and
Michael) and other family members and friends.
TWO Worship Services 8:30am & 10 am
At the 10:00 am Service Nursery: birth to 2yrs SPARK Sunday School: pre-k to 5th grades Youth Group: 6th to 12th grades held on the 1st & 3rd Sundays
Core Values:
As members of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church we val-ue and embrace service driven ministry and being “other-oriented” serving God by serving people both locally and globally.
As members of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church we val-ue and strive for meaningful vibrant worship, en-hanced with purposeful liturgy, powerful relevant messages, devout prayer, glorious music and partici-pation by both clergy and lay “ministers”.
As members of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church we val-ue spiritual growth for all generations defined by well thought out programs available for all ages and strong support for families of all types.
As members of St. Peter’s we value and commit to being an inclusive community promoting authentic caring relationships with each other and our partners in ministry, always treating each other with respect.
As members of St. Peter’s we value and commit to community hospitality, placing importance on be-ing an integral part of our community by using both our building facility and our actions.
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Dear people of St. Peter’s, I am pleased to invite you to a soul-nurturing Sunday afternoon event in March at the historic Ambler Mov-ie Theater. Together with a team of inter-religious leaders I have worked for an entire year on an even-ing of readings and music, featuring some of the most famous mystics that have walked this earth. Our team has selected short readings and poems from people like Meister Eckart and Hildegard von Bingen (Germany), Hafiz and Rumi (Persia), St. Thomas of Aquinas and St. Catherine of Siena (Italy), Howard Thurman and Rashani Rea (Unites States), Rabia of Basra (Modern Iraq), St. John of the Cross and Rabbi Moses de Leon (Spain), as well as the contemporary Rabbi Sheila Peltz-Weinman (PA). The event will also feature life music performances from Ambler-based flutist Cindy Le Blanc, the Can-tare Vocal Ensemble under the direction of Paula Rivera, founder of the Children’s Opera Box, and other recorded and live music that support the read-ings. The program will run for 100 minutes and is Admis-sion Free. It is sponsored by various local churches, synagogues and institutions. The mystics will lead us into four directions, which are organically woven together: Creation - Suffering – Love - Unity with God. Afterwards, consider a social outing with old friends or new friends, people from your church or people you meet at the event. We have reserved a table for 14 at the Ambler “From the Boot” restaurant right next to the theater. You may sign up at church and join us! Yours in Christ,
Pastor Andreas Wagner Planning Team: Associate Rabbi Jason Bonder, Congre-gation Beth Or; Father John Hank, Indian Valley Founda-tion; Sister Ellen Murray, Gwynedd Mercy University; Kirsten Olson, Music Director, St. Peter’s; Rabbi Danielle Parmenter, Tiferet Bet Israel, Blue Bell, Rabbi Erica Steel-man, Chaplain at the Abramson Center; Rob Strauss and Pastor Andreas Wagner, St. Peter’s
Theologians may quarrel, but the mystics of the world speak the same language.
- Meister Eckhart
A Night with the
Mystics
In my soul there is
a temple, a shrine,
a mosque, a church
where I kneel.
- Rabia of Basra
Every truth
without exception
– no matter who makes it –
is from God.
- St. Thomas Aquinas
Passion Time
Come and join us on Wednesday nights to observe
the season of Lent. Wednesday Nights in Lent begin
on Ash Wednesday with a more elaborate worship
service, including the distribution of the ashes. They
are continued throughout the following five weeks
with a 30-minute mid-week service that helps you
focus on the contemplative side of yourself - Christ in
you. Holy Week ends with three consecutive ser-
vices, preparing us for the Feast of the Resurrection.
Wednesday Evenings During Lent, 7 pm
Looking at the story of Matthew’s Passion through the eyes of teenagers:
Please join us for worship. Our teens will explain the
slang when necessary and relate it to the story of the
Passion.
Peer Pressure: Matthew 6: 1-4
February 26, Ash Wednesday
Annoying Truths: Matthew 26: 1-5
March 4
Salty: Matthew 26: 69-75
March 11
Skurt: Matthew 26: 47-56
March 18
Intimacy: Matthew 26: 6-13
March 25
OMG: Matthew 27: 27-31
April 1
Noob: Matthew 26: 17-30
April 9, Maundy Thursday
Holy Week
April 9: Maundy Thursday w/Eucharist - 7 pm
April 10: Good Friday Tenebrae Service - 7pm
April 11: Easter Vigil w/Baptisms and
Holy Communion - 8 pm
April 12: Holy Easter
The Feast of the Resurrection
Easter Sunday Services
8:30 am and 10:00 am
St. Peter’s Lenten Traditions
We have a few unique Lenten traditions at St. Pe-
ter’s. Throughout the season, more specifically from
Ash Wednesday until Maundy Thursday, we abstain
from the Sacrament of Holy Communion. There is no
“Lutheran” tradition like that. In our congregation we
introduced this practice almost ten years ago for the
following reasons:
To encourage prayer as the central spiritual prac-
tice during Lent
To make room for the cross and the prayer can-
dle ceremony in the altar area
To walk with Jesus through the wilderness
Pastor Wagner remembers that this tradition evolved
out of a desire to create a central prayer area, in-
spired by the liturgies and spiritual practices that
evolved at Holden Village, a Lutheran Spiritual Cen-
ter in Washington State. It was very difficult to create
such a space at St. Peter’s without significant chang-
es. Out of this predicament, the practice was born to
let go of our beloved sacrament (Eucharist) for the
length of the fasting season. After all, Jesus had no
communion in the wilderness. This practice can be
very inspirational if we really focus on prayer and
seeking God during Lent and learn to appreciate
anew God’s grace that is embodied in the Holy Sac-
rament when we return to it on Easter.
At about the same time, some of our men created
the candle boxes, five of which are set behind the
altar rail. Each box holds sand and has a board with
drilled holes to hold candles. During Sundays in Lent
we come forward, light our candle and pray at the
altar in front of the cross. It has become a very
meaningful part of the Lenten season for many peo-
ple in our church. On Wednesday nights different
boards are used and large candles are carried in by
the choir or the youth group. The cross that leans
against the altar during the season is adorned with
painted tiles that children made many years ago. It is
all meant to help you connect with Christ and with
the message of the cross. Come and join us!
PASSION TIME February 26 through April 11
Christmas Eve 2019 Kim Dunn
Joseph Hinkle Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Highlights of Youth Sunday - January 26, 2020
Bear Creek
Youth Retreat
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Christian Education
Pre-K to 5th Grades
10 am Sundays
Upcoming SPARK Events:
Bring a Friend to church Sunday – March 8th All children are encouraged to bring a friend to Church and Spark for games and faith filled fun!
Parade of Palms - April 5th, 10 am SPARK children will welcome the congregation into the Sanctuary at the 10 am service , sing a song and hand out Palms to the congregation as service ends.
Our children continue to learn more about our Faith with lessons each week that follow the liturgical calen-dar. We are very blessed to have a good group of reg-ular volunteers but we can use some help from you. Our SPARK season goes until May 19th. Lessons and materials are provided for you. Please see Jennifer Bodolus for further details or questions. Thank you in advance! Thank you to all of those who have given their time and talents thus far this year! It is greatly appreciated and enjoyed by the children.
Infants to age 3
Our nursery is available at the 10 am ser-vice and is staffed by Anne-Belle Miller, a
student at Chestnut Hill College and a staff member at Indian Creek Foundation in Telford.
Youth Group 6th to 12th Grades 1st & 3rd Sundays 10am
Confirmation children meet each Wednesday evening to learn more about their faith, their role in our congre-gation and apply it to their daily lives. This group just had their annual retreat at Bear Creek January 17th -19th, we had deep questions and answers about faith, learning that we are all not perfect but loved! We en-joyed fun winter activities such as sledding hiking, bowling and several games of manhunt, faith filled games and fellowship with one another.
Our confirmation children will serve as worship assis-tance during the Lenten services on Wednesdays at 7pm.
Bible Study: Thursdays at noon
God and Money: Join with Pastor Wagner
March 12, 19, 26 and April 2
ADULT FORUMS: Sundays at 10 am
February 2: The Windows of St. Peter’s and their meaning, with Bernie Heinze.
February 16: Highlights of St. Peter’s 244 years of history with Steve Moyer.
March 15: Mystics and Mysticism, with Rob Strauss.
March 29: Christian parables from a Jewish per-spective, with Rabbi Erica Steelman, Chaplain at the Abramson Center for Jewish Life.
BASIC SESSIONS: Friday Evenings 7 pm
Friday, February 21
Where is God in all of this?
What vulnerability, diminishment and failure can
reveal.
Join with Christine Eberle & Tricia Riordan on this night
with presenters Christine Eberle and Trishia Riordan. We
often tend to show only our “presentable” sides in public,
including in church. We frequently underestimate the op-
portunities that come with the experience of failure and the
discovery of our own vulnerabilities. Spiritual growth hap-
pens precisely when we acknowledge and face those
sides of us.
Location: Tim Caum and Amy Smith
409 S. Main Street, North Wales
Friday, March 22
Learning to Walk in the Dark based on the book by Barbara Brown Taylor, with Pastor Andreas Wagner
Location: Bernie and Martha Heinze 110 Matthew Drive, North Wales
Family Fun Event: Valentine's Dance
Saturday February 8th from 7-9:30 pm
All are welcome! We are all one church family! Dance, enjoy refreshments and even Karaoke! Tickets will be sold at the door and all proceeds benefit our Youth group! Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12.
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“As members of St. Peter’s we value and embrace service driven ministry and being “other-oriented” serving God by serving people both locally and globally.”
For the month of June 2020, St. Peter’s will serve as a host congregation in the Interfaith Hospitality Network providing emergency shelter to Montgomery County families experiencing home-lessness. We will be provid-
ing an evening meal and overnight support to fami-lies who will each use a classroom in the Education Building as a bedroom.
Together with your family, please consider sharing a little bit of your time during June to provide hospitali-ty to our local neighbors in need. Opportunities include:
Dinner Volunteers 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm Make (or buy) dinner for your family and the
families being hosted Enjoy the meal & fellowship with the families Together with the families, set-up for dinner
and clean-up afterward
Overnight Volunteers 7:30 pm - 7:30 am Make yourself available to the families for ac-
tivities, fellowship and any other needs they might have
Ensure lights are out and building is locked for the night
Bring along bedding and a pillow to sleep in your own room - cots provided
In the morning, see that the families are get-ting to where they need to be
Once everyone has left for the day, ensure the building is secure before leaving
Transportation Volunteers 7-8 am or 5-6 pm Mornings - leave St Peter’s by 7am to drive
families to the Day Center in Ambler using Inter-Faith Housing Alliance’s van (parked at St Peter’s)
Evenings - arrive at the Day Center by 5:45 in Ambler using IFHA’s van (parked at St Pe-ter’s) and drive families to St Peter’s by about 6:00 pm.
Want to learn more? Stay tuned in the months ahead!
Contact: Brian Brenfleck 267-664-2530 [email protected]
SPOT Team Report 2 Thessalonians 3: Do not be weary of doing what is good.
In 2019 we did some more of the “good” things, by using each of our individual gifts and reaching out to serve those who need help the most. By being “other oriented,” our fo-cus was also to finish what we started in the village of Dora-do, Puerto Rico in 2018 by repairing, re-roofing, repainting and renovating 7 homes of parishioners of our partner church, Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Ascensión, still dam-aged by Hurricane Maria.
By the end of the week in June, the homes of Lydia Huertas, Haydee Sierra, Lourdes and Lidia Montañez, Ma-ria Melecio, Marilyn Harraza, Natividad Marrero, and Ma-nuel de Jesús Ălamo Lŏpez were restored to livable condi-tions. Each resident prepared a homemade lunch for all of us, consisting of salad, rice and beans, chicken and flan for dessert. By the end of each day’s work in the 95-degree heat and humidity, the 28-member team, including 11 of our youth, was spent. We lost a lot of weight, but we gained so much more.
While the adults tried to recover each evening, Jenn Bodolus and James Miller led faith formation activities and lessons between our youth and those of our partner church. The language barrier was soon overcome with the universal language, and founded by new friendships and relation-ships made for life.
A huge amount of thanks and credit goes out to this year’s St. Peter’s “Saltando a la fe” (A Leap of Faith) Team: Robin Alderfer, Jenn & Zach Bodolus, Holden Browne, Hien & Hoa (Rose) Chau, Megan Flanagan, Bernie & Martha Heinze, Lynn Kennedy, John & Rebecca Ledder, James, Lisa & Belle Miller, Sarah Nguyen, Olivia O’Loughlin, Maris-sa Pohwat, Kylie Post, Jean Prindle, David Seo, Pastor & Mrs. Shin, Jeff & Kyrstyn Streckfus, Lauren Trippetti, Jessi-ca & Christina Troxel, and Pastor & Peter Wagner.
This effort could not have been successful without major and tireless efforts by a number of people, including Liz Allen and Peg McConnell (Fundraising Dinner in March that was attended by Pastor Sharon Rios Concepcion, Christo-pher Concepcion and Angie Rivera all of Dorado who came to celebrate with us), as well as Jenn Bodolus and James Miller (youth involvement) and others. Even our friends at Iron Hill Brewing Company in the English Village Shopping Center in North Wales got involved by offering coupons every other Sunday for 10 weeks and brewing a special “Mi Amigo” beer. 20% of all food proceeds on those Sundays and a dollar from each beer served was donated to our cause raising over $2,000. A “Go Fund Me” page also raised around $13,000. Every member paid for their own air fare and the cost of bunking at the Lutheran Camp in Dora-do, allowing all the funds raised to be used for restoring the damaged homes. We were even able to donate $6,500 for the windows and front door of the house of Mayra Salgado, which was totally destroyed by the storm and is now being rebuilt.
The youth and our Korean team members led by Pastor Shin worked with John and Rebcca Ledder to build 8 wood-
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Sharing Our Good Gifts with Others:
ELCA Good Gifts Program
St. Peter’s does it again! Thanks to the very
generous hearts of St. Peter’s, $2,526 was
raised in 2019 for the ELCA Good Gifts pro-
gram. We purchased 3 family farms (3 cows, 6
goats, 36 chicks, 6 pigs, farming tools,, seeds,
agricultural training & support), a community
fish farm (pond, training, & fast-growing fish),
honeybees, and two very happy roosters. We
also helped to stock a health clinic for a week.
Our small gifts make a
BIG difference to families
in need!
Thank you,
Joy Jacobson
en benches that were signed by everyone and left at each home repaired. One was also donated to the Church there. As a gift of thanks, the members of the Church gave each of our team members a wooden cross; hand carved from a coconut palm tree on the Church grounds that was toppled by the hurricane force winds. They were the same as the one you see on the altar at St. Peter’s that was given to us in 2018.
In addition to our Puerto Rico trip, we also looked in on the Centro Nueva Creacion Church in Philadelphia. The Bishop had asked that we help in assessing the structural integrity of the Church and Parish House. Mark Baker and a team went there, developed a plan and shored up a wall that was in disrepair. We also called the Lutheran Churches in Pensacola, FL following the dam-age from Hurricane Michael; in Paradise, CA following the wildfires that burned down the entire town; and on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian.
If you thought this past year was good, wait until you see what we are planning for 2020 (see, “Year Ahead”). We are looking to welcome one or two new team mem-bers who care about the needs in the wider world. In the meantime, we thank all the members of the St. Peter’s Church Family for your prayers, donations and efforts in allowing us to continue being “a little Church that does BIG things.”
Pastor Wagner, Bernie & Martha Heinze, Lisa Miller, Jean Prindle & Rebecca Schell.
Annual Food Drive for Mana On Main Street Begins: Feb 2 The Social Ministry Committee will be hosting our 10th food drive for Manna on Main Street beginning Sunday, February 2nd through March 29th. You may place non-perishable food in either the wooden bins by the en-trances to church or in the specially marked containers near the sanctuary.
Our goal is: 2020 items in 2020! Canned chicken, cereal & granola bars, baby food & supplies, condiments, coffee, and teas are big hits!! Please NO green beans, corn, mixed vegetables, stuffing, cranberry sauce, or black beans. Remember, God does not need your good works, but your neighbor does!!! Thanks for giving generously to help feed those in need.
BLANKETS & MEN’S CLOTHING
We continue to collect blankets and men's clothing for New Creation Lutheran Church to help with their outreach to the homeless in the Tioga area of Phil-adelphia. The year we have already taken a van full of donated items for them to distribute. Thanks you for your donations. We are looking for :
men's coats Blankets sleeping bags
Pie Day
APRIL 7 April 7 is Pie Day and it will be here before we know it. Pie Day is a day we bake pies, cookies, cakes, brownies or cup cakes for the boys and girls at Silver Springs Martin Luther School (Gemma Services) The children look forward to this day because they can chose and have more than one dessert with there dinner. Please bring your goodies to church by 11:30 for delivery to the school. If you would like to know more about Pie Day or Silver Springs Martin Luther School contact Robin Alderfer - 610-277-8378
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Jazz Vespers 1st Sunday of the Month 7 PM
Join us for lively jazz with
a spiritual message
Local musicians welcome.
Please arrive at 6:30pm to join the jam.
PA Lyme's Montgomery County Support Group
Last Monday of the month, 7pm For More Information: [email protected]
People Undergoing Pain:
Every THURSDAY · 6:15 PM to 8:15 PM
Are you suffering from chronic pain that is physical, mental and/or emotional? If so, People Undergoing Pain is the group for you! We offer support and education.
Please contact Eve at [email protected] for more information or call Eve at 215-740-6454.
HELP: We are looking for baked goods to replenish our stock for the Sun-day morning hospitality table. Please place donations in the freezer in the kitch-en labeled: Hospitality.
St. Peter’s Blood Drive
Monday, February 17
2pm — 7pm Sign-up Online:
www.redcrossblood.org
Sponsor Code: St Peters North Wales
FACT: If only one more percent of all Americans would give blood, blood shortages would disappear for the
foreseeable future.
Valentine's Dance
Saturday, February 8th | 7-9:30 pm $10 Adults - $5 Children 12 and under
Join us for a family friendly evening of music, dancing, karaoke, and refreshments. Proceeds benefit our Youth Programs
Wednesdays 9:30 to 4:30 Saturdays 9:00 to 1:00
The Thrift Shop loves all of those donations you have been sharing with us! BUT – please be careful not to make your bags and boxes too heavy! Whether you are bringing them into the Shop or especially if you are leaving them at the big blue door – if they are too bulky and heavy it is difficult for us to move them and safely bring them down the steps. Thanks for slimming down!
Lutheran Day at the Capital
Monday May 18th
Each year Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsyl-vania (LAMPa) has a day of worship, keynote speaker, legislative briefing, visit training, and workshops. Bring you faith to the table and join Lutherans from around the state in Harrisburg. More information to come.
Help support the youth traveling to Minneapolis in 2021 to attend the ELCA Youth Gathering.
2021 ELCA Youth Gathering Fund Raiser:
Lasagna Dinner Saturday, March 14 at 5:30
Tickets: $20 Adults & $10 Children under 10.
Tickets will be on sale starting Sunday, February 16 and 23 and March 1 and 8 after each service.
2020 Women’s Retreat September 19, 2020
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Coffee and Tea for Sale in the Hallway
COFFEE $7 | TEA $3
The LWR Coffee Project ensures that more of the money you spend on coffee reaches the farmers who actually grow it. Fair Trade coffee is a simple solution that means the difference - quite literally - between surviving and not surviving for small-scale farmers.
St. Peter’s Readers 11:30am
at Charlene Bance’s | All Are Welcome
Feb 18th The Tattooist of Auschwitz by H. Morris
Mar 31st UnSheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
Apr TBD Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes
Winter Weather Information
Sunday Service Cancellations: Every effort will be made
to announce cancelations as soon as possible and at least
1 hour prior to the start of services.
St. Peter’s Website: www.stpetersnorthwales.org
Email, Facebook & Twitter
Please let the office know if you do not have access to
a computer and require a phone call.
Weekday Group Activities and Rehearsals:
Cancellations will be at the discretion of
the group leader. Check for electronic or
other personalized group alerts.
Book Club Book with a local connection….
Long Bright River By Liz Moore
Temple University professor and novelist Liz Moore says her new book, Long Bright River, is her first “Philadelphia book.” The Framingham, Mass. native has lived here for years with her husband (brother to NP graduates Maggie & Mac Casey) but says she doesn’t begin writing about a place unless she feels there’s nothing else she wants to write about.
That place was Kensington, where Moore has been volun-teering since 2009, teaching writing classes to women at St. Francis Inn, the long-running Kensington soup kitchen and shelter. The neighborhood, neglected for years and plagued with drug use and violence, compelled her. "Any time a writer of fiction spends time in a very complicated place,” she said at an event at the Free Library last month, “you want to write about it.”
The resulting novel tells the story of two sisters raised in Ken-sington. The elder, Mickey, patrols the neighborhood as a Philadelphia police officer, while Kacey, addicted to heroin for years, is struggling to survive on its streets. When a murderer begins targeting women in the area — and Kacey goes miss-ing — Mickey embarks on a desperate search for her sister, and the killer.
- From the Philadelphia Inquire
DID YOU KNOW?… Lenten Facts
Lent is the 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Easter observed as a period of penitence and fasting. Sundays aren’t included in the 40-day count.
Since Sunday’s aren’t included, Lent technically lasts 46 days.
Why is Lent 40 days? The number 40 is a significant number for Christians. Jesus spent 40 days in a de-sert. Noah had to wait 40 days for his ark to float. And Moses, along with his followers, traveled through the wilderness for 40 years before reaching the Promised Land.
Lent comes from the Middle English word “lente,” which means springtime.
Lent starts on what’s known as Ash Wednesday. This is when followers spread ashes on their forehead to signal their repentance to God. The ashes come from burning last year’s palms that were distributed on Palm Sunday
One of Lent’s central components is fasting. The prac-tice has died in recent years, but that didn’t stop New Orleans from throwing a huge party called Mardi Gras. On the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, aka “Fat Tuesday,” people party in the streets and get fat since they should be fasting for the next 40 days.
Violet is the official color of Lent, as this represents mourning for Jesus dying on the cross while also cele-brating his resurrection with the colors of royalty.
Lent doesn’t actually end on Easter; it ends on Good Thursday, the day Jesus has The Last Supper. Good Friday is when Jesus dies on the cross, and on Easter Sunday, he rises from the grave.
The date for Easter has been set for thousands of years. It all has to do with the full moon of the Pashal, or Passover, full moon. Easter will fall between March 22 and April 25. There are mathematical formulas you can use to determine when Easter will fall in any year
In a study done in 2014, 72% of adults knew what Lent was, and 88% of those participating in Lent were giving up some item of food for 40 days. Chocolate was the number one food most people were willing to give up during Lent.
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ATTENTION MARRIED COUPLES:
Marriage Encounter Weekends provide an opportunity for
married couples to rediscover the person you fell in love
with and to enrich and revitalize that relationship. Please
check the list of 2020 Northeast US Lutheran Marriage
Encounter Weekends below, and decide what Weekend
will work for you, and sign up as soon as possible to be
sure you get the Weekend of your choice.
April 24-26, 2020 at Country Inn & Suites, Ithaca,
NY. A hotel with lots of country charm in the
beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York.
May 1-3, 2020 at Heritage Hotel in Lancaster, PA.
A recently-renovated hotel, home of the unique,
treehouse-inspired restaurant, "Loxley's."
October 2-4, 2020 at Comfort Inn Latham-Albany
North--just 10 miles north of Interstate 90 near
Albany, the vibrant capital of NY.
October 16-18, 2020 at Olmsted Retreat. A stun-
ning, hotel-style retreat Center in the Allegheny
National Forest, 2 hours north of Pittsburgh.
To register for a Weekend, please go
to the to the national website:
www.GodLovesMarriage.org .
Scholarships are available for those in
need who request them at the website.
Registrations are limited by the size of
the conference rooms, so to be sure to
get the Weekend of your choice, sign up now at:
www.GodLovesMarriage.org. For questions please con-
tact Northeast US Directors of Lutheran Marriage Encoun-
ter, Fred & Julie Schamber, at 724-325-3166 or fjscham-
Holy Closure: Grace, Norristown Grace Lutheran Church, a congregation of the Lower
Montgomery Conference, at 506 Haws Ave., held their
final worship service on Sunday, January 12, 2020 with
Bishop Davenport presiding. The church was founded on
June 7, 1885 with 79 members on the roster. Rev. L.
George Detweiler was pastor from 1991 to 2001. Grace
was site of the Community Interfaith Food Pantry serving
over 350 families a month. The congregation voted at a
special meeting in July 2019 to adopt a resolution for Holy
Closure. It was the desire of the congregation to be faithful
stewards of its remaining endowment. These funds will
used to support the needs of the neighborhood as well as
contributing to the Mission Fund of the Synod
The ELCA makes innovation a priority for future growth - 12/6/2019
CHICAGO — The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ameri-
ca (ELCA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mik-
ka McCracken as the new Executive for Innovation and
Director, ELCA Leadership Lab. This new role will serve
as a change champion, equipping and supporting the de-
velopment of key leaders to address the most pressing
problems of the church.
"The way people hear and receive the gospel is changing
at a at an increasingly rapid rate. The competitors of the
gospel are many. What hasn't changed is the liberating
good news that we are loved and are set free to serve the
neighbor. The Leadership Lab gives us the space to ex-
periment and innovate in real time so that more people
can know more about Jesus and experience the love of
God," stated Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, presiding bishop of the
ELCA.
McCracken feels an innovation culture powered by the
vocations and passions of many will help break through
silos that too often render the church irrelevant in people's
lives, our communities and the world.
"I believe that God's grace and love in Christ matters and I
am excited to be part of Bishop Eaton's vision for the fu-
ture of this church. The Leadership Lab will be a church-
wide innovation space where people can co-create, design
and dream new and useful ideas, process and projects.
This work will be new, and different, and hard, but in a
way, it's a true call back to our Reformation roots. We want
to become the innovation denomination."
A South Korean adoptee and life-long ELCA Lutheran,
McCracken served most recently as Director for Strategy
and Engagement with ELCA World Hunger. From 2010-
2017, she served on the Lutheran World Federation inter-
national council, and currently serves on the Vorstand of
the ELCA Wittenberg Center in Germany. McCracken is a
graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College and is currently
pursuing a certificate in management excellence from Har-
vard Business School Executive Education.
Perspective: 7 tips for discussing difficult issues
What I’ve learned about Christians engaging con-troversial topics
By Thomas M. Aitken | January 13, 2020
The ELCA is a church I am proud to be a member of
and proud to serve and lead in as a pastor and bishop.
We aren’t perfect—but what sense does that even
make to a Lutheran, and to all Christians who under-
stand we are both saint and sinner, fully intertwined,
until that final day when God will complete God’s work
and bring in the new heavens and new earth?
I don’t expect the ELCA to be perfect in order to be-
long to it, love it, and respectfully and constructively
point out flaws and growing edges—all while serving it
joyfully.
One thing I am glad for—even when it brings conster-
nation to some—is that we don’t duck and hide when
tangible, everyday problems in our world directly inter-
sect with our faith and Christian values.
Whether it’s immigration, the environment, Middle East
peace, marginalized people, justice issues, human
sexuality, poverty, sexism, etc., I’m glad for those who
are at least genuinely trying to address both the evil
around us and the complex problems our society and
church deal with.
But the best way to address these issues is through
that powerful word “love.” Here are some tips I’ve
learned along the way.
1. You and I don’t know everything.
“For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in
part; but when the complete comes, the partial will
come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a
child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child;
when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways.
For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see
face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know
fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Corinthians
13:9-12).
2. Be curious, not furious.
Having been to a few church basement meetings over
the past 12 years as bishop during some controversial
seasons, I can tell you I have seen both the curious
Lutheran and the furious Lutheran. Both exist inside
me as well. But being curious is better any day of the
week. Curiosity seeks to learn, not to remain ignorant.
3. The people with whom you argue are made in
the image of God—just as you are.
Be careful with your words. I’ve learned that—and
have to keep learning it. Words can give life, and
words can kill. Words chosen carefully will draw out
more intelligent conversation. As one of my colleagues
says regularly, “Our Lord never said, ‘Be stupid.’”
4. Hurt and anger are twins.
Keep this in mind when someone (or you) begins to
speak loudly. I learned this while teaching the course
“Death, Dying and Grief.” When someone lashes out in
anger, beneath that is probably hurt. It may be a recent
hurt; it may be an old one we have never dealt with.
Don’t let your anger jag keep you guilty forever or em-
power you to get louder and more self-satisfied. Take it
to God in prayer; ask God what is going on inside you.
Take your own inventory (flaws and gifts) often, so you
can get to know yourself better—you will be a better
communicator in the end. When someone else is yell-
ing, ask yourself, “What has hurt this person? Can I
demonstrate empathy and compassion?”
5. Be patient.
Patience is already being formed in you, and it helps to
know and trust this. The job of the Spirit is to form
Christ in you. And that is happening all the time, thank
God! So use this patience in your dialogue with others.
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self
-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).
6. Truth is many-faceted.
Recognize that when another person has a different
viewpoint, there may well be an element of truth in it.
Find it. State it. See how the anxiety goes down and
the thinking goes up. And when you are convinced of
your truth, say it in love, not in anger or one-
upmanship.
7. Love trumps everything else.
I don’t mean love as a mushy, innocuous, romantic
sentiment. I mean our Lord’s love. Remember, you are
claimed as a child of God, under God’s reign and val-
ues. It was Christ, the second person of the Trinity,
whom you were joined to in baptism by the Spirit, and
you received his grace, courage and love. You were
grafted onto the church in baptism as well, with all its
goodness and all its flaws. And the greatest good in
the church is the power of love. A huge part of the
strength of real love is the ability to also say, “I’m sorry,
I made a mistake. I ask your forgiveness. Can we con-
tinue to talk and learn together?”
14
February February 2: Bell Sunday, Jazz Vespers, 7 pm
February 2: Adult Forum, The Windows of
St. Peter’s, with Bernie Heinze, 10 am
February 8: Valentine’s Dance, 7 pm
February 16: Adult Forum, Highlights of St. Peter’s
History, with Steve Moyer, 10 am
February 17: Red Cross Blood Drive, 2-7 pm
February 18: St. Peter’s Readers, 11:30 am
February 21: Basic Session, Where is God in all of
this?, 7 pm,
February 23: Transfiguration;
February 23: SPARK: Bring a friend to church
February 26: Ash Wednesday, Start of Lent, 7 pm
March March 1: Bell Sunday; Guest Pastor David Lutcher
March 1: Jazz Vespers, 7 pm
March 4: Wednesday Nights in Lent
March 12: Bible Study, “God and money,” noon March
March 13: Basic Session, “Learning to walk in the
Dark,” 7pm
March 14: Fundraiser Lasagna Dinner, 5:30 pm
March 15: Adult Forum: Mystics and Mysticism, 10 am
March 19: Bible Study, “God and money,” noon
March 22: A Night with the Mystics, Ambler, 4 pm
March 26: Bible Study, “God and money,” noon
March 27-29: Synod Youth Retreat (Tuscarora)
March 29: Adult Forum: Christian Parables from a
Jewish Perspective, 10 am
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