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.