From the Pastor

Dear friends,

Have you ever considered how important it is to have a role model to pattern your life?

Apparently even elephants need role models. A few years back the news reported about some young male elephants in an African game park. These elephants were not fully developed and, according to the article, had behavioral problems. The young elephants would attack the other animals and would even on occasion go after the tourists. It took a while, but park officials thought they finally figured out why these elephants were so misbehaved: As newborns, these elephants had been taken from a game park where they had been at risk and transferred to a new park. This new park was supposed to provide everything an elephant could ever want. The problem was that by moving these easily influenced creatures, the new park took them away from their fathers. The article concluded that the young male elephants were learning to grow up without role models that could guide them in how to behave.

February 14 is Ash Wednesday. This marks the beginning of the Lent season. The main focus of the season of Lent is Jesus’ perfect sacrifice on the cross to pay for our sins. “Jesus got the job done!” is how we might say it in today’s lingo. I think it is equally important to highlight how Jesus got the job done—he did it by serving. 

The Apostle Paul highlights the serving nature of Jesus and how believers should follow the pattern when he once wrote, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5).” Christianity is most definitely not about merely “getting the job done.” Christianity is about serving in a way that models Jesus’ behavior while we get the job done. What kind of behaviors did Jesus display as he served? Jesus modeled the 5 A’s.

  1. Attitude – Every day our brains go through 12,000-60,000 thoughts! If many of those are negative thoughts that will influence the way we serve. As Jesus served, he did so with love in mind. See John 13 and imagine the kind of attitude Jesus had while he washed feet.
  2. Availability – The reason why many people choose not to serve is that they feel like they don’t have enough capacity to do so(ie. Time and resources). Jesus lived an unhurried lifestyle and was available. See what he says about his availability for you in Matthew 11:28-29.
  3. Action  — Someone once said that most of the regret we have in life comes from inaction—not the things we’ve done, but the things we have not yet done. Jesus was a person of action and let his light shine. See Matthew 5:16.
  4. Ability  — Every person in our congregation has unique abilities. It’s helpful to know what those abilities are (see me if you’d like an assessment). We can’t make God move, but we can make room for God to move. How did Jesus make room for God to move in Him?
  5. Ambition  — We tend to think of ambition as a negative quality. Ambition, however, to serve others is Jesus’ way and will last beyond our earthly existence. How does ambition tie into what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33?

Serving happens in a myriad of ways at Peace. Here are just a few ways: ushering, cleaning and setting up communion, hosting fellowship, helping on the A/V team, singing in the choir, serving on council, teaching Sunday School. What a joy and privilege it is to serve at Peace. Let’s follow the 5 A’s of Jesus. Jesus most definitely got the job done AND did it the right way. Jesus served because he loved us and because he wanted to be a role model for how we should serve others!

In His Service,

Pastor J

Peace by the Numbers

Plan for Worship

February 4 – 8:30am Hope for Healing Service

February 4 – 10:00am Worship Service with Communion

February 11 – 10:00am Worship Service

February 18 – 10:00am Worship Service with Communion

February 25 – 10:00am Worship Service

Annual Church Meeting

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! The Annual Church Congregational Meeting will be held during Fellowship on
Sunday, February 4. This meeting will give you the opportunity to hear from your church council recapping what occurred in 2023 as well as a look forward to 2024. Please plan on attending! The 2023 Annual Report will be available in mid-January.

Lent

What is Lent exactly? It is a season set apart to prepare for the Resurrection of Our Lord on Easter.

When does it start? Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday this year comes early on February 14. On this day everyone is invited to Peace’s Soup Super at 5 pm with Ash Wednesday worship to follow at 6 pm in the sanctuary. The pastor will take ashes and draw ashes on each person’s forehead (or top of their hand). This reminds us that “the wages of sin is death” and that our bodies came from ashes and will become ashes after we die.

How long does Lent last? Lent lasts forty days. We do not count the Sundays in Lent as part of the forty days—the Sundays are little breaks along our way.

Why is the color for Lent purple? Purple is a color that symbolizes preparation and repentance.

All are invited for midweek services of Lent at Peace. We’ll gather at 5 pm for Soup Suppers with worship to follow at 6 pm. The worship will be Holden Evening Prayer with a devotion based on the seven letters to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation. Here is the plan for each night:

February 14 (Ash Wednesday): Ephesus—Revelation 2:1-7. What happens when our love grows cold for Christ?

  • February 21: Smyrna—Revelation 2:8-11. In times of suffering, some people abandon faith while others grow stronger? What might explain these two outcomes?
  • February 28: Pergamum—Revelation 2:12-17. When should a Christian voluntarily limit freedom? When should Christians refuse to limit freedom?
  • March 7: Thyatira—Revelation 2:18-29. Is there a danger to watering down the faith or compromising it just so that more people can take part in Christ? 
  • March 14: Sardis—Revelation 3:1-6. How has regret held you back from living a full life?
  • March 21: Philadelphia—Revelation 3:7-13. A bumper sticker says, “In case of rapture, the driver of this car will disappear.” How would you respond in light of what this passage says?
  • March 28—Seder Meal
  • March 29 (Good Friday): Laodicea—Revelation 3:14-22. What is the danger of having a lukewarm faith?

Men’s Breakfast

Men’s Breakfast:  Plan to attend the Peace Men’s First Saturday breakfast on February 3rd.  Hopefully some men from Zion and or other Circuit 4 churches will join us. Coffee on at 8:00, breakfast served at 8:30 and discussion at 9:00 – 10:00.  Pastor Lucke will be leading the topic for this Saturday, discussing “Mindset” – What is our Mindset?  Biscuits and Gravy with scrambled eggs and fruit are on the menu.  Please let Oscar Gutbrod know whether you plan to attend so enough food can be prepared.   [email protected]      541-231-3954 THANKS.

Ladies Guild Update

“Our mission: To build community and fellowship through spiritual, social and charitable activities in Corvallis and Philomath through missions o LWML.”

What a busy time for the women of Peace. The Holiday Bazaar has been the focal point for the past few months.  Much time and energy were put into making this a very successful community event.    All proceeds from the bazaar are used to support various charitable organizations and community events. We want to thank all of you for contributing to the success of this annual event and only fund-raiser for Guild. Thrivent supported our bazaar with seed money.

One of the highlights of the holiday was a personal visitation to each of our homebound members.  We presented them with a poinsettia and plate of homemade cookies. The blessings of these visits were two-fold; both the recipient and the giver experienced the joy of giving and caring through these gifts.  We hope to do more visits in the future.

Our February meeting is February 1 at 10:00 am, in the Fellowship Hall.  Every woman at Peace is joyfully invited to join us.  We look forward to seeing you. 

This will be a very busy spring for us as Easter is on March 31 this year.  There are many activities associated with this season and we would love to have the congregation’s support.  Please don’t be overwhelmed by all the sign-up sheets that will be coming your way.  Thank you in advance for making all events successful.

Peggy Krueger, President

New Bible Study Starting Up

Starting on February 18, David Leding we will begin our brief look into the Book of Revelation. This book has caused much confusion and is mostly ignored by readers of the Bible and most preaching. Even though it often is not read due to the complexity of the material we do in fact use it often in our worship of God in our church service. Consider our communion service when we sing, This Is the Feast of Victory for our God!  Here is a partial list of common hymns we sing that have strong echoes of Revelation:

  • “Holy, Holy, Holy”
  • “All Hail the Power of Jesus Name”
  • “Crown Him with Many Crowns”
  • “For All the Saints”
  • “Battle Hymn of the Republic”
  • “Shall We Gather at the River”
  • “Hallelujah Chorus” Hansel’s Messiah

Thus, we can see that this wonderful book has been part of our Worship for many years. And that is a principal idea to constantly keep in mind as we read this book, it is a book of worship!

The objective of this study is to not be a definitive study but to excite you and stimulate you to dig deeper.  We don’t have time to cover the book in detail but hopefully you will, on your own, undertake your own deep dive into this book of John’s. An additional goal is to give you a working knowledge of how to read and understand the complexity and symbolism found in Revelation.

This study is going to require work on your part. To read the book fully before the study begins. And read it again each week paying attention to the outline provided. Along with this study Pastor is going to preach on the seven letters to the churches in Asia Minor during our Lent services. We will touch on this briefly during the course of study but not in any depth. When you read and study ask yourself this question. How can Revelation speak to us as 21 Century Christians?

Study Plan

  • February 18 – Introduction to the book of Revelation
  • February 25 – Revelation 1.1 to 5.14
  • March 3 – Revelation 6.1 to 11.9
  • March 10 – Revelation 12.1 to 18.8
  • March 17 – Revelation 18.9 to 22.21
  • March 24 – Wrap up discussion and questions.

After preparing for this study, this book of John is now one of my favorites!

Resources

  • Book of Revelation from the Bible
  • “Come Lord Jesus, a Study of Revelation” by Mark Braaten
  • “Revelation for Everyone” by N.T. Wright
  • “Revelation & the End of All Things” by Craig R. Koster

Red Cross Blood Drive

A big thank you from the donors and staff at the December blood drive for the cookies they were very much appreciated. Our next blood drive is Friday, February 16th. Once again if you can donate blood, snacks, or prayers for this life saving cause what a wonderful Christmas gift. 

South Willamette Valley Oregon Honor Flight

The South Willamette Valley Honor Flight mission is to celebrate America’s veterans by inviting them to share in a trip of honor at our nation’s memorials.
 
Veterans eligible to go with South Willamette Valley Honor Flight, live in Benton, Lane, Lincoln or Linn Counties and served anytime, anywhere between December 7,1941 and May 7, 1975.

Some of the veterans at Peace are looking into applying for this wonderful program. If you are a veteran and interested in going on an Honor Flight, please contact Trudy or Dan.

Book Swap & Author Talk

Mark your calendar:  Saturday, April 13 at 11:00 am- 12:30pm. This is a free event for the ladies of Peace as well as any friends/community members or interested parties.  What is this?  Bring 3 paperback books of any genre that you enjoyed but are willing to part with.  We will exchange these books for others that people bring.  ALSO: Christina Suzann Nelson, an award-winning author from here in Philomath will be speaking to us about her writing.  She has won the Christy Award, a national award for books focusing on faith in contemporary culture. She is a great speaker and has some special ties for some of the former teachers here at Peace.  We will also be having a salad potluck at this event. Please bring a salad to share, 3 used/read paperback books to swap (any genre).  Please mark your calendar for this exciting event. See Diane for additional information.

Thank You from Our Mission Partners

About Friends of the Family:  Since 1994, we have served the Willamette Valley promoting healthy relationships and healthy homes through education and counseling.

Mission:  Bring God’s Hope, Help and Healing to a hurting world by promoting emotional, relational, and spiritual health.

Vision:  Healthy Relationships and Healthy Homes throughout the mid Willamette Valley.