From the Pastor

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

Dear friends,

I was the runt in my family when it came to music — you’ll often hear me explain it that way. Tom (my dad) was a music major in college, played multiple instruments, directed choirs, and will try to harmonize with any sound that he hears. Becky (my mom) played piano and sang at church. Beth (my sister) played concert level piano. I certainly took piano lessons, but I recall often staring at the clock hoping that the minute hand would move much faster. The lessons became so painful that I once actually did move the minute hand on the clock 10 minutes forward! I thought the teacher would never notice. She did. And the clock disappeared from the room the next week.

Mrs. Schaefer taught me the dynamics of music. I’d play loud when the music called for forte and soft when the music indicated piano. I’d build the energy when I noticed a crescendo. I understood that the music should diminish when a decrescendo appeared. There was and still is one dynamic that I’ve never mastered: the rest! I want to play something—it just doesn’t seem right to have complete silence at a particular moment. But the rest is important as it builds the tension and anticipation of the music that is coming.

What I didn’t understand in music, many people struggle with in life: rest or being still. We are busy people trying to accomplish! Time is short and we need to achieve! We must prove ourselves! Why rest? The prevailing thought is that when we rest, we’re passive and not productive. But is that true? Just as the musical rest is a powerful dynamic to build up tension for the music ahead, so also, being still and practicing rest in life is a way to look forward to God’s work in our life. God is going to do something—but it sometimes takes rest to be prepared to fully see it!

David shares, “Be still and know that I am God,” in Psalm 46:10. David repeats the thought with

a twist in Psalm 37:7, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” David understood the

value of waiting on the Lord. David would go on to pen, “Wait for Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord,” (Psalm 27:14). In another passage, David writes, “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord,” (Psalm 130:5-6).

Have you considered the quiet benefits of waiting on the Lord?

  • Position. We better understand that we are not in control of our lives—God is.
  • Character. It takes time to develop important character traits—traits like humility, endurance, and self-control.
  • Trust. We learn that we don’t have to make things happen—God has the plan.

I am always amazed by how God provides. Each week provides a ministry challenge. My natural reaction to these challenges is to solve them quickly. But I’ve learned the best thing to do is to wait and offer the concern in prayer to God. In every challenge God has provided an excellent answer. And that answer is typically not one that I ever would have thought of. I’m slowly learning the value of waiting.

How is the spiritual practice of waiting apparent in your life? I’d enjoy hearing from you!

In thanks,

Pastor

Peace by the Numbers

Plan for Worship

May 5 – 10:00am Worship Service with Communion – Sixth Sunday of Easter

May 12 – 10:00am Worship Service – Seventh Sunday of Easter

May 19 – 10:00am Worship Service with Communion – Pentecost

May 26 – 10:00am Worship Service – Holy Trinity Sunday

Recognizing Our Graduates

Peace is honoring its graduates this year on Sunday, May 19. Five students are graduating from high school: Sarah Grassel, Laurel Muhly, Caleb Santora, Clara Stanley, Keihin Stokes. What amazing gifts these youth have been for the family of Peace and what amazing gifts they will be wherever they go! Consider sharing a card, gift, and word of encouragement for each of our graduates. Consider staying after church on Sunday, May 19 for a special fellowship to wish them well.

Ladies Guild Update

MAKERS WANTED

Driven by a spirit of ingenuity since 1950, Peace’s Ladies Guild are MAKERS and COMMUNITY CARE GIVERS and so are YOU.  Throw yourself into the mix and let’s make WOW happen!  We are looking for at least 3 MAKERS to take over running our annual bazaar.   There are lots of helping hands here to guide you.  The activities to set up the bazaar begin in September and end after the bazaar in November.  This year’s bazaar is scheduled for Saturday, November 2, 9-3pm.  If you need more information and guidance, please contact Peggy Krueger, President, or last years’ chair people:  Janette Payne, Colleen Schulze and Sally Stouder.  They have pictures and step by step guidelines necessary for a successful bazaar.  Remember all monies are used for community, church, and national projects.  We promote activities of all ages and encourage our youth to be involved in the church’s events, for example, Camp Lutherwood Scholarships, and registration for the National Teen Convention.

Guild will be inactive June through August, but we will always be available to support weddings, memorials, and activities here at Peace.  We are just a phone call away if you need help.

We hope that you will consider joining our monthly meetings on the first Thursday of each month at 10:00 am

in the church’s Fellowship Hall.  You are cordially invited!  

                                                 Peggy Krueger, Guild President

Men’s Breakfast

To all Peace men – a message from Zion Men – Please order off the menu – Time again for Men’s breakfast with Peace Philomath and other LCMS folks.  We will again meet at BENCHWARMERS BAR AND GRILL located at 1895 NW 9th Street in Corvallis  (Plaza 9 Shopping Center between Grocery Outlet and South of Bi-Mart). We will meet in the glass enclosed area just off the bar area.  BREAKFAST STARTS AT 8:30. Bring a friend. Pastor Brandt Interim Pastor at Newport and a Zion member will be the speaker. See you Saturday!

ALSO – Peace will be sponsoring the June 1st Men’s Breakfast. This will be the last one till the end of the summer beginning in “October?”  Looking for someone to head up the June Men’s Breakfast. 

Church Cleanup Day Thank You

A big THANK YOU to everyone who helped make the church cleanup day a huge success. The inside of the church and the grounds look beautiful. With that in mind, it takes some effort year around to keep the grounds looking beautiful. If you would like to help in maintaining the grass and beds around the church, please talk to Jan Lane or Colleen Schulze. We could use your help.

Caleb Santora’s Graduation Party

Red Cross Blood Drive

Thank you to everyone who participated in or helped with the Red Cross Blood Drive last month. 49 donors showed up and we were able to collect 44 units of blood. These donations have a direct impact on saving lives. Whether it’s volunteering during the event, making goodies to snack on, or actually donating blood, all of your efforts help support the Red Cross. Thank you!

Mark Your Calendar for the Spring Picnic

The spring picnic and BBQ will be held on June 9 right after worship service. It should be lots of fun for everyone. Invite your friends and neighbors. More information will be provided in the June newsletter.

Thank You from Lindy Young

A heartfelt thank you to all my kind friends who sent words of comfort to me in beautiful cards. I shall indeed miss my Mum. She was always someone in whom I could confide and who loved all her family. She was a happy person who loved to laugh. I have a lifetime of fond memories.

Do You Have an Extra Parking Place?

Our church family is a wonderful place to help each other out. In that light, Ryan and Rachel Harrington are looking for a place to park their new travel trailer. If you have some extra space on your property and would like to help them out please let them know. They would love to rent a covered or indoor spot but would also take an uncovered spot.  They are also open to a short-term rental (1-3 months) while we keep looking for something else.  Thank you for considering helping out a brother and sister in Christ.

Freezer Meal Ministry

Did you know Peace has a Freezer Meal Ministry? About once a quarter the group gets together and cooks several dishes, separates them into small containers and freezes them to give out to people who could use a meal that just needs to be heated up to eat. Our team has been shrinking over the past several months and we could use some help cooking and preparing the meals. If you would like to help, please see Janette Payne. Our next freezer meal date is May 17th and 18th (the 17th will be the cooking and the 18th just being a package and freeze day). 

Freezer Meal Prep Dates:

  • May 17-18, 2024
  • August 22-23, 2024
  • November 14-15, 2024
  • February 13-15, 2025

Ushering Guidance

We are working to make the communion rotation proceed more smoothly. Here is the new guidance on how we should move so everyone has a chance to easily and efficiently come to the rail to partake in communion. Please see Merv Munster if you have any questions.

In section A, communicants exit the pew to the right and line up. When the usher signals, the first in line goes to the left side of the rail. The remainder of the line follows and fills in the remaining area of the rail.

When the Pastor dismisses the communicants, they return to their pews by the side aisle, entering the pew on the left side.

In section B, the communicants exit the pew to the left. The fill in at the communion rail staring on the left side.

When dismissed, they proceed down the left side aisle, all the way across the back and up the right side aisle and enter their pew from the right side.

In section C, the communicants exit the pew to the left, and then fill in the communion rail starting on the right side.

When dismissed, they go back to their pew by reversing the line; the last one to the rail leads the others back to the pews.

Intergenerational Bible Study and Art Project