A Word from Pastor

Dear friends,

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12).”

I have a friend who suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). It is about this time of year that he begins to feel pretty down, pretty sad and unmotivated. He even begins to isolate himself from those that he loves most. He apparently is not alone—not by a long shot. It is now believed that 5 percent of the adult population suffers from SAD—a depressive like feeling that can last as long as 40 percent of the year. There is something that helps, however. My friend has greatly benefited from light therapy. Early in the morning he places himself in front of a light box soaking up all the light he can. He doesn’t know the science behind it completely, he just says, “It works and gets me through.”

“It works and gets me through!” We can say the same thing about Advent. Advent begins Sunday, November 29 and ends on Christmas Eve, December 24. It covers the darkest days of the year. And for many people it is truly a blue time. The United States presidential election is happening—half of the country will be elated, the other half might not be so happy. The holidays are going to be different this year. The holidays may be a reminder of times in the past that were so much sweeter. Advent is like our light box in dark days. We sit down and take in the light coming into our lives—the gift of Jesus. His light brings hope. His light brings peace. His light brings love. His light brings joy. No darkness can overcome it!

The best advice I have for the season ahead is to simply absorb the light of Jesus. How can we do this?

Use the Adoring Animals Advent Calendar. Peace will be delivering another packet this month. It will include an Advent Calendar—25 windows to open. Each window reveals miniature artwork and a Scripture reference. Let each day be a window of light coming into your day.

Tune into our Wednesday, Advent online services. We will be offering special services on the Wednesdays of December 2, 9, 16. Each service brings the light of Christ that breaks into our darkness.

There is something else we all can do. We can reflect the light of Jesus. What are we reflecting these days? Unfortunately, it often is not Jesus. We reflect what we are absorbing: news, social media, video games. There is something better. How can we do this?

Consider contributing to Holiday Cheer. The Holiday Cheer program (through Philomath Community Services) provides hygiene baskets to children (0-18) in families of need. See the letter in this newsletter for more information.

Consider purchasing a Christmas gift(s) for the Vina Moses Tree. Be looking for more information to come in November.

Consider another person who is experiencing blue times. Write them a note. Make a phone call. Reflect Jesus to them.

Advent is about both absorbing and reflecting the light of Jesus. If we aren’t absorbing—we aren’t reflecting. And if we aren’t reflecting—we really weren’t absorbing in the first place. They go hand in hand.

I pray that Jesus shines brightly through you to others this Advent season!

In His Light,

Pastor J  

Peace by the Numbers

Jan Lane mailed reports (beginning of October) to all individuals who have donated to Peace January to September 30, 2020.  If anyone has questions or if there is an error, please ask them to contact me at 541-453-5263,  or at [email protected].  The final report for 2020 will be distributed to individuals before January 31, 2021. 

Blood Drive Update

Just wanted to send a big thank you to you for an outstanding blood drive on Friday, the team collected 46 units of blood on a goal of 41 which is wonderful news. Every unit of blood has the capacity to save three lives so because of your hard work and dedication we have the potential to impact 138 lives, and for this I thank you.

Our next scheduled event is 11/23 with donor hours of 1-6pm.

Drive in Communion Service

Holy Communion was once much more predictable than it is now.  Since September we have attempted to make communion a little more predictable for you by providing a drive-in option; which we will be continuing through the end of the year.

But hold onto your hats…we are adding another Communion Sunday!!

The good news to share is that Peace will be offering Holy Communion a little more predictably and more routinely beginning this month. Holy Communion will be shared on the first Sunday of each month by means of a Drive-in Communion service using the FM Transmitter to carry the service to your car radio. We will then share communion again on the third Sunday of the month in the Sanctuary.  Both Communion services will utilize the prepackaged communion cup with wafer and grape juice.  Please let us know if you are gluten free and we will be sure and provide you with a gluten free option.

Hopefully, this news brings more predictability and a sense of moving forward!

What about RSVP’s

We have been using the RSVP system since June to try and assist with maintaining safety within out church building.  We have noticed that many are doing a wonderful job checking in and making sure to follow the guidelines our Hygiene Team has asked us to follow.  Great job to you all!

We want you to know that moving forward, if you happen to forget about RSVPing, to please come to service anyway!  We will find a seat for you.  There has been plenty space in the sanctuary so please join us whether you have called ahead or not!

Preparedness

Through all of the uncertainty and challenges that the pandemic and wildfires of 2020 have presented us with; has it started you thinking about how prepared you are for an emergency? Do you have your plan set for the event of an evacuation?  I know that I didn’t, when the smoke blackened the sky over my house I thought for sure we were going to have to scramble and just hope we didn’t forget anything. 

This last couple weeks have really got me thinking about my plan and what resources might be out there so that I don’t have to “reinvent the wheel.”  After all there is excellent information right at our fingertips.  One of the best is Church Mutual Insurance (churchmutual.com).  They have a section about weather preparedness that includes all kinds of tools and information. Just go to the above website, click on Risk Control, then Safety Resources, from there you will see an option for More Resources that will produce a drop down menu where you can access Severe Weather Preparedness.  Just have fun reading through the information and seeing what you can apply to your own plan.   

Up for Grabs

Are you looking for some greenery to keep your home looking spring-like this winter?  Then look no further!  Colleen Schulze has these beautiful hanging ferns available…FOR FREE to a good home. The Colleen said that these are indoor ferns and they just do not have the space for them indoors for the winter…so please reach out to Colleen if you would like to have these gorgeous ferns for your home!

Heart Felt Thanks

Dan and I (Nancy Chapel) would like to thank the Peace congregation that prayed for our dear friend Sandy Jurkowski as she battled cancer.  Sandy died three weeks ago after the disease spread to her liver.   Both her son and grandfather were Lutheran pastors.   Her faith never wavered through some extremely difficult years.  Our friendship spanned over four decades.  We are secure in the knowledge that she is with the Lord.

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Thank you to our Peace Family for prayers and financial help during Johnathon’s surgery and recovery.  The Doctor was able to reduce the size of the tumor and we are hopeful for a good recovery.  Johnathon and Ellen are patiently waiting for the transfer from Stanford Hospital to an acute rehab facility in Oregon.  The Doctor says it could take weeks to months to get the full use of his legs and his left hand back.  Please pray with us for a complete recovery.

From Burnout to Restorative Rest

Written by Shawna Corden

As I write this, we are looming on yet another milestone that is cancelled for us this year – Halloween.  Some of you may be grateful for an excuse for a darkened doorway, or the removal of tempting sugar-filled treats, but for others it may feel like another missed celebration.

The research shows we are tired.  Tired of the pandemic, tired of waiting for it to end, tired of Zoom and ‘virtual’ anything.  Depending on your age you may not be ok with being tired.  For gen x and boomers, along with the greatest generation – our work ethic values may not align with “acceptable” fatigue.   If you’re of a younger generation it may sound more like ‘this is unfair.’   Either way these different vocabularies are pointing to the same thing: burnout.  Burnout is defined as the result from increased demands and decreased energy levels. 

How do we cope with burnout?  There are a few prescriptive remedies that I will list here, but our greatest remedy is trust in God, and I’ll come back to that.  Some remedies:

  • Time-off          This can be literal or figurative, or even topic based.  Anyone ready to take time-

off from the electoral season? J

  • Tools                Can you improve your situation with a better chair, better lighting, or greasing that

squeaky wheel?  Do not underestimate how fixing a small toleration can improve your overall satisfaction and outlook.

  • Flexibility        Not everything has to be black and white, nor does it have to be done to the standards it

was done before the worldwide pandemic (those things we used to read about in history books.)  Allow yourself to relax about some things.  As Thomas Jefferson said “In matters of fashion, swim with the tide- but in matters of principle, stand like a rock” hold fast to values.  

  • Connect          Small meaningful doses of connection help boost our spirits.  We are wired for

 connection.  This is not small talk, but authentic exchanges to those dear to us.

  • Be Grateful     Expressing Gratitude for even the smallest things floods our brains with dopamine.  And

it fills the recipient with this feel-good chemical too.  When you name it – you claim it-

so be sure to say it aloud, not just as a silent prayer.

  • Boundaries      Boundaries are like fences.  They keep the good things in and bad things out.  We need

them around our time, space, and energy levels.  Know what feeds you and set limits on things that may drain your energy or cause anxiety.

And Finally, the greatest remedy:

  • Trust in God King David is my favorite.  Regardless of his poor deeds, he was always after God’s heart. 

In my super scientific studies- I think he is our model for this as he not only trusted in God but RESTED in God.  He allowed himself to pile his worries, enemies, concerns onto God to handle (Since He had proven himself to David before J) so he could rest.  We all need rest.  What personal practice can you implement to increase your trust in God?   Some ideas:

  • Create a God box  a small box where you write down your worries and concerns and put them in a box- TRUSTING God will handle it
    • Write a letter to God  and listen for God’s response – Prayer is talking to God, Meditation or quiet stillness is listening to God
      • Thank God    for all the blessings in your life “has thou not seen how thy desires all have been granted in what he ordaineth”  Again, gratitude boosts our energy and mood.

I hope these remedies have been helpful and if you have others you’d like to share- please do. Also, if you implement these and want to acknowledge the results from them (if you name it you claim it) I’d love to hear about them. 

John King’s Ordination

Dear Brothers and Sisters at Peace Lutheran Church,

I will be ordained to the pastoral ministry on Sunday, November 1st at 4 p.m. at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Salem, OR. For those of you who don’t know me, I attended Peace Lutheran Church from 1988 through 2005 and was a member for most of those years. For those of you who do know me, I should make it clear that I am the same guy who attended Peace Lutheran Church from 1988 through 2005 and was a member for most of those years. I say this in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way because some of you may be quite surprised that I am becoming a pastor. Well, you aren’t the only one! At age 57 I am a little surprised myself! After all, this was not the future that I envisioned for myself when I was a member of Peace. In fact, even at seminary I said that the last thing I ever wanted to be was a pastor! Times have certainly changed.

As I reflect upon my time at Peace, what strikes me most is that I still feel a personal connection to the congregation after so many years. This is so because Peace is a friendly and hospitable church that is open to new people. In this regard, the culture of Peace reminds me of the friendliness of the rural Midwest which I visit every year due to this very friendliness. It also reminds me of the friendliness of Enterprise, OR where I have accepted a call as a Lutheran pastor. For these reasons, the years spent at Peace will turn out to be quite valuable to me as a pastor. After all, Peace has provided me with a model of the church culture that I should cultivate as a pastor.

In addition to being friendly and hospitable, Peace also helped me vocationally. When I was studying for my Masters of Divinity (M.Div.) degree at Westminster Theological Seminary, I had to complete a 700 hour practical internship in a church in order to graduate. After discussing the matter with Pastor Earl Hering, he brought the issue up with the church council and had me make them a proposal. (Oscar Gutbrod and Bob Glather were council members at that time.) Because the council was also agreeable to this idea, I was able to do my internship at Peace and thereby graduate from seminary. This helped me vocationally since all my subsequent education, writing, and ministry have been furthered by obtaining this degree.

Finally, Peace helped me with my personal growth by teaching me something important about people in general. Peace taught me that people are far more emotional than intellectual, myself included. For this reason people are seldom convinced by overpowering arguments, no matter how sound or how well contrived. As the saying goes, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Thus, Peace taught me that it is far better to engage people relationally than to overpower them intellectually. This was a painful but helpful lesson that I learned from you. As a pastor with several advanced degrees, this lesson will serve me well in the years ahead. However, since I am still a work in progress, I must confess that this is a lesson that I am still learning.

Over the years, as I have thought about my ordination, I have envisioned inviting several of you to attend. I was hoping that we could share the event and celebrate together. However, because of COVID-19, I am quite restricted in the number of people whom I can invite. So, in lieu of your physical presence, please be virtually present with me over the live stream and celebrate with me in spirit. Please continue to pray for me, and for Grace Lutheran Church in Enterprise, OR.

Blessings,

John B. King, Jr.

Link to the ordination feed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtxL66UTW7U&feature=youtu.be

Zion is Looking for Assistance

Zion is looking for a few more people to add to our substitute teacher list.  We would love it if you could add this slide to your powerpoint presentation during your worship time.  If you know of anyone looking for a little side gig please pass this along.

*Note-these subs may not be needed due to COVID since we would most likely have to quarantine the whole class.  We would need subs mostly as back-up for other illnesses or if a teacher has a personal day or something. 

We require at least a bachelor’s degree but prefer if there is experience working with kids as well.  

People can field questions to our school office: [email protected]. 

Why go to Church

Submitted by Jim Holroyd

I think this is fantastic, I just love the guy’s answer, and the interpretation for the word BIBLE. Enjoy and pass it on.

If you’re spiritually alive, you’re going to love this!

If you’re spiritually dead, you won’t want to read it.

If you’re spiritually curious, there is still hope!

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.

He wrote: “I’ve gone for 30 years now, and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons, but for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them. So, I think I’m wasting my time, the preachers and priests are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all”.

This started a real controversy in the “Letters to the Editor” column.

Much to the delight of the editor, it went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: “I’ve been married for 30 years now.  In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals.  But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals.

But I do know this:  They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work.  If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today.

Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!”

When you are DOWN to nothing, God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible & receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical and our spiritual nourishment!

IF YOU CANNOT SEE GOD IN ALL, YOU CANNOT SEE GOD AT ALL! 

B. I. B L. E.   simply means:  Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth!

When you are about to forward this to others, the devil will discourage you.

So go on! Forward this to people who are DEAR to you and TRUST GOD.