From the Pastor
Dear friends,
“So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ (Romans 10:17).”
There have been several misinterpretations of the Bible. Consider the way Moses was portrayed in the Bible. Moses was often painted coming down from Mount Sinai with horns on the top of his head. How strange!? Why? It was because of a misinterpretation. The Hebrew word for “horn” closely resembles the word for “shining.” Poor Moses!
A few years back, E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J O’Brien wrote “Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes.” The book suggests that what was clear to the original audience of the Bible may or may not be clear to people living today. The book’s argument is that the world of the first century was much different than the times we are experiencing today. An image that might fit nicely in the first century may not make as much of a connection in the modern world. Richards and O’Brien point to Moses’ marriage for example. It is common for people today to think that Moses married “below him” as he married a Cushite named Zipporah. During the time of Moses, however, the Cushites were a respectable people and the Hebrews were deemed a slave race. The ironic reality is that Moses’ people in Moses’
day probably thought that he was marrying “above him.”
How do we ensure that misinterpretation doesn’t happen when we read the Bible? How do we make sure that our bias and blind spots don’t block what God is saying to us? Thinking about and saying this
old Lutheran prayer helps:
Almighty God, without Your help our labor is useless, and without Your light our search is in
vain. Invigorate our study of Your Word that, by due diligence and right discernment, we may establish ourselves and others in Your holy faith.
This humble prayer is an excellent place to start. It simply asks the Lord to lead our reading and
discussion.
To try to grasp what God is communicating in Scripture, we can also begin by asking three simple
questions. These questions are based on Lectio Divina—an ancient practice in Christianity taught to let God’s Word sink into our hearts.
1. What word or phrase is God drawing out of the Scripture for me?
2. What is the Lord saying to me through this passage/word/phrase?
3. What is God wanting you to do with this passage/word/phrase?
We’ll be applying these questions in our next adult Bible Study at Peace. We’ll be looking at The Chosen. The Chosen is a streaming television series about the life of Jesus. There will be video content and time for discussion in our sessions. If you are someone open to taking a look at the Bible and Jesus’ life in an open and honest way, this study is for you! If you are someone intimidated by the Bible and what it says, this study is for you! If you are someone wanting more than mere lecture and desiring to discover God’s message for you, this study is for you!
Our first session is on Sunday, November 5th at 9:00 am in the Fellowship Hall. All are welcome.
I look forward to this time of discovery!
In Christ,
Pastor J
Peace by the Numbers
Plan for Worship
November 5 – 8:30am – Hope for Healing Service.
10:00am – Worship Service with Communion – All Saints Sunday.
November 12 – 10:00am – Worship Service – Veterans Sunday. Mite box Sunday.
Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost.
November 19 – 10:00am – Worship Service with Communion. Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost.
November 26 – 10:00am – Worship Service. Last Sunday of the Church Year.
A Quality of a Growing Church
Gift-based Ministry (shared from Natural Church Development)
A growing church is a growing church. One quality of a growing church is that it bases its ministry on the
gifts of the people. The thought behind this is that God has already determined which Christians should best assume which ministries in the church. The role of church leadership is to help its members identify their gifts and integrate them into ministries that match their gifts. This principle sounds quite simple, but its practical application will have enormous implications for all areas of church life.
When you live according to your spiritual giftedness you are no longer working in your own strength
area, but the Holy Spirit’s work in you. Even though you are “just an ordinary person” you can accomplish, in the true sense of the word, extraordinary things.
Most Christians are either not involved in a ministry at all or they function in a ministry that does not match their gifts. Moreover, some 80 percent of all Christians cannot identify their gifts!
Would you like to discover your gifting? Would you like to find that sweet spot for serving at Peace? Consider taking the Five Fold Test. Go to www.fivefoldministry.com. This survey is based on Ephesians 4.
The survey only takes 10 minutes. Let Pastor Lucke know about your results.
All Saints’ Day: November 5
Peace will be celebrating All Saints’ Day on Sunday, November 5. It is an opportunity to remember those who have gone before us and died in Christ. Remembering these individuals allows us to strengthen our own faith and follow their path. Saints are not people to be worshiped—they are simply examples for us to follow.
If you would like a saint remembered in our worship, let us know by Thursday, November 3 so that their name is included in the bulletin. We will take a moment of silence for each of the saints on our list. Who is on the list so far? Here are the saints that are resting in His peace from this past year:
Delyla M. Christensen
Carol Day
Dona DeWees
Bob Glathar
Tom Helm
Ruth Smith
Virginia Walter
Holiday Cheer
Using community goodwill and contributions, the Holiday Cheer program offers aid to local families and individuals who need assistance and cheer during the holiday season. To qualify, recipients must be at or below 300% of the poverty level in the Philomath area. The program provides gifts to children 0 – 18 years of age. Food vouchers and hygiene baskets, decorations, and wrapping paper are provided for their families. In 2022, the program supported 68 families including 168 children. This program aims to make the holidays just a little happier for each of the lives it touches.
Peace Lutheran has been challenged to assemble five hygiene baskets. Consider purchasing the items below and bring to church. The items can be placed in the Philomath Food Bank basket by the front doors of the sanctuary. All donations will need to be in the basket by Friday, December 1.
□ 1 – sturdy laundry basket
□ 1 – liquid laundry detergent (64oz)
□ 1 – dish soap (sink not machine) (32oz)
□ 2 – hand soap (bar)
□ 1 – hair shampoo (16oz)
□ 1 – hair conditioner (16oz)
□ 1 – hand lotion
□ 1 – toothpaste
□ 1 – dental floss
□ 4 – toothbrushes
□ 2 – men’s deodorant
□ 2 – women’s deodorant
□ 1 – pack razors (dozen)
□ 1 – pack toilet paper (6 rolls)
Ladies Guild News
Guild will be meeting Thursday, November 9, at 10 am for their monthly meeting instead of November 2 due to the Bazaar. We do want to thank everyone who has contributed to the success of our Bazaar.
Coming events:
- November 12: Mite Box Sunday
- November 18: CPR/Defibrillator Training Class
We want to invite all women to attend our meetings. They usually last only 1 hour. If you need more information or a ride, contact Peggy Krueger.
Men’s Breakfast
Men’s Breakfast: The next Peace Lutheran men’s breakfast will be November 4th. Please note, we will be joining men from six other churches in our Circuit. Zion will be hosting the breakfast at Tommy’s Restaurant in Corvallis at 8:00 am. Tommy’s is located at 350 SW 4th St. in Corvallis. Breakfast is downstairs and you will order from the menu. Pastor Schaefer, from Zion, will lead a discussion. This is a great opportunity to meet other Christian friends. Do mark your calendar –
Peace Youth Christmas Program
Mark your calendars for Sunday, December 10! The Youth at Peace will be presenting this year’s Christmas Program, “On Our Way to Bethlehem.” The kids start rehearsals on November 5 during Sunday School and will be working hard to create a program that celebrates the birth of our Savior! For more information, contact Karyn Stanley or Diane Crocker.
Vina Moses Center Christmas Program
For many years, Peace has supported the annual Vina Moses Center Christmas program. This year will be no different. We will place gift tags on Sunday, November 19th, on the side windows of the front door that contain the Christmas gift wishes of children from financially challenged families in Benton County. We hope that you will take a tag or two. If you do not have an opportunity to get a tag but still would like to participate, we are asking you to consider purchasing a new toy, game, book, or puzzle for the program. The children participating in the program are between infancy and 18 years of age. For many children, the gift that they receive through this program will be the only gift they receive this Christmas.
Please bring the toy, game, book, or puzzle (unwrapped) to the worship service on Sunday, December 3rd. We will collect them in the Narthex.
If you are unable to bring the toy to the service, please contact George Abele at 541-730-0476 or [email protected] to make arrangements to pick up the toy.
