|
Saying Amen
Twice at Christmas
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Two Sides of Our Faith
Merry Christmas, one and all! But what is it about Christmas that makes us merry? On this question, Martin Luther (1483-1546) says this in his 1530 Christmas sermon:
|
%20small.jpg)
|
So keep two matters in mind at Christmas. The first double matter is that the Word truly became flesh (John 1:14) – since Jesus isn’t a phony person but an actual one, otherwise he couldn’t bear our sins (Romans 8:3). But also that he is fully divine (Colossians 2:9) – and not just some famous person who couldn’t rid us of our sins (1 Peter 1:19). And the second double matter is that Jesus is the Savior – apart from anything we say about him (1 Timothy 2:5). But he’s also my Savior when I believe in him – which is required if we are to be saved (John 3:16). So let our amens be double at Christmas! – Amen & Amen! Pastor Marshall |
X X X
|
PRESIDENT'S REPORT....
by
Matthew Kahn I hope all of you enjoyed the celebrations of Christ’s birth and the turn of the New Year. As we embrace the lengthening days and the New Year I wanted to urge everyone to attend the annual congregational meeting on Sunday, January 29, 2012 following the 10:30 service. This is everyone’s opportunity to help guide our valued parish. This year we will be conducting second votes on two constitutional amendments. Both of these deal with the church council, and both received affirmative votes at the mid-year meeting. These second votes will need super majorities to pass and thus be ratified and added to the church’s constitution. I look forward to seeing you at the meeting.
November was the best month we have had financially since this
summer. We actually received more money that we budgeted;
however we are still well below our yearly financial goals. We
received $19,116.66 in Total Budget Receipts as opposed to a
budget of $18,869. Year to date we have brought in $208,506.61
as opposed to a budget of $218,233. We are $10,000 short of
where we should be.
Let us pray that we are able to catch up as much as we can
before December 31, and then have a better year in the New Year.
This past December Ballard Iron Works installed new hand
railings on the Chancel steps and outside on the north entrance
sidewalk. This much needed work was all lovingly donated by the
estate of Alida Rottman (1922-2011). On behalf of the
congregation I wish to thank the Rottman family for their
generous gift.
One of the largest events that we hold at the church is the St.
Nicholas Faire. Through this event we have been able to raise
thousands of dollars and hundreds of pounds of food to aid the
West Seattle Food Bank and the Helpline.
This year’s gala was the largest one yet! I wanted to
thank everyone who donated items and their time to this
worthwhile project. Especially I wanted to thank Larraine King
and Elizabeth Olsen who spearheaded the event again. This event
could not have happened without their dedication and leadership.
We look forward to surpassing this year’s totals next
Advent!
Have a great and blessed New Year! Stewardship
Budget
Received Month (November) $18,869 $19,162 Year to date (Jan-Nov) $218,233 $210, 617
STEWARDSHIP Glorifying God in Our Serving The basic etymology of the word oikonomos meaning "steward," comes from two root words oikos (house) and nomos (law). As if to say that the steward is one who is the "law over the house," and all that is associated with the house. He is given authority over the household but does not own the household. So the steward cares for what is on loan.
An early and basic definition of Christian stewardship I ran
across is: "Christian stewardship is a way of life in which we
regard ourselves and all that we have as a trust from God to be
used in his service for what he has done for us in Jesus
Christ." I would say that
Christian stewardship is, therefore, the Gospel in action and a
good steward is one who responds to the good news and tries to
share it. Stewardship is
closely connected with the preaching of the Gospel and the
response to it. Christian
Stewardship is not only good management of the earth, the right
use of resources, and conservation of energy.
There are many
non-believers doing an excellent job at this.
The Christian response
comes from God and attempts not just to make the world look
nice, but to glorify God in all our serving.
- Church Council |
|
ST. NICHOLAS
FAIR
“THANK YOU!” |
 |
The lights are still
aglow, and the garland is still framing the windows and doors of
the parish hall, but the joy and buoyant spirit that filled the
room on Sunday, December 4th, that truly made the St. Nicholas
Faire magical, are a distant but vivid memory.
And because of everyone who came and participated by
helping, enjoying themselves, and buying selected items, the
third St. Nicholas Faire was a smashing success!!!
We have netted almost $5,500 to donate to the West
Seattle Food Bank and the West Seattle Helpline.
WOW. That is
the best yet! Plus
we collected over 200 pounds of food to donate to the food bank.
|
|
Then there were the simply scrumptious appetizers that Matthew
and Dana Kahn prepared and served.
What a sumptuous feast!
Add to that, the spiced cider and mulled wine, and
everyone was definitely in party mode.
An extra special thank you is given to everyone who helped in the kitchen and at the
event, and at the close to put the room back in order – Barbara
Schorn, Lynn Hopson, Teri Korsmo, Kathrine Young, Jane Harty,
Liz Olsen, Rollie Storbakken, Bridget Sagmoen, Sonja Clemente,
Matthew Kahn, Dana Kahn, Gina Allen, David Juhl, Peter Douglass,
Taylor Smith, Dale Korsmo, Ron Marshall, Janice Lundbeck, Andrew
King, Steven Liang, and David King.
You all were amazing and extremely efficient.
Thank you also to everyone who donated items for the
baskets, wine for the wine toss, and cider and wine for the
beverages. And a
special thanks to Rich Marshall and Maryhill Winery for their
most generous donations of the wine tasting and wine.
-Larraine King, Church Council |
|
A Special Thank you to
Larraine King and Elizabeth Olsen for all they did to make the
St. Nicholas Faire a great success! Thank you! |
|
January Book
With the Mind:
3-5
pm in the Church Lounge, Saturday, January 28th The book for January is Jesus Land: A Memoir (2005) by Julia Scheeres, a journalist who writes for The New York Times and other prominent publications. This is a book about growing up in an abusive, strict Christian home. It covers racism and seclusion as well. The first half of the book is about growing up in a biracial family in Indiana. Then, after getting in trouble with the law, Julia and her black adopted brother, David, end up in a Christian reform school in the Dominican Republic – where the teachers believed in beating the devil out of naughty kids. Throughout the misery of it all, Julia struggles with her faith – wondering why God hasn’t intervene to protect and guard her and her friends at this correctional institution (pp. 274, 281). At the end of the book, when she is free to leave the reformatory and live on her own, she reports that she no longer is a Christian and that one of the key things she learned from being abused was “not to turn the other cheek, but to master and subvert the rules of the game” (p. 354). A copy of this important critique of Christian abuse is in the church library. If you would like to purchase one for yourself, contact Pastor Marshall. Feel free to attend our meeting when we discuss how Christianity can go awry – and then how to turn it upright again.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: GOLDEN FELLOWSHIP luncheon in January is planned for Tuesday, January 24th. Sign up on the sheet that is posted in the lounge. SCRAPPERS will meet on Wednesday and Thursday, January 25th & 26th this month. FOOD BANK COLLECTION suggested donation for January is pasta, noodles and sauces. PASTOR MARSHALL’s next Koran Class starts on Thursday, January 5th.
Call the office if you plan to attend.
He has been teaching this 4 week class 4 times a year
since 2003. ANNUAL REPORT for 2011: Staff, officer and committee reports are now due. If you have not already submitted your report please get it in to the office as soon as possible. If you need inspiration, dust off your report from last year, or pick up a copy from the office. ANNUAL MEETING: The 2012 Annual Meeting is planned for Sunday, January 29th. Following the liturgy on that day, voters registration will be set up at the back of the parish hall. Please bring your favorite dish, salad or dessert to share. Beverages will be provided. OFFERING ENVELOPES for 2012 are now available on the office window counter. 2012 FLOWER CHART is available for sign up.
Sign up early for the best selection! SUNDAY ADULT EDUCATION: Going for the Jugular: Luther on Genesis 22 – In this four week class we study excerpts from Luther’s 100 page commentary on Abraham’s near sacrifice of Isaac in Genesis 22. This class is the fourth in our series on studies in the Reformation leading up to its 500th anniversary in 2017. PASTOR MARSHALL's sermon, "Welcome St. Stephen at Christmas," preached last year on December 26, has been published online in Logia (Blogia) -- posted December 20, 2011. This is Pastor Marshall's seventh published sermon.
|
|
The King James Version of the
Bible:
Its 400th Anniversary, 1611-2011
By Pastor Marshall
I am including this postscript to my column from
last year on the anniversary of the KJV because of an article
that appeared last month in the
National Geographic on
the KJV. Because it appeared too late to be included in my
December 2011 column, I want to comment it on it now. That
article begins with the story of a
|
 |
“Here is the miracle of the King James Bible in action.
Words from a doubly alien culture, not an original text but a
translation of ancient Greek and Hebrew manuscripts, made
centuries ago and thousands of mile away, arrive in a dusty
corner of the New World and sound as they were meant to –
majestic but intimate, the voice of the universe somehow heard
in the innermost part of the ear. You don’t have to be a
Christian to hear the power of those words – simple in
vocabulary, cosmic in scale, stately in their rhythms, deeply
emotional in their impact” (p. 43).
Singing the
praises of the KJV, the author, Adam Nicholson, also goes on to
note what is amiss about this classic: “But there is a dark side to this Bible’s all-conquering story. Throughout its history it has been used and manipulated, good and bad alike selecting passages for their different ends. Much of its text is about freedom, grace, and redemption, but those parts are matched by an equally fierce insistence on vengeance and control. As the Bible of empire, it was also the Bible of slavery, and as such it continues to occupy an intricately ambivalent place in the post colonial world” (p. 54). |
|
So Nicholson
ends by echoing (albeit imperfectly) 1 Corinthians 1:18 and 2
Corinthians 2:16:
“The King James [Bible’s]….
origins were ambivalent – for Puritan and bishop, the great and
the needy, for clarity and magnificence, to bring the word of
God to the people but also to buttress the powers that be – and
that ambivalence is its true legacy” (p. 61). |
|
A Forgotten But Powerful Voice:
Dr. Kent S. Knutson, 1924-1973
By Pastor Marshall Dr. Knutson was the presiding bishop of the ALC from 1971-1973. I continue this winter to select passages from his most famous book, The Shape of the Question: The Mission of the Church in a Secular Age (1972) for our mutual, considered analysis. Here is what he says in part about the church – which was the topic of his doctoral dissertation:
|
|
Enjoy the convenience of
electronic giving!
Thank you to those members that have
signed up for giving electronically.
If you have thought about it but
are still uncertain, I can answer any questions.
Just call or email me.
The process is completely safe – it
is the same as having your mortgage payment or insurance payment
automatically deducted from your checking account.
I handle all the paperwork locally
so your authorization form never leaves my possession.
If at any time you want to change
or cancel the automatic transactions, let me know and I will
immediately process the change.
Giving can also be done through our web page now!
Look for the blue button at the
bottom of the first page that says “Donate”.
(Teri Korsmo, Financial
Secretary, 206-932-7914, TLHK@comcast.net) |
|
X
PARISH PRAYERS
X
Remember in prayer before
God those whom He has made your
brothers and sisters
through baptism.
Dorothy Ryder, Richard Hard, Agnes Arkle, Alan Morrison, Clara Anderson,
Pete Morrison, Mary Goplerud, Teri Korsmo, Bob Baker, Peggy
Wright, Bob & Barbara Schorn, Margaret Hard, Craig Purfeerst,
Rolf Sponheim, Dorothy Randall-Wood,
Mary Uhler, Robin Lantzy,
Mona Elliot, Bob Smith, Jacob & Samuel Strehl, Jennie Jaramillo,
Ken Sund, Jeanne Hedington, David & Kay Thoreson, Gail Van
Zandt, Cameron Lim, Rosita Moe, Ion Ceaicovschi, Angelina
Patrick, Frank Reynolds.
Pray for the shut-ins that the light of Christ may give them
joy: Clara Anderson,
Agnes Arkle, C. J. Christian, Vera Gunnarson, Pat Hansen,
Margaret Hard, Lillian Schneider, Crystal Tudor, Vivian Wheeler.
Pray for those who have suffered the death of a loved one:
Pray that God will bear their grief and lift their
hearts: Pray for
Carmen Malmanger on the death of her daughter in law, Theresa,
wife of John Malmanger.
Pray for our bishops Mark Hanson and Chris Boerger, our pastor
Ronald Marshall, our deacon Dean Hard and our cantor Andrew
King, that they may be strengthened in faith, love and the holy
office to which they have been called.
Pray that God would give us hearts which find joy in service and
in celebration of Stewardship.
Pray that God would work within you to become a good
steward of your time, your talents and finances.
Pray to strengthen the Stewardship of our congregation in
these same ways.
Pray for the hungry, ignored, abused, and homeless this New
Year. Pray for our sister congregation: El Camino de Emmaus in the Skagit Valley that God may bless and strengthen their ministry. Also, pray for our parish and it's ministry. Pray that God will bless you through the lives of the saints: Saint Peter; Saint Paul; and Martin Luther King, Jr., martyr, 1968. |
|
A Treasury of
Prayers
O Lord, I know that you are the end for which I was created, and that I can expect no happiness but in you. I know that you have provided me with all necessary helps for carrying me through this life to eternal glory, and this out of the excess of your pure mercy to me. Let this knowledge, O God, rule my heart without a rival; let it dispose all my thoughts, words, and works. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
[For All the Saints (ALPB, 1994-1996) 4 vols., I:44, altered] |
|
Many Thanks Thank you to those who were able to help with our Compass Center collections. This past October/November 22 pairs of socks were donated, and in December 14 McDonald’s and 6 Safeway gift cards were given for Christmas. All of these donations were taken to Compass Housing Alliance in downtown Seattle.
Thank You to the Christmas
Decoration Party
Chester Allen, Lily Allen, Sam Allen, Tim Allen, Cristian Clemente, Sonja Clemente, Jane Collins, Kyra D’Michael, Dean Hard, Jane Harty, David Juhl, Andy King, David King, Larraine King, Steven Liang, Gregg Lyon, Pastor Marshall, Stephen McCord, Elizabeth Olsen, Justin Olsen, Marlis Ormiston, Barbara Schorn, Scott Schorn, Valerie Schorn, Taylor Smith, Hali Stromberg, Howard Storhoff, Kathrine Young.
Christmas Presents 2011 Thanks to those who made contributions to the Agape Fund! We were able to buy Christmas presents for two families (12 people). These families were assigned to us by the West Seattle Helpline
Thanks! |