The Prints of Peace
June 2017
A periodical newspaper for and by the people
of Peace Lutheran Congregation,
Vernon, BC.
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A Message from
Pastor David
Winds of the Spirit
Okanagan weather is not like prairie weather. For one thing, there is less wind in the
shelter of the valley than on the open prairie where the breezes come down from the
mountains and keep going till they penetrate the Ontario forests – or so it seems. A calm
day on the prairie is a novelty. But here in Vernon there is a stillness that so often settles in
for a quiet and relaxing outdoor experience. Except lately, winds have whipped the
dangerously high waters to splash over the sandbag dikes and collect on the lawns of
anxious home-owners, breaking our stillness.
We approach extreme weather events with dread and fear, referring to them as ‘Acts of
God,’ meaning something far beyond our control. But maybe that phrase is more loaded
than we think. The wonderful Pentecost hymn ELW 400 gives new significance to the wild
phenomenon which we would prefer to avoid. Never-the-less, these events serve as a
strong metaphor for the transformational change God seeks in and through us.
God of tempest, God of whirlwind,
as on Pentecost descend!
Drive us out from sheltered comfort;
past these walls your people send!
Sweep us into costly service,
there with Christ to bear the cross,
there with Christ to bear the cross!
God of blazing, God of burning,
all that blocks your purpose, purge!
Through your church, Christ's living Body,
let your flaming Spirit surge!
Where deceit conceals injustice,
kindle us to speak your truth,
kindle us to speak your truth!
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God of earthquake, God of thunder,
shake us loose from lethargy!
Break the chains of sin asunder,
for earth's healing set us free!
Crumble walls that still divide us;
make us one in Christ our Lord,
make us one in Christ our Lord!
God of passion, God unsleeping,
stir in us love's restlessness!
Where the people cry in anguish,
may we share your heart's distress.
Rouse us from content with evil;
claim us for your kingdom's work,
claim us for your kingdom's work!
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle Jr., b. 1923
Text © 2000 GIA Publications, Inc., 7404 S. Mason Ave., Chicago, IL 60638.
www.giamusic.com. 800.442.3358. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Whether we experience the Spirit’s presence as the gentle breath of Jesus as blown on his
disciples in John’s gospel with a promise of peace or we imagine the violent rush of wind
and fire from the Acts 2 Pentecost account as a confusing mash of languages erupted,
God’s spirit comes to bring change. “Both are accurate descriptions of God the Spirit: a
mighty, all-encompassing force that leads to understanding and a breath of peace that
offers forgiveness. The coming of the Spirit is also a fulfillment of God’s promise of
everlasting love and devotion to us—God’s vow that we will not be abandoned.” From
sundaysandseasons.com.
May the wind of God’s Holy Spirit blow through all of us and enliven us to be a church
moved by the mission of God’s love in this place.
Peace, Pastor David
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“PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH
CHOIR CORNER”
Thanks to all singers for your dedication and hard work this year! What a joy it is to make
music together.
Choir rehearsals will resume in September. Please consider sharing your musical gifts with
us — we will welcome you! If anyone is interested in singing the Kyrie, or solos, or in small
group ensembles, please contact me.
I wish you a summer season full of many blessings: rest and renewal, sun and fun, friends
and family.
Shalom!
Margaret Hundeby Hunter
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Peace Lutheran Council
Meeting Highlights
May 18th2017
Present: Pr David, Russ Crawford, Peter Nisse, Bob Lenz, George Wood, Heather Skerritt,
Ralph Litzenberger, Ron Birch, Janice Mezynski. Absent: Irma Lipski, Susan Lloyd
Peter Nisse led in devotions: God Pushes You to a Deeper Faith.
Continuing Business:
a) CLWR Banquet went well
b) 80th Anniversary Committee: Polly Reich and Rita Makasoff will meet with
committee members- Ralph L, Heather S and Pr David- to discuss anniversary
plans.
Treasurer’s Report:
Motion 2017-36: MSC that Treasurer’s Report be adopted as presented.
It was noted that $2500.00 has been received for the Roofing Fund to this date. A poster
fashioned by Heather S has been posted in the wing. This will keep the congregation up to
date on the fund balance.
Committee Reports:
a) Property Management- as presented. Price for eaves troughs on northern part of
church building- quote is $966.00.
Pastor’s Report: as presented.
New Business
a) Memorial Board update: Worship Committee will look into updating board which
commemorates dates of pastors’ service at Peace Lutheran.
b) Memorial board acknowledging donations in memory of departed members will
be updated.
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c) Pictorial directory: Pr David will approach Janice Birch regarding updates on
photos of congregation members. A new pictorial book with photos and member
information may also be in the works.
d) Discussion was held on possibility of Hospitality Committee being reinstated, and
this committee could help with food prep and serving for special events such as
funerals, etc.
Next Meeting: June 15, 2017 at 7 pm sharp
Devotions: Ralph Litzenberger
A Message
From the Peace Community
AN EXCITING FUTURE ???
We often reminisce about the past. Remember when……. Often, in these remembrances,
things were better, simpler and more rewarding. It’s a good time to remember with our
Country approaching 150 years old. My past remembrances are not all that comforting. I
recently found a letter from my Grandmother, written while in hospital to her son, managing
the farm only 40 miles away. It’s 1956 and she is in the Grey Nuns Hospital in Regina for
exploratory cancer surgery. She will have to sell her Victory Bonds to pay for the surgery.
It was not successful.
We had quite a bit of family tragedy and difficult times intermixed with a rich
intergenerational family life and wonderful school years. Then things seemed to get better
and better.
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We often decry the state of the world. Wars, genocide, hate and fear, terrorism, extremism,
homelessness, poverty and injustice fill our TV screens and newspapers. However, at the
end of 2016, Canadian Astronaut Commander Chris Hatfield posted 46 good things about
the year past. Some of our collective accomplishments: Sri Lanka eliminated malaria, the
world’s deadliest disease from its borders; Spaceship Juno flew over 588 million miles to
send back pictures of Jupiter; World hunger has reached its lowest point in 25 years and
poverty levels continued to drop; air travel was safer than any year on record; India’s
reforestation program saw a record 50 million trees planted in a single day; the ozone layer
has recovered; Ebola vaccine was developed (by Canadians) with 100% efficacy; the
designation of more than 40 marine sanctuaries in 20 countries; atmospheric pollution is
almost back to pre-industrial levels; mortality rates from colon cancer dropped by 50%;
fossil fuel emissions flat lined in 2016; funding for refugees doubled and all Charitable
donations increased; the teenage birth rate in the US has never been lower and the
education rate has never been higher; and finally….the Chicago Cubs won the World
Series for the first time in 108 years – there is hope for the Leafs. In 2016 my
Grandmother’s cancer surgery may have been successful and certainly would not have
forced her to liquidate her savings.
We now get our music from Spotify and our TV from Netflix. Most of our data and
information arrives without paper or wires. Our information is stored in “the Cloud”. We can
keep in touch with family via email, smartphone messages, Facebook, Instagram and
Whatsapp.
But what of the future? Our U of M Alumni Magazine arrived the other day. The cover
features a picture of a newborn with the caption “What will her world be?” Perhaps we can
look ahead 5 or 10 years. Certainly energy production and consumption will have changed;
robots will be common place; medicine will be revolutionized with our most feared diseases
tamed and new ones to conquer; artificial Intelligence will see computers controlling much
of the mundane (and hopefully only the mundane); we will have self driving cars; and food
production will become much more efficient. Some fearless forecasters predict the most
dramatic change will be in our brains and the way we think and process and interact.
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But what about 20 or 50 years. What will the future for this baby look like when she is our
age? What will her life expectancy be? What will her world look like? Good superbugs
protecting our health through bacterial transplants; nanorobots that scour arterial plaque to
prevent heart attacks; bioprinters to reproduce tissue and organs; solar shingles that
provide the power for our homes; drone delivery of goods and groceries; dramatically
changed cities; integration and analysis of thousands of data points; brain-machine
interfaces; alternative meat. All of the innovations mentioned above are on the drawing
board right now.
We can look back 500 years to the Reformation. If you are still with me try to go forward
500 or 1000 years. Each week we hear stories in verse and sermon from 2000+ years ago
and try to relate the events of those times and places to our current lives. Sometimes it’s a
stretch. So imagine going forward another 500 or even 1000 years and trying to relate the
same stories.
In our “Living the Questions” Study – week 20 started with the suggestion “Creativity and
innovations are valued and sought after qualities in virtually every human endeavor –
except religion. In many faith traditions, it is tradition itself that is worshipped, held up as
the whole purpose of the religious enterprise”. And in week 21, Pastor Ron Buford said
(and I am paraphrasing) “Science and Religion parted company in the 15th century. We
now have 21st century weapons with 15th century peacekeeping”.
Can you imagine our Church 50 years from now – 100 years – 500 years? To further quote
from week 21, “Whatever comes next for Christianity, it will be to teach people HOW to
believe and live and not simply to dwell on WHAT to believe”. Somehow we have to
collectively apply the same innovation and creative energy to the practice of our faith that
we do to the other aspects of our life. Without it, it is impossible to imagine a Church or
even a faith system 50 or 100 or 500 years hence.
Bob Wettlaufer
May 27, 2017
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CLWR News
May-29, 2017
7 agencies working together to fight famine
Donations through Canadian Lutheran World Relief to Stop Famine Together will be
matched dollar for dollar by the Canadian Government from now until June 30 2017. You
may make a donation online or through your offering at church.
http://clwr.donorshops.com/product/9E06FCE/stopfaminetogether.php
The Humanitarian Coalition and its seven member agencies welcome the Government of
Canada announcement that for every eligible donation made by individual Canadians to
registered Canadian charities between March 17 and June 30, 2017, it will contribute an
equivalent amount to the Famine Relief Fund.
More than 20 million children, women and families
in South Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, Nigeria, Ethiopia
and Uganda are suffering and in need of urgent
humanitarian aid and the Humanitarian Coalition’s
member agencies are on the ground providing lifesaving assistance.
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The Humanitarian Coalition is urgently calling on Canadians to donate to its joint
fundraising campaign: “Stop Famine Together. Over the next month, the Canadian
Government matches donations dollar for dollar into its Famine Relief Fund, meaning that
donations will go twice as far to fight famine and save lives.
The characteristic resilience of the communities who live through regular cycles of drought,
or survive despite harsh conflict conditions, has been pushed to its breaking point. Without
help, they will not survive. Together, we can save more lives.
QUOTES
Martha Nyandit, a 42-year-old mother of six from South Sudan
“Sometimes I feel so weak, I worry I will not have enough milk for the baby. Sometimes I’m
so weak I feel like I’m going to collapse; I can’t see when I stand up.”
Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie
“Over 20 million men, women and children are at risk of starvation if we do not act now.
Canadians have always demonstrated great compassion when it comes to humanitarian
crises. I encourage all Canadians to donate to the registered Canadian charities of their
choice. Together, we can make a difference and bring relief to people who need urgent
help.”
Richard Morgan, Executive Director of the Humanitarian Coalition
“We are already seeing the devastating effects this crisis. There has been scattered media
coverage showing the toll conflict and drought has taken on millions of people. We urge the
Canadian media to raise awareness of this dire situation and help us encourage Canadians
to take advantage of this matching fund and donate to our joint appeal. Together, we can
save more lives.”
Canadians can make a donation and find more information at www.together.ca
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About the Humanitarian Coalition
The Humanitarian Coalition is Canada’s only joint appeal mechanism for international
disasters and emergencies. It is made up of seven leading humanitarian agencies:
Canadian Lutheran World Relief, CARE Canada, Islamic Relief Canada, Oxfam Canada,
Oxfam-Québec, Plan International Canada, and Save the Children Canada. The members
of the Humanitarian Coalition work together to reduce unnecessary competition, better
educate the public on humanitarian needs, increase the impact of Canadian humanitarian
responses and reduce administrative costs. Collectively, they are present in 150 countries.
Upcoming at Peace
 HERON GROVE SERVICE – Sunday, June 4th @ 2:30 PM
 SUNSHINE SENIORS –Wind up BBQ: Friday, June 9th @ noon.
 COUNCIL – Thursday, June 15th @ 7:00 PM
 JULY/AUGUST NEWSLETTER DEADLINE – Friday, June 23rd
 SOUP KITCHEN – Saturday, June 24th
 POTLUCK – after worship on Sunday, June 25th
 ELW MEETING – Tuesday, June 27th @ 1:00PM
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Peace Lutheran Prayer Chain
…………………………………………
Is sponsored by our ELW, it is made up of individuals who have made a
commitment to pray for others in need. Those with a particular concern for
themselves or others are invited to contact Rita Makasoff and explain the
circumstances for which prayers are requested.
Office Hours:
Tuesday 8:30-12:30
Thursday 8:00-12:00
Friday 10:00-12:00
Contact Me:
Pam McCreight
Telephone 250-545-5787
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