Deadline for the July issue of the
Saltshaker is June 22nd.
Our mission at Redeemer
“...is to proclaim Jesus Christ, Biblical faith and
Christian values within our community.”
Our vision at Redeemer
The vision of Redeemer Church is to nurture the life of Christ in it’s members by
selecting programs and activities that proclaim His saving grace and foster growth
in our people through Christian education and service to our
community and the world.
This is accomplished through awakening Bible study, heartfelt prayer, and inspiring
worship, to help our people know the Holy Spirit’s presence in their lives through Word and
Sacrament, empowering them to share the Gospel and their passion for the Lord in
strategic and life changing ways.
Redeemer Lutheran Church
858 West Smith Road
Bellingham, WA 98226
360-384-5923
[email protected]
The Saltshaker
June 2016
Redeemer Lutheran Church
360.384.5923
PSALM OF THE MONTH
PSALM 25
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust; let me not be
put to shame; let not my enemies exult
over me.
Indeed, none who wait for you shall be
put to shame; they shall be ashamed
who are wantonly treacherous.
Him will he instruct in the way that he
should choose.
His soul shall abide in well-being, and
his offspring shall inherit the land.
The friendship of the Lord is for those
who fear him, and he makes known to
them his covenant.
My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for
he will pluck my feet out of the net.
Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me, for Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I
you are the God of my salvation; for you am lonely and afflicted.
I wait all the day long.
The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
bring me out of my distresses.
Remember your mercy, O Lord, and
Consider my affliction and my trouble,
your steadfast love, for they have been and forgive all my sins.
from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth or Consider how many are my foes, and
my transgressions; according to your
with what violent hatred they hate me.
steadfast love remember me, for the
Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
sake of your goodness, O Lord!
Let me not be put to shame, for I take
refuge in you.
Good and upright is the Lord; therefore May integrity and uprightness preserve
he instructs sinners in the way.
me, for I wait for you.
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast
troubles.
love and faithfulness, for those who
keep his covenant and his testimonies.
For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon
my guilt, for it is great.
Who is the man who fears the Lord?
In This Issue:
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Pastor’s Pen
Stewardship
June Calendar
June Anniversaries &
Birthday’s
June Worship Assistance &
Altar Care Schedule
Announcements
Psalm of the Month
“Winds of Change”
Around the Blogoshere
Dear Redeemer Family,
There are two items of note that were discussed at the Council meeting on May 5th that I wish to bring to your attention.
Summer, Awe how I love Summer!
Yesterday the day was perfect and I
just had to take the motorcycle for a
quick spin. Sometimes its hazardous
having my office desk facing the
window. As much as I disliked all the
rain, I can barely remember it now
that Summer is here and the perfect
Washington temperatures have
finally arrived.
One of the reasons I like Summer is
because it energizes me. There is
always so much I want to accomplish
and the list can be quite daunting at
the beginning of the year. But now, it
doesn’t seem undoable at all.
So, what goals do I have you ask?
Well, many of them are the same as
every year, find ways to get better
exposure for the church, emphasize to
members the importance of inviting
guests, strengthen the ties with the
school, etc. These will always be my
goals and I hope that every year we
get a little better at each one of them.
As to the goals that may have
changed or increased, they are few but
I believe they are vital.
This year I would like to start a
campaign to put a face to the problems
we have in our society. We have
always been good (at east as long as I
have been here) at supporting
missions. It would be hard to find a
more generous church when we have a
food drive or a clothes drive of some
sort. But I believe we could do much
more beyond the walls of the church.
When I was with Cross Country
Mission Society, we worked to bring
congregations out of their church and
into the mission fields of their own
communities. It amazes me how few
LCMS churches have actually done
this. My favorite thing was to see
their reaction to the need. When we do
all our work within the walls, we can
miss the bigger picture. So, one of my
goals is to get more involved in
filling the needs of the hungry, the
homeless, the stranger, and the
prisoner by actually being there with
them. In this way we have the great
added benefit to be able to share the
Gospel with them as we fill a need.
I would also like to get the word out to
our surrounding community that we
are here to serve them also. Later, a
group of volunteers will be going
door-to-door getting to know our
neighbors. As we do, we will try to
serve any prayer requests they might
have as we ask questions about how
we can best serve them in other ways.
Each stop will receive the same packet
we give to our visitors. Our goal is not
to market the church as much as it is
to serve our surrounding community.
This next goal was actually
suggested by Pastor Mossman. I have
had the pleasure to study up on the
Mormon faith and have put together
quite of bit of information about it. It
was one of our goals at Cross Country
to reach out to the LDS community
with the true Gospel. My goal is to
share this information with as many
people as want to learn. In the near
future I will be offering an
information and Bible study on the
Latter-Day Saints. I’m not sure how
long it will take but I know it will be
interesting.
So, that’s my goals for this year. Not
a lot of goals but some very important
ones. There is much we can look at
about Redeemer and be proud of, but
there is always more that we can do. I
hope you will support me in reaching
these goals of mine and I hope they
become your goals as well. May God
guide us in the one faith and instill
in us the faith we need to do the
things He has called us to do. Have a
great Summer everyone, I certainly
intend to.
Pastor Dan
Pastor’s
Pen
One is facility security. Over the past couple of months there have been several times that I have either discovered, or it was
brought to my attention, that the building was unsecure. Windows have been discovered left open, doors left ajar or unlocked.
Fortunately, there has not been any loss or damage due to these incidents. The most exciting was a phone call at 5:00 am to Al
Reinikka from the alarm company. Before Al could get up, and respond; a second alarm came in and the Sheriff’s Department
was dispatched. Upon Al’s arrival at the church two deputies were investigating and it was discovered that a cat had entered the
building via the upstairs back hallway door which had inadvertently been left ajar. Al wished he had a camera to video the two
deputies attempting to apprehend the cat “burglar”.
I am writing to remind all who have keys, and end up being the “last to leave” to please simply double check the doors (kitchen,
fellowship area, even the preschool area) and possible windows (fellowship area, nursery) prior to leaving. Be sure to push on
the handicapped entrance to be sure the second door is in fact secured, or the main automated door can still be opened.
As a side note on this subject, please double check any possible lights being left on (primarily the bathroom lights, storage room
lights).
The second item is a request for you to consider purchasing one or more Lutheran Service Book Hymnals, Pew Edition on behalf
of the church so that we can fully stock the pew racks with the appropriate number of hymnals. I am aware that when Redeemer first began using Lutheran Service Book (LSB), people were invited to purchase one “in memory of” a loved one. While that
secured a number of hymnals, it was not sufficient to fully stock the pews.
If you are so inclined, you may purchase a copy directly from Concordia Publishing House (CPH) for $25.99 + S&H. Or, if there
are still copies available at Amazon.com for $19.95 + S&H, you can purchase there. The Amazon copies are used, and there are a
limited number available.
If you choose to purchase a hymnal, please be sure you are purchasing Lutheran Service Book, Pew Edition (published 2006).
Better yet, purchase one for yourself and bring it to church with you! It’s even a great devotional resource. There are daily prayer offices, prayers, Psalms, and the Small Catechism to assist you in your daily devotions. Your bible, the hymnal, and Portals of
Prayer make for a rich devotional experience.
Council Briefs, by Rex Watt
The Redeemer Lutheran Church Council met on Thursday, May 5, 2016 with Rex
Watt, Al Reinikka, Jason Gansler, Dee Watt, Pastor Haugen, Corinne Thorsen, Lynnata
Marttila, Val Mossman and George Leonard in attendance.
Treasurer’s Report: Corinne reported that the church finances reveal that we are at a negative $7,836.60 for the period January – April. This is an unusually large negative number so soon in the fiscal year.
Pastor’s Report: Pastor reported Shut-in visits are on schedule. We have rediscovered where Ken Dawson is, and
Pastor will be seeing him soon. The Bike Blessing went as well as could be expected. Not as large a turnout as anticipated, but was a real blessing. ACT Theatre ministry has resumed, meeting after school on Friday’s. Pastor leads four
bible studies: one after each service, one Saturday morning, and one Tuesday evening. Pastor shared two new ministry opportunities he hopes to develop.
Elder’s Report: George reported nominations for church officers is nearly complete. Elder’s discussed communion
logistics and church membership designations.
Stewardship Report: Dee reported the yard clean-up went well. There is still some work that needs to be done, but
much was accomplished on clean-up day. Dee gave George an “Opportunities to Serve” document for the Elders to
consider.
Evangelism Report: Val reported she and Jason are still working on street side banners. There are enough “visitor
packets” to last for a while. She made a list of mission opportunities the Women’s Group in involved with.
Property Report: Jason reported there have been a number of times the church building has been left unsecured.
One such incident involved a police response, which turned out to be nothing more than a cat that had entered the
building via a door accidentally left ajar. Lights have been left on as well at times. Discussion held about installing
motion sensor lights for the restroom and storage areas.
Education Report: Preschool now has secured both new teachers for next year. VBS is set for July 11-15.
Unfinished Business: Discussion was held as to possible corrective action regarding the overhead projector which is
failing. It may be possible to get it repaired. Council is exploring costs of repair and/or replacement. Vote was taken
to ask the Whatcom Health Department to inspect our church kitchen facilities for possible permits needed to go forward with a possible ministry to help feed the homeless. Discussion was held on how to secure more hymnals for
church use. Discussion was held on diverting 50% of our local mission giving to Rachel Hahn (about $50.00 per
month) for the duration of her Mission venture. Motion made and passed.
New Business: There was no new business brought forward.
Stewardship
Stewardship
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son” (John 3:16). “God shows His love for us in that while
we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays his life
down for the sheep” (John 10:11). Love means sacrifice. Sacrifice means a humbling of oneself for the good of another. And this is what the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us: Love means sacrifice.
We love our families. And we love them by sacrificing ourselves for them. We put their needs before our own. We
sacrifice our own wants and desires for their good and for their needs.
We love our country. And we love it by pledging our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor to defend her. We ask
not what our country can do for us, but what we can do for our country. We make sacrifices for our country’s good
and we do it because we love her.
We love our church. And we love our church by giving of ourselves, by sacrificing our time, talents, and treasures in
service to it. We volunteer to teach Sunday School, VBS, and other various boards. We help out cleaning and fixing
what needs to be cleaned and fixed at the church property. And we give a portion of the income God has given us, so
that the lights will go on, and the heat and air conditioning may run; so that a pastor will preach to us both law and
gospel and administer baptism and the Lord’s Supper; so that the Word will go forth into all the world through the
missionaries we call and send out.
God has called us into these three spheres of family, country, and
church. He puts the solitary into a home. No one is an island unto
himself. Everyone is put into a family, a country, and a church. In
these spheres, God cares for all our needs of body and soul. He
employs other members of these spheres to ensure that we have
everything we need for this body and life and for the next.
These callings place a claim upon us, a claim upon our presence, our prayers, our time, talents, and treasures. They
give us a duty. That duty is to love. And love means sacrifice. And sacrifice means that we humble ourselves for the
good of another.
So then, “let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among
us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have
loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we
also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:7–11). And love means sacrifice.
Poems
By Pastor
SUN
MON
TUES
WED
1
THURS
2
Bulletin
Deadline
5
6
9:30am Word &
Sacrament
1 pm BCA Wax
Museum Set up
4:00 PT practice
6:30pm Evening
Worship
12
6 pm Men’s
Bible Study
9:30am Word &
Sacrament
Potluck
4 pm PT practice
5:30 pm Potluck
6:30pm Evening
Worship
3
4
5pm Cleaning
8 am Men’s
Bible Study
9am Choir
9
10
11
Bulletin
Deadline
7pm Council Mtg
5pm Cleaning
8 am Men’s
Bible Study
9am Choir
9 pm
Make Me Know Your Ways
I lift my soul to the Holy One
I trust in Him alone
My hope’s in Him till my day has come
He’s claimed me as His own
Remember me in Your mercy, Lord
Retain me in Your love
Forgive my faults, make my sins ignored
Defend me from above
You are blameless Lord, in Your righteousness
Impart me in Your way
Lead me to what’s right in my humbleness
You are my staff and stay
In my guilt I come for your pardon whole
In my fear I show respect
My eyes look toward You, vision never stole
You free me from the net
I am followed Lord by my earthly foes
With violence and hate
Deliver me from this life of woes
Make rescue now my fate
I lift up my soul to the Holy One
I trust in Him alone
His word is truth and His will is done
Heavens now my home
Poem based off of our Psalm of the month, Psalm 25
13
14
15
6 pm Men’s
Bible Study
Bulletin
Deadline
16
17
18
5pm Cleaning
8 am Men’s
Bible Study
9am Choir
24
25
5pm Cleaning
8 am Men’s
Bible Study
9am Choir
SALTSHAKER
Deadline
20
9:30am Word &
Sacrament
4 pm PT practice
6:30pm Evening
Worship
26
SAT
8
BCA Wax Museum Display May 5—9 pm May 9
9:30am Word &
Sacrament
4:00 PT practice
6:30pm Evening
Worship
19
7
FRI
27
21
22
6 pm Men’s
Bible Study
Bulletin
Deadline
28
29
6pm Men’s
Bible Study
23
30
5TH SUNDAY POTLUCK ~ JUNE 26th
Following the morning worship!
Sign-up beginning Sunday, June 5th.
Please plan to join us
for this always great
opportunity for
fellowship and great food!
The Blind Man
By Margaret E. Sangster
I see a blind man every day
— Go bravely down the street;
He walks as if the path were clear
— Before his steady feet.
Save when he fumbles with his cane,
— I almost feel he sees
The passers-by who smile at him,
— The flowers and the trees.
He comes to corners where the crowd
— Of traffic swirls about,
But when he hesitates, some hand
— Will always help him out.
He crosses pavements fearlessly —
— It is as if he knows
That there are unknown, watchful friends
— Along the way he goes!
Sometimes we walk through unseen paths,
— Sometimes the road ahead
Is shrouded in the mists of fear;
— But we are being led
As surely as the blind man is. . . .
07/03/16
07/10/16
07/17/16
07/24/16
07/31/16
08/07/16
08/14/16
08/21/16
08/28/16
09/04/16
09/11/16
09/18/16
09/25/16
10/02/16
10/09/16
10/16/16
10/23/16
10/30/16
11/06/16
11/13/16
11/20/16
11/27/16
12/04/16
12/11/16
12/18/16
12/25/16
MORINING FELLOWSHIP
MARIANNE GIUSTI
VAL MOSSMAN
MARY OLSON
PEGGY HIND & LINDA REINIKKA
POTLUCK
LYNATTA MARTILLA
DEE WATT & HEIDI KULJIS
BARB ABBE
ALICE LEGOE & DEANNE BOWEN
MARIANNE GIUSTI
MARY OLSON
PEGGY HIND & LINDA REINIKKA
DEE WATT & HEIDI KULJIS
LYNATTA MARTILLA
VAL MOSSMAN
BARB ABBE
ALICE LEGOE & DEANNE BOWEN
MARIANNE GIUSTI
MARY OLSON
PEGGY HIND & LINDA REINIKKA
DEE WATT & HEIDI KULJIS
VAL MOSSMAN
BARB ABBE
ALICE LEGOE & DEANNE BOWEN
MARIANNE GIUSTI
MARY OLSON
EVENING FELLOWSHIP
07/03/16
POTLUCK
07/10/16
ALEX STRONG
07/17/16
CHERYL HAUGEN
07/24/16
HELEN GRANGER
07/31/16
CINDY MCKAY
08/07/16
POTLUCK
08/14/16
CLAUDIA
08/21/16
ALEX STRONG
08/28/16
CHERYL HAUGEN
09/04/16
POTLUCK
09/11/16
HELEN GRANGER
09/18/16
CINDY MCKAY
09/25/16
CLAUDIA
10/02/16
POTLUCK
10/09/16
ALEX STRONG
10/16/16
CHERYL HAUGEN
10/23/16
HELEN GRANGER
10/30/16
CINDY MCKAY
11/06/16
POTLUCK
11/13/16
CLAUDIA
11/20/16
ALEX STRONG
11/27/16
CHERYL HAUGEN
12/04/16
POTLUCK
12/11/16
HELEN GRANGER
12/18/16
CINDY MCKAY
12/25/16
CLAUDIA
A huge thank you to
all who volunteer for
the fellowship hour.
Your help is greatly
appreciated.
Also , if you are not
able to provide on the
scheduled Sunday,
please find a
replacement and
update the schedule by
the kitchen with any
changes and please
inform the office of
these changes.
QUARTERLY KITCHEN INGATHERING will take place throughout the month of June. A
complete list of kitchen supplies needed will be posted by the ingathering box in the fellowship area. Some of the items needed are paper plates (6, 8 and 10 inch sizes), plasticware (forks, knives and spoons), dish clothes and dishwashing soap. With VBS and
other summer events approaching, your loving support of these needs is truly a blessing. Thank you for your always giving hearts and helping hands.
— And, if we seem to sway,
A hand will find us in the dark
— And guide us on our way.
Vacation Bible School ~ July 11-15 ~ 9:30 am till Noon.
Grades: Preschool thru 4th grade ( they will be grouped as follows: Preschool, Kindergarten, Grades 1 & 2, Grades 3 & 4). Children should register for the class they will be in come the
fall. Preschoolers must be 4 years old and potty trained.
June Birthdays
June 4
June 6
June 9
June 10
June 15
June 22
June 27
June 28
June 28
June 28
Corinne Thorsen
Julie Gustafson
Audrey Hanson
Patrick O’Connor
Doris Wedephol
Laurie Williams
Aurora Abbe
Irene Walton
Barbara Meldahl
Rachel Hahn
June Anniversaries
June 14 Roger & Helen Granger
June 27 John & Lynnea Flarry
Note: If your birthday or wedding anniversary is
not listed on this page, please contact the
church office.
Shut Ins:
Virginia Blackmore, Phyllis Buettner, Ken Dawson
Ruby Huber, Sylvia Nightingale, Doris Wedepohl
Elder Care List: Don Mossman
Head Elder: Ross Abbe (Interim)
A-Hah: Don Mossman 354-4156
Hal-Leo: Ross Abbe 734-9088
Lun-Rie: George Leonard 815-0154
Str-Wri: Patrick O’Connor 515-707-3928
Assisting Us in Worship
We would like to wish ALL you
Altar
Care DAY!
ladies aJune
HAPPY
MOTHER’S
Irene Walton
Along with our moms nurturing
Bell Ringer
us, youJune
too have
nurtured us.
Annie Thorsen
Thank you!
Redeemer Lutheran Preschool
858 W. Smith Road
Bellingham, WA 98226
Elder of The Month
Don Mossman
June 5
Usher: Kari Marttila / Bob Burger
Reader: Lynnata Marttila
Counters: Kari Marttila
Coffee Hostess: Lynnata & Kari Marttila
Coffee Hostess Eve: Alex Strong
June 12
Usher: Louie Kuljis
Reader: Corinne Thorsen
Counters: Linda Reinikka & Ron Willard
Coffee Hostess: Alice Legoe & Val Mossman
Coffee Hostess Eve: Cheryl Haugen
The Board of Education is pleased to announce that we have hired two new
teachers. We welcome Jennifer Wiederholt as our Head Preschool Teacher and
Julie Peterson as our Assistant Preschool Teacher.
Please pray for Jennifer and Julie as they make this transition to the preschool
classroom routine.
PRESCHOOL OPEN HOUSE—Monday, June 6, 6:00-8:00 PM
June 19
Usher: Ted Olson
Reader: Rex Watt
Counters: Ted Olson & Rex Watt
Coffee Hostess: Ross & Barb Abbe
Coffee Hostess Eve: Helen Granger
June 26
Usher: Al Reinikka
Reader: Ross Abbe
Counters: Peggy Hind
Coffee Hostess: Dee Watt & Heidi Kuljis
Coffee Hostess Eve: Cindy McKay
July 3
Usher: Kari Marttila & Bob Burger
Reader: Lynnata Marttila
Counters: Kari Marttila
Coffee Hostess: Marianne Giusti
Coffee Hostess Eve: Potluck
Join us for Vacation Bible School! Grades: Preschool thru 4th grade ( they will
be grouped as follows: Preschool, Kindergarten, Grades 1 & 2, Grades 3 & 4).
Children should register for the class they will be in come the fall. Preschoolers must be 4 years old and potty trained.
Rachel’s
New Endeavor
The Bold Adventure is a 7 month long
mission trip that will place Rachel all
over the world working and helping in
schools, churches and partner organizations. You can follow Rachel on her experiences by following her blog:
http://theboldadventure.org/blog
Around the Blogosphere…
by Rex Watt
The following is a post by Pastor Larry Peters, Grace Lutheran Church, Clarksville, TN
Found at: http://pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com/2016/05/praying-psalms.html
Praying the Psalms. . .
Long before the cannon shot of the Reformation sounded forth or Luther began to form the fighting words that would challenge
popes, councils, and teaching magisteriums, Luther was busy learning Hebrew and teaching the Psalms. At the heart of the work
of the early Luther were not the instructive texts of Paul with regard to the justification of the sinner before God but the Psalms.
After receiving his doctorate in theology in 1512, Luther began his university career with lectures on the Bible based upon the
Latin text of the Psalter. Hebrew had, apparently, not been part of Luther's curriculum either undergrad or graduate so he
taught himself the biblical tongue using Johannes Reuchlin’s On the Rudiments of Hebrew. Long before Erasmus published the
first Greek New Testament, the Hebrew Bible had been in print for decades. Though Luther’s translation of the Tanakh from
Hebrew into High German would wait until 1534 to be completed, he had already published Der Psalter Deutsch, his first edition
of the complete psalter a decade before.
For Luther, the Psalms “are not words to read, but to live.” Luther's prayer life as monk and priest were rooted in the Psalms. It
was his hope and desire that every Christian would take to heart the Psalter as he had done -- memorizing them, pondering their
meaning, and praying them. “In short, if you would see the holy Christian church pictured in living color and form, as in a small
portrait, pick up the Psalter,” so said Pastor Luther. More than four centuries later, Dietrich Bonhoeffer would comment: "When
the Psalter is abandoned, a great treasure is lost to the Christian Church; with its recovery comes hidden power..."
As I have often said, the best prayerbook for most folks is probably not a breviary or other form of devotion (ancient or modern)
but the Psalter. It is the richest fabric for forming piety, teaching our hearts to pray, and learning to trust with all our heart, soul,
body, and mind the good and gracious will of God. One does not need to develop an elaborate format. The Psalter is already
well distributed throughout the Church Year in the Psalm of the Day and the Introits for each Sunday. There are abundant
patterns to help you pray the Psalms once a day or more throughout the calendar year. It is my experience that this is the best
way to begin a discipline of daily prayer -- to read the Psalm, ponder its meaning, and then pray it back to the Lord.
If you are having problems praying and know that you should be praying more, try the pattern of reading a Psalm each day, reflecting upon its words, and then praying that Psalm as your daily prayer. I think it is a most eloquent and yet practical beginning
or end of each day. If you like, sing the Psalm. Tones and settings are provided in abundance to assist you in this. All the prayer
offices of the day are in essence extended treatments of the Psalms.
In pastoral settings when facing the troubles and trials of this mortal life with one who feels the sting more deeply than usual, I
find the Psalms my ready pastoral care resource. When I was faced with a request to pray at a remembrance of someone who
took her own life, I reflected upon the rather tormented life of this woman and was drawn to Psalm 130 and to its author's own
experience with the depths of despair and loneliness and the God who gives forgiveness to the fallen, who teaches us to wait
without fear, who redeems the lost from their affliction and restores the broken. Its repeated call to wait upon the Lord is not
resignation to the evils we deplore but our awareness that God found not only on the mountain tops but in the valleys.
If you struggle to pray, start with the Psalms. You may find that this is not only a beginning but a home which will form you in
the faith as the Psalter has for many generations before you.
A report on the Spring Gathering of the
Women’s Ministry;
It is a joy to work with the women of Redeemer in ministry
to our church community as well as our Bellingham—
Ferndale community. Many ministries are seasonal so it is
different each time we gather. We meet in Spring and Fall
only with reports on what has been done and what is
needed in the coming six months. Not every women
attends the gathering but most women in the
congregation work in or at something and so we thank
them.
Some of you may know that we
have retained the practice of
using Mite Boxes to give of our
change throughout the year
toward many mission projects of
the Lutheran Women’s
Missionary League (LWML). We
learned that this little Mite Box
originated in early 1900s with the
Baptist women. They called
them their Thanksgiving boxes.
And so this box was adopted by
the LWML. These little boxes
have produced millions of dollars
in pennies and change over the
years for mission projects.
Anyone can use one, even men, and extras are by the
mailboxes.
Linda Reinikka is our new treasurer and she will be shortly
remitting $179.00 to our WA-AK Zone. Marianne Giusti
will be the contact person for quilting and prayer shawls.
Linda is also the go-to person for morning children’s
church and Alex Strong for the evening service.
If you wondered how the kitchen supplies are there,
Cheryl and Dee survey the needs and quarterly they let us
know what is needed. Thank you for your donations.
Various community projects are on-going—quilts for the
homeless or local charities, food donations to feed the hungry
through the Ferndale Food Bank (labelled tub available in hall),
gently used towels and cloths as well as laundry soap, and
personal use toiletries for the homeless to shower and do
laundry at the Sterling Drive Church, used ink cartridges that
are converted to Mite money. These articles can be placed in
the baskets by the West door. Come fall we will collect used
coats through the Interfaith Coalition. We will also resume our
ingathering of new socks and underwear for Light House
Mission.
Cards made by Joy Elsner were signed
by those present for the shut-ins.
Thank you Joy.
The Women of Redeemer were busy
this past 6 months serving food for so
many activities of fellowship—after
service refreshments, Kings Men choir,
Baptism reception for baby Max,
Christmas Carol Sing, and of course
joining with men also in providing for
Advent and Lenten soup suppers as
well as Easter Breakfast. Coming this
month will be a farewell reception and
bake sale for Rachel Hahn on her
missionary journey. Advent by
Candlelight was a successful evening and will happen again
this fall.
Women of the Altar Guild must be thanked for their service at
our many offerings of Lord’s Supper.
Opportunities to serve at the Whatcom County Pregnancy
Clinic information posted on the bulletin board and the Right
to Life booth at the fair (see Val) were presented.
After closing with prayer we celebrated Mary Olson’s first
Grandchild Sabrina with a Grandmother shower and refreshments.
Winds of Change
Exploring the challenges of cultural change
Marijuana Myths
But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning,
your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we
proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received,
or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted,
you put up with it readily enough.
2 Corinthians 11:3–4
FAVOR
Jesus wasn’t legalistic; He opposed the Pharisees. Christians live by grace, not by do’s and
don’ts.
Marijuana is in our culture to stay in one way or another. And there are a lot of different views about it—even among Christians.
One way to deal with the issue is to try to understand these views and know how to respond to them biblically.
William Bennett and Robert White, in their book, Going to Pot: Why the Rush to Legalize Marijuana is Harming America, state,
“[W]e believe most—not all, but most—advocates have come to their conclusions in favor of legalization because of an absence of
information and through a series of misunderstandings.” (NY: Center Street, 2015, 82). These include deliberate falsehoods by
interest groups, ignorance about the strength of today’s marijuana, and unwillingness to give it up.
The battle doesn’t fall on a standard left-right continuum, Some Republicans ardently favor it and some Democrats oppose it.
There are differences in beliefs about states’ rights, about personal freedom, about gaining more tax dollars, and about the expense to our justice system. “Almost none of the supporters of legalization of marijuana claim that smoking marijuana is without
risk, but many supporters minimize or ignore the risks.” (Going to Pot, 82)
The following chart compares the pros and cons of some of the most common reasoning about legalizing marijuana for both recreational and medical use.
COMPARISON CHART OF VIEWS ABOUT MARIJUANA
FAVOR
Pot is divine intervention. God provided it to
bring healing and relief. Why, even Jesus
must have smoked it because it grew in the
Middle East.
It relaxes me so it must be good.
Trust the democratic process to do the right
thing.
Marijuana is just an herb used for medical purposes. It’s good for you and for all kinds of illnesses and problems.
The next article in this series will discuss marijuana for medical use.
My friends all do it. I don’t want to be
rejected.
AGAINST
Things can bring healing and relief that aren’t good in the long run,
i.e., occult healing methods, alcohol, certain medications, etc. There
are many ways to relax without getting drugged.
Paul said, “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. (1 Cor.
10:23)
To assume that the Lord smoked it because it may have been in
the area at that time is an appalling leap of unbiblical irrationality.
Pot is not just a relaxing sedative with no harmful effects. It may once
have been true that small doses weren’t much of a problem because
the THC levels were low, but the present high levels have changed
the situation drastically. It’s also unpredictable; people respond in different ways, and it isn’t always a relaxer. It can excite and even bring
on psychosis.
You’re a bigot if you don’t agree with
smoking pot.
Pot is legal now in Washington, which means it’s
okay for Christians to use.
AGAINST
God gave us the Gospel and the Law. Jesus said, For truly, I say to you, until
heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law
until all is accomplished. (Matt. 5:17–20) The New Testament is full of instruction and commands, especially to be sober-minded because of the
warfare we are in.
The democratic process has also brought us homosexual marriage and
transgender bathrooms. There is no guarantee that it will reflect God’s
Word or wisdom. God gave the people King Saul.
People use opium for medical purposes, but using it for recreation is destructive.
“No one medicine has ever been recommended or used for the number
of diseases and ailments political proponents of medical marijuana say it is
a therapy for. The proponents have turned it into some kind of major miracle drug while, at the same time, the scientific literature finds marijuana
either dangerous or of extremely limited use, and often both.” (Going to
Pot, 61–62).
Do your friends please God? Do they obey His Word?
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the
world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15–16
For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do,
living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join
them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will
give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 1 Peter
4:1–5
(1) But it’s still illegal federally. (And, if Republicans get elected, they
may enforce the federal law.)
(2) Legal doesn’t mean biblically sound. “I could be an alcoholic, adulterous, deceitful, prescription-abusing, manipulative, hate-filled connoisseur
of grotesque pornography and still be OK, legally and socially.
(www.christianitytoday.com/le/2013/november-online-only/what-wouldjesus-smoke.html)
Comparison Chart © 2016 by Linda Nathan
God told us that all the plants of the field are
ours (Genesis 1:29). He created everything.
Satan doesn’t create, so marijuana couldn’t
be of Satan.
God created deadly nightshade and belladonna too, but we treat
them with great care. This is a fallen creation.
The devil may not create, but he does spin webs of deceit, and can
deceive us.
But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning,
your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to
Christ. 1 Cor. 11:14
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand
against the schemes of the devil.
Ephesians 6:10–12
You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you
are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
2 Peter 3:17–18
—Linda Nathan
The next article in this series will discuss “medical” marijuana.
æ Linda Nathan has operated her own writing, editing, and consulting firm, Logos Word Designs, LLC, since 1992.
For more articles about contemporary Christian issues, visit www.logosword.com.