November 2019
 



Psalm 23:1

 

“There is no real joy in this world except that which the Word brings when it is believed.”

[Luther’s Works 4:4]  

This Psalm I have carried with me for over sixty years – memorizing it as a young boy in Sunday School. But it never had the force it now has until I read Martin Luther’s words about “not wanting” in the first verse. Now that verse is Biblical, if you will – hammering me, cutting me, burning me up (Jeremiah 23:29, Hebrews 4:12). 

     Luther doesn’t think that “shall not want” means that I will always have “an abundance of meat, drink, clothing,

food, protection, peace, and of all the necessities that pertain to the preservation of this life” (Luther’s Works 12:157). Rather it is primarily about “eternal life” which Christians “already have.” That is because for now, we are “in the midst of wolves” and eternal life is our compensation for lacking earthly benefits (LW 12:158). So, “no matter what happens to me,” I have this eternal life and I shall not want. “Be it with me as it may, this is still the comfort of my heart…. Therefore I shall not want.” This, then, is the “golden art: to cling to God’s Word and promise, to make judgments on the basis of this Word and not on the basis of the feelings of the heart” (LW 12:159).

     Søren Kierkegaard (1813–55), that Danish Luther, I would say (Kierkegaard in the Pulpit, 2016, p. 266), drives this home. “A person must be weaned by sufferings, weaned from the world and the things of this world, from loving it and from being embittered by it, in order to learn for eternity…. Without suffering one cannot learn obedience, because the suffering is the very guarantee that the attachment is not self-willfulness, but the person who learns obedience learns everything” (Kierkegaard’s Writings, 15:257). May Psalm 23:1, according to the words of Luther and Kierkegaard, sustain us all our days.

 

A Damning, Demanding Dozen

Twelve Books for American Lutheran Pastors

 

 

HERE ARE TWELVE BOOKS that have played a large part in my forty years of ordained ministry. I deem them required reading for all American Lutheran pastors. If you disagree, I don’t think you’re fit to be a parish pastor. There are many more books and articles of importance from great thinkers like Martin Luther and Søren Kierkegaard that also have meant a great deal to me. I’ve noted some of them in my booklet, The Fatal Vice: Standards for Judging Lutheran Pastors (1994, 2006). The rest are in my personal library of some ten thousand volumes. But these twelve are my short list. Other forms of art also have mattered to me – from Johnny Cash’s “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” (American V, 2006), to the one Tchaikovsky called the “musical Christ” (Diary, October 2, 1886) – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – and his great and inspired Jupiter Symphony (1788) – symphony No. 41.

 

Elmer Gantry: A Novel (1927) by Sinclair Lewis.

This is a devastating book for ministers – and also a subtle prayer for better ones. It shows how phony pastors are – and the great need for faithful ones. This novel shows how pastors are greedy, glory hounds – going after anything BUT equipping the saints for the good fight of faith (Ephesians 6:12, 1 Timothy 6:12). Martin Luther called them “a devilish army” (Luther’s Works 44:70). Therefore Bo Giertz (1905–98), the famous author of The Hammer of God (1941, 2005), concludes that “mirum est si sacerdos salvetur – it’s a miracle if a pastor is saved” (from Minister’s Prayer Book, ed. John W. Doberstein, 1959, 1986, p. 269). Here’s a sample from the evil Gantry: “His greatest urge was his memory of holding his audience, playing on them. To move people – Golly! He wanted to be addressing somebody on something right now, and being applauded!” (Ch. 4.1). For further evidence of this devastating perdicament, see Bruce Grierson, “An Atheist in the Pulpit,” Psychology Today, January/February 2008.

 

Corrective Love (1995) by Thomas Oden.

This book is against a permissive church grounded in a mushy view of love. It sets the record straight on what Christian love is.

The Suburban Captivity of the Church (1961) by Gibson Winter.

This book notes the club mentality in churches – with its demonic pursuit of the course of least resistence. This kills the church.

 

The American Religion (1992) by Harold Bloom.

This book shows how churches in America are gnostic – thinking less of the Bible and more of personal religious experiences.

 

The Strange Silence of the Bible in the Church (1970) by James Smart.

This book is about ecclesiastical suicide – when the church adopts a critical approach to the Bible to enrich itself, only then to find out that there is no longer any reason to read it if it’s so faulty.

 

Lutherans in Crisis (1993) by David A. Gustafson.

This history tells the story of how Lutheran immigrants to America gave up their tradition of resolute faith in Christ in order to fit into the pervasive, revivalist, American Christian culture.

 

Worship as Pastoral Care (1979) by William H. Willimon.

This book moves liturgical worship to the center of the congregation both to maintain the creeds and strengthen faith.

 

Everything is Politics, But Politics is Not Everything (1986) by H. M. Kuitert – and translated by John Bowden.

This book warns against both a church becoming a political action group – and also not caring about what’s going on in society.

 

Clergy Killers (1997) by G. Lloyd Rediger.

This book exposes the fraud that churches like faithful pastors.

 

Why I Left the Contemporary Christian Music Movement (2002) by Dan Lucarini.

This book warns against using popular music in church.

 

Leaves From the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic (1929) by Reinhold Niebuhr.

“The average parson is chacterized by suavity and circumspection rather than by robust fortitude” (p. 110).

 

The Eight Stages of Translation (1983) by Robert Bly.

This is a book about translating poerty into English – but it can also be about preaching. “The best translation resembles a Persian rug seen from the back – the pattern is apparent, but not much more” (p. 48). That’s also like preaching God’s Word.

 

 

Bishops as a Blight on the Church

Luther on Bad Bishops & What to Do About Them

 

 

 ALL THE BISHOPS HAVE BEEN BAD who have held office during my forty years of ministry. Martin Luther would agree with me – even though he never knew any of them. That’s because he argued, repeatedly and extensively, throughout his vast writings, that all bishops are “devils” – they are “dumb and bewitched” (Luther’s Works 29:17, 17:211). This is a version of the adage that power corrupts (Lord Acton, 1887). That has been the case for me because my bishops haven’t been “apt teachers” as they should have been (1 Timothy 3:2). So while the office of bishop is noble (1 Timothy 3:1), those holding it aren’t – either for me or for Luther. This failure is Biblical – much like the failure of the Biblical kings who were anything but righteous (1 Samuel 8:11–18).

       An apt teacher [doctorem] is one who notes and sorts through what Luther called the “hard knots” of Christianity (LW 21:62) – the narrow and hard ways of faith, and what’s offensive about Jesus (Matthew 7:14, John 6:61). By so doing, our rejection of the Biblical message is analyzed – noting such diagnoses as loving the darkness (John 3:19), being blinded by the devil (2 Corinthians 4:4), loving pleasure and ourselves (2 Timothy 3:2, 4), and lusting after heretical teachings (2 Timothy 4:3). But once that is done, these teachers then move on to make a case for the hope that could still be in us (1 Peter 3:15) – in spite of these wicked distortions and faults. Apt teachers, then, hold these two in tension – the negative with the positive, comfort along with rebuke (LW 68:118) – refusing to keep just one at the expense of the other (2 Corinthians 6:10). This refusal is what makes Christians “alien” (1 Peter 2:11).

       But rather than being aliens, my bishops all conformed to the world (~Romans 12:2) – dropping all apt instruction on fighting the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12, Ephesians 6:12). They all failed to maintain the dialectic tension between law and gospel (LW 57:64) – Clarence Solberg (1915–2005), Clifford Lunde (1930–1987), Lowell Knutson (1929– ), Paul Bartling (1931–2009), Donald Maier (1936– ), Wm. Chris Boerger (1949– ), Kirby Unti (1952– ). Regarding my new bishop – Shelley Bryan Wee (1966– ), the jury is still out. But on this matter of bad bishops, Luther argues that if they aren’t apt teachers, then they necessarily are bad mailmen: “They… are like a letter carrier who, even though he has lost the letters, continues on his journey and does so in vain. So they have their calling and sending…. Just as if a letter carrier threw away the true letters and wrote others and sent them under the original name and seal, so do our bishops who occupy their office and calling but are unfaithful rogues who pervert God’s command” (LW 56:299). So they’re to be “cursed” (LW 77:392).

       All my bishops were rogues. Bishop Solberg bastardized the faith turning it into a family custom (R. F. Marshall, An Unlikely But Grateful Servant: How I Became a Lutheran Pastor, 2008, 2019). Bishop Lunde perverted Christocentrism (An Unlikely… Servant). Bishop Knutson espoused the heretical movie Jesus of Montreal and Native American religion (certus sermo, September 1990, June 1992). Bishop Maier exalted secular church growth (certus sermo, November 1999). Bishop Boerger mocked the sole salvation in Acts 4:12 (Messenger, June 2003). And Bishop Unti joyfully cut the resurrection from the dead (Messenger, June 2016).

       No wonder Luther is so fierce when it comes to attacking bishops. They “neglect… the Word” and “plunder the Gospel,” he argues, by putting themselves above God’s Word, and not studying it “day and night” as they should (LW 14:331, 39:282, 76:244, 39:269). They’re “crude asses” – pushing churches into the “abyss of hell” (LW 67:372)! They don’t advance Christ’s Word (LW 77:392). Simply put, “bishops are not bishops” (LW 68:124)! “Pigs, oxen, and asses are smarter than they are” (LW 39:291).

       Luther is famous, however, for praising St. Augustine (354–430), bishop of Hippo, who he says led him to Christ (LW 22:512, 60:44). Still, his overall judgment of him is negative (LW 1:121, 76:84). Augustine made too much of reason (LW 2:121, 30:69, 75:295). He relied too heavily on allegories when reading the Bible (LW 2:150). When studying the Bible he drifts away from the actual words (LW 30:166, 75:334). No wonder Luther included Augustine among those “so soiled with mud and… fifth” (LW 24:368)!

       So, indeed, bishops aren’t noble disciples – but vicious “wolves” and relentless “enemies of Christ,” seeking to devour Christians (LW 30:136, 39:269, 59:207). “Greed’ is their creed (LW 68:152). Take away their hefty salaries, and they’d all quit. They’re “junkers” and destroyers of the church (LW 16:45, 1:184). They suppress the gospel (LW 2:84). They dabble in “profane trifles” (LW 33:86–87). But from this “dung and dirt,” Luther hoped unofficial bishops would mercifully arise with “true knowledge of God,” so there could be a “church in the world” (LW 3:153).

—Pastor Marshall



 



Vir

    i

   x

   o

   r

   u

  m

She was a visitor – a young woman in her thirties, maybe. She looked professional – but those things are hard to tell. After the liturgy was over and my sermon on John 1:17 that the law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus, she greeted me on her way out. She was very pleasant when we introduced ourselves to each other. Then she asked if I really had said in the sermon that grace doesn’t come through the covenant with Moses. I responded that I had said that because I was preaching on John 1:17 which says that. She then exploded and said that was the meanest thing she had ever heard in church. I asked her if she would like to get together sometime later to talk about it. “No!” she yelled. “I don’t want to talk to you, because I’m never coming back here.”

I'm Never Coming Again!

 

 

That was some time ago, and I’ve never seen her since.

     In the seminary I learned the opposite. I learned from reading the famous scholars, Gerhard von Rad (1901–1971) and Claus Westermann (1909–2000), that grace also comes through the covenant with Moses, and not just from Jesus. But when I read Martin Luther’s ten pages on this verse (Luther’s Works 22:139–48), I followed him instead. I asked my teachers to critique Luther’s analysis, so I could see further why they preferred their ideas to his, but they didn’t. The impression left was that Luther wasn’t worth the time.

     Luther is emphatic that we can render God “no other satisfaction than that procured by the death of Jesus Christ. He alone has brought us grace and truth…. Moses’ office is useful, and his message is blessed, but only inasmuch as it teaches me what I must do and directs me to another man, namely, to Christ” (LW 22:147). As long as that view goes unrefuted by Holy Scriptures and our confessional heritage, I can see no way to side with von Rad and Westermann over against Luther.

     From this I’ve learned that Luther goes begging in the Lutheran church in America – especially among the elites. So if you want to learn from him, you’ll have to do it yourself. Secondly, I learned that people coming to church are by and large uneducable. They don’t want didactic sermons. They’re not interested in scrutinizing the historical norms. They have made up their minds and can’t imagine any better way. So if a pastor follows Luther’s instruction that pastors should primarily be teachers (LW 36:113), then expect few conversations and little or no encouragement.

─Pastor Marshall



 



STEWARDSHIP

The Importance of Giving

 

Giving― I think we would all agree that this word represents one of the pillars of our Christian faith.  Yet are we acting upon it?  There are many ways to give to our local community.  This seems all the more relevant to me as I notice a growing and thriving city where the great wealth and prosperity is contrasted with poverty and homelessness like we have never seen before.  Looking the other direction and ignoring this problem is easy.  However, as a church community, we can all contribute to improving our community.  No, we cannot solve this problem with a wave of the wand, but each one of us can chip in to help those in need.  Whether that be by donating funds to the food bank, volunteering at a shelter, or using your talents to lift others up.  Doctors and nurses can help by volunteering to care for those in need of medical care, lawyers can help by counseling those in need of legal help, and contractors can help by building homes.  The list could go on and on. 

     Giving can be done in many ways.   Whatever way you choose will help to lift up God’s community.  God Bless us all in our efforts to help the poor.

Tim Allen, Church Council



 


PRESIDENT'S REPORT...by Cary Natiello

 

It’s time for a third quarter recap of our financial performance to date.

     Year-to-date, through September 2019, we have continued to sustain our solid financial giving to the church.

     Here are the numbers:

Total ENVELOPE GIVING was ~ $184,000 against a budget target of ~ $170,000.

Total GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES were ~ $75,500 against a budget target of $73,600.

     We continue to have one of our strongest budget performance in years.  At the end of the third quarter, total envelope giving was $14,000 better than budget and overall expenses were $1,900 over budget. 

     Further, our Pledge Report shows the dedication our congregation has to our church.  At the third quarter, 20 members (almost 60% of those members who pledged) exceeded their pledge by almost $23,000 or 25%.  My sincere gratitude to, and admiration of, our congregation for their ongoing relentless financial support of our church.  Thanks be to God!

     Please remember as well to attend the Saint Nicholas Fair on December 15th following the 10:30 service.  We usually raise close to $10,000 each year for the West Seattle Food Bank and West Seattle Helpline.  I know how much our congregation supports these two critical resources for our community through generous giving of their money and time.  I volunteer regularly at the West Seattle Helpline (WSHL) and can attest to how well it is run and how needed the service is for many of our West Seattle neighbors.  The mission of the WSHL is to help stop homelessness before it starts by providing financial assistance in the form of rent and utility payments, clothing, bus tickets, and referrals to help our neighbors in West Seattle regain stability after facing hardship.  The WSHL financial support is limited to just West Seattle zip codes (98106, 98116, 98126, 98136, and 98146).  So far in 2019, among other things, the WSHL has provided about $158,000 in emergency rent, utility, and move-in assistance to help local families stay safely in their homes and keep the heat, light, and water running.

    So again, please remember to attend the Saint Nicholas Fair on December 15th following the 10:30 service.  If you can’t attend, please consider an extra designated gift through our church to the West Seattle Helpline and/or West Seattle Food Bank in early December.

 

     Blessings to you all.

 



 




November Book

With the Mind:  Readings in Contemporary Theology

12-2 pm in the Church Lounge, Sunday, November 17th

The book for November is Breakfast at Sally’s: One Homeless Man’s Inspirational Journey (2009), by Richard LeMieux. This book is about a small business owner who goes bankrupt and becomes homeless. He writes his memoirs of homelessness so others may have more sympathy for them and work to find ways to end homelessness. Before LeMieux was homeless, he thought, “Why don’t they just get a job? Why do they waste their lives on booze or cocaine? Are they just lazy people who don’t want to work?” (p. 17). Included in his story is a church in Bremerton who helped him out and helped renew his faith (p. 425).

     A copy of this timely and informative story is in the library. If you would like to purchase one for yourself, contact Pastor Marshall. Feel free to attend our meeting when we discuss how the church can help with homelessness.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:  All Saints’ Memorial Liturgy, Friday, November 1st, at the Chapel of the Resurrection, columbarium, 11:45 am, and Holy Eucharist in the chapel.  Plan to attend.

THANKSGIVING EVE:  Thanksgiving will be observed with Holy Eucharist on Wednesday, November 27th at 7 pm, in the chapel.  

FOOD BANK COLLECTION suggested donation for November is holiday foods: canned yams, turkey, gravy, cranberries, stuffing and pumpkin. 

FREE MONEY?  Sign up for the Bartell Drugs loyalty card program and designate First Lutheran Church of West Seattle.  4% of your purchases will be automatically donated to the church.  Also Amazon.com has a program called Amazon Smile that one can sign up for. 

FLOWER CHART:  There are still a few spaces left for Christmas flowers. 

COMPASS HOUSING ALLIANCE:  Until Friday, December 13th, we will be collecting Christmas gift items for the Compass Center for both men and women.  Some suggested items to collect are: fast food, coffee shop, Target, and grocery store gift cards in $5 to $25 increments; new sweatshirts in large sizes with the tags on, underwear, flip-flops, hats and gloves in neutral colors and new toiletries in small sizes. Also, cash donations are welcome.  Please leave your donations at the office.

PASTOR MARSHALL’s siblings è
  Rich Marshall, Doreen Phillips, and Denise Alvord at his 40th Anniversary luncheon, Sunday, August 25, 2019. 
 Thanks for a wonderful reception!

 



 



Saint Nicholas Faire

Sunday, December 15th, from 1 pm to 4 pm

 

Please plan to join us directly after church for this fun event.

     We will have Silent & Live Auction items to bid on – Christmas Items, Pet Items, and wide variety of restaurant gift cards, just to highlight a few items.  We also have gift cards to local merchants for purchase, always a good idea for that person on your list who has everything.  Plus wine tasting with Maryhill Winery for an additional donation.

     Admission is $5 per person or $15 per family if each attendee brings a can of food, and $10 per person and $25 per family if you do not contribute a can of food for each person.

     Again this year when you pay your admission, you will be given a BID NUMBER to use on the Silent and Live Auction items.  This should help to protect the privacy and security of all bidders.

     It takes a lot of people to make the Saint Nicholas Faire a success.  Your willingness to help and support this is very much appreciated, if you missed the luncheon and didn’t get a chance to sign up, please contact us (Valerie 206-227-6290 & Scott 206-354-1871) and we can let you know what areas we still need help with.

     Remember, this is a fund raiser for the West Seattle Food Bank and the West Seattle Helpline.  All the proceeds and cash donations are given directly to these two deserving extended ministries.  But it will not be a success unless you come, bid on items, and have a good time! 

     We look forward to seeing you ―

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2019, FROM 1PM to 4 PM!

-Scott & Valerie Schorn



 



 

Holy Communion on the Moon

___________________________________________________________________________________

The 50th Anniversary

 

by Pastor Marshall

 

Fifty years ago, Neil Armstrong (1930–2012) and Buzz Aldrin (1930–    ) walked on the moon – the first to do so, back in July, 1969. The next year the award-winning author, Norman Mailer (1923–2007) wrote a book about it, Of a Fire on the Moon. In it he argued that when this happened, our brains became a small “transistorized fist, and the chambers of the heart… shrunk to the dry hard seeds of some hybrid future” (pp. 130–31). But not for me! And that’s because before Aldrin got out of the Eagle to join Armstrong on the moon, he celebrated Holy Communion in the Eagle. Before receiving the bread and the wine, he recited from John 15 – “I am the vine you are the branches…. Without me you can do nothing.” He did this to help us look beyond the technical achievement of landing on the moon, to “a deeper meaning behind it all” (First Man on the Moon, 1970, p. 300). According to another astronaut, that deeper meaning was that we are “no longer shackled to the Earth” (Eugene Cernan and Don Davis, The Last Man on the Moon, 1999, p. 344). That sounds like Colossians 3:2 – “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Thanks be to God!




 



“King of Kings”

The Small Group gathered at the home of Janine and Peter Douglass to watch King of Kings, a 1961 movie (171 minutes) directed by Nicholas Ray. In previous years we read and discussed such things as parts of Luther’s Large Catechism in the Book of Concord. This year we are watching and discussing Jesus movies.

     We watched about two-thirds of the movie Saturday evening, Sept. 21st, and the rest of it two weeks later on Oct. 5th. We then discussed the movie comparing it to the gospel accounts of Christ Jesus.

     In general, it seemed to us that the movie portrayed Jesus as a teacher of peace who nevertheless was disposed of by the Roman authorities who wanted peace, but on their terms. We thought two major flaws stood out among the many details we thought were also amiss.

     First, the significance of the resurrection was so abbreviated that you would miss it altogether if you didn’t already know about it. The only resurrection scene showing Jesus was a brief encounter between Jesus and Mary Magdalene near the empty tomb. This illustrates that the movie blunted and played down the message of Jesus as the Lamb of God who stills the wrath of God by His sacrificial death precipitated by the Jewish authorities who were offended and threatened by his teachings and his deeds.

     This brings up the second major flaw: the conflict between Jesus and the scribes, Pharisees and Jewish authorities that pervades the gospel accounts is almost missing in this movie. In the end, Jesus is not tried by the Jewish priests and Chief Priest who bring Him to Pontius Pilate demanding His death. In this movie Jesus is tried solely by the Roman authorities as one who is potentially an instigator of opposition to Roman Rule. The overarching conflict in this movie is not between Jesus and the Jewish authorities but rather between the oppressive Roman conquerors and their Jewish subjects who get slaughtered (in this movie) time and time again.

     A DVD copy of Kings of Kings is available in the Church Library for those interested. We would like to know what you think of it! Watch Barabbas and Judas work together. See the centurion in charge of the slaughter of the innocents in Bethlehem come to be the centurion who confesses Jesus to be the Son of God at the crucifixion. Hollywood leaves out and adds much to the Bible.

     By the time you read this article, we will have watched and discussed The Gospel According to St. Matthew, a 137 minute movie from 1964 directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini, a controversial person who was gruesomely murdered at age 53. We’re thinking the next one after it will be Jesus which came out in 1999 as a 240 minute TV mini-series. It has been reduced on DVD to 176 minutes. YOU are welcome to join us whenever you are available. Not everyone is always available to make it to all sessions. We have several more Jesus movies we hope to view and discuss (see the whole list in the October Messenger’s announcements)!

                                             Janine and Peter Douglass, Valerie and Scott Schorn, Holly and Louis Petersen, Mariann Petersen, Connie and Bob Baker



 



Jeremiah 9.23

Monthly Home Bible Study, November 2019, Number 321

The Reverend Ronald F. Marshall

 

Along with our other regular study of Scripture, let us join as a congregation in this home study. We will study alone then talk informally about the assigned verses together as we have opportunity. In this way we can "gather together around the Word" even though physically we will not be getting together (Acts 13.44). (This study uses the RSV translation.)

We need to support each other in this difficult project. In 1851 Kierkegaard wrote that the Bible is "an extremely dangerous book.... [because] it is an imperious book... – it takes the whole man and may suddenly and radically change... life on a prodigious scale" (For Self-Examination). And in 1967 Thomas Merton wrote that "we all instinctively know that it is dangerous to become involved in the Bible" (Opening the Bible). Indeed this word "kills" us (Hosea 6.5) because we are "a rebellious people" (Isaiah 30.9)! As Lutherans, however, we are still to "abide in the womb of the Word" (Luther's Works 17.93) by constantly "ruminating on the Word" (LW 30.219) so that we may "become like the Word" (LW 29.155) by thinking "in the way Scripture does" (LW 25.261). Before you study then, pray: "Blessed Lord, who caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in Our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen" (quoted in R. F. Marshall, Making A New World: How Lutherans Read the Bible, 2003, p. 12). And don’t give up, for as Luther said, we “have in Scripture enough to study for all eternity” (LW 75:422)!

 

Week I. Read Jeremiah 9.23 noting the line let not the wise man glory in his wisdom. Why not? On this read Jeremiah 9.24 noting the line understands and knows me. Why does God matter more than our wisdom does? On this read 1 Corinthians 2.6–7 noting the words age, pass, hidden, decreed and glorification. Why does eternal wisdom matter more than the temporal wisdom of the age? On this read 2 Corinthians 4.17–18 noting the phrase eternal weight of glory. Why is a weighty glory more valuable? On this read Hebrews 2.15 noting the line through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage. Because weight waylays this fear it is more valuable. How does it do this? On this read Ephesians 1.7 noting the words redemption, blood and riches. What makes this death rich and all who believe in it at peace? On this read Ephesians 5.2 noting the line a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Why does God need this? On this read Romans 5.9 and John 3.36 noting the words wrath and God. And read Colossians 1.20 to see how peace comes when God’s wrath is overcome. How

so? On this read John 10.28 noting the words perish and snatch. How valuable is this assurance? On this read Luke 16.23–28 noting the two uses of the word torment. Does that settle it? What do you think?

 

Week II. Read again Jeremiah 9.23 noting this time the line let not the mighty man glory in his might. Why not? On this read Deuteronomy 8.17 noting the words beware, might and wealth. Why is it so risky to have such confidence in our own might? On this read Acts 17.28 noting the line live and move and have our being. What is the extent of this dependence on God? On this read Psalm 104.29 noting the words take and die. That’s quite severe. So if confidence is the wrong way to go, what’s the right way? On this read Ephesians 5.20 noting the words always and thanks. Read also Luke 17.16 noting the word thanks there too. Why is thanksgiving so far superior? On this read Psalm 100.4–5 noting the connection between the words thanksgiving and endures. How about that?

 

Week III. Reread Jeremiah 9.23 noting the other line let not the rich man glory in his riches. Why not? On this read 1 Timothy 6.9–10 noting the words destruction, love and pangs. So to spare us this pain we shouldn’t glory in our riches and love them. What’s a better way to go? On this read Luke 10.35 noting the word spend. What makes this a good use of your money? Note the word compassion in Luke 10.33. Read also Mark 7.11–13 noting stealing money set aside to help your father and mother. Why is this important? On this read Ephesians 6.1–3 noting the words honor and commandment. So compassion for the needy and obedience to the commands of God are a better way to treat your money than love it. Why is that? On this read Mark 10.18 noting the words God and good. That means we should look to God for right guidance and not what feels good to us. Do you agree? Why or why not?

 

Week IV. Read Jeremiah 9.23 one last time noting the multiple uses of the word not. Why does God stand against us like that – opposing our wisdom, might and riches? On this read 1 John 2.15–16 noting the words lust and pride. Why is the world that way? On this read John 3.19 noting the line loved the darkness. What’s the consequence of these verses? On this read Jeremiah 17.9 noting the line the heart… is desperately corrupt. Jeremiah 17.5 therefore says that we are not to be trusted. And so God opposes our wisdom, might and riches. Where does that leave us? On this read Romans 7.24 noting the words wretched and deliver. How does God rescue us? On this read Colossians 1.13 noting the word transferred. This we can’t do because of our corruption. But God can and does do it. Why is that? On this read Ephesians 2.4 noting the phrase rich in mercy. What shall we say to this? Read Psalm 52.8 noting the words trust, God and forever. Not bad. Right?



 



 

ALL SAINTS

Parish Festival Celebration

On Sunday, November 3rd, we will gather together to give thanks for our community of faithful, baptized servants of God.

   On this rich day of the church year we gather to remember our calling as God's saints, rededicating our lives to God's service and rejoicing in the ministry of Christ.  This day we also join the Church Catholic in affirming our belief in "the communion of saints" remembering all those faithful who have died in Christ.

     8:00 am Holy Eucharist – chapel

   10:30 am Festival Eucharist – nave

       with Festival Procession.

 

CHRIST THE KING

      The season of Pentecost and the Church Year will end with the celebration of the Kingship of Christ at the Sunday morning liturgies, November 24th.  On this day we strengthen the belief that Christ is above all and that every authority is under Him (Eph. 1.21).  We rejoice that the One who is, who was and is to come (Rev. 1:8) is the King and Lord of all! 



 



  PARISH PRAYERS 

Remember in prayer before God those whom He has made your

brothers and sisters through baptism.

Louis & Holly Petersen, The Tuomi Family, Bob Baker, Sam & Nancy Lawson, Pete Morrison, Eileen & Dave Nestoss, Bob & Barbara Schorn, Aasha Sagmoen & Ajani Hammond, Connor Sagmoen, Kyra Stromberg, Tabitha Anderson, Diana Walker, The Rev. Howard Fosser, The Rev. Kristie Daniels, The Rev. Kari Reiten, The Rev. Dave Monson, Sheila Feichtner, Antonio Ortez, Richard Uhler, Yuriko Nishimura, Leslie & Mark Hicks, Eric Baxter, Deanne Heflin, David Douglass, Owen & Noreen Marten, Jim & Bonnie Henningson, Mary Ford, Nancy Wilson, Nell & Paul Sponheim, Mary Lou & Paul Jensen, Rubina & Marcos Carmona, Rosita Moe, Mary Blom, Claudio Johnson S, Bjorg Hestevold, Tatiana Ceaicovschi, Jim Thoren, Trevor Schmitt, Cathy Conord and Karen Mulcahy.  Also, pray for Syria, unbelievers, the addicted, abused and harassed.

     Pray for the shut-ins that the light of Christ may give them joy:  Bob & Mona Ayer,  Bob & Barbara Schorn, Joan Olson, Doris Prescott, C. J. Christian, Dorothy Ryder, Lillian Schneider, Crystal Tudor, Nora Vanhala, Anelma Meeks, Martin Nygaard, Gregg and Jeannine Lingle.

     Pray for the newly married that they will fulfill their holy vows and grow in holy love until their life's end:  Pray for Cary Natiello and Nelly Bartlett who were married in the chapel by Pastor Marshall on Saturday, October 12, 2019. 

     Pray for our bishops Elizabeth Eaton and Shelly Bryan Wee, our pastor Ronald Marshall, our choirmaster 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 November.  Pray for the mercy of God for these people, and for all in Christ's church to see and help those who are in distress.

     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 Andrew, the Apostle.

A Treasury of Prayers

Heavenly Father, calm the turbulence of my desires; quiet the demands of my dreams; repress the waywardness of my will. Dwell in my heart that I may readily and joyfully give up what you ask of me. May I seek first your kingdom – knowing that afterwards you will provide all that I need. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

                                                                           [For All the Saints III:352, altered]