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Our response to Pope Francis: On Care for our Common Home

After reading and discussing Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’: On Care for our Common Home, leaders from our congregation drafted a letter to Pope Francis, which is printed below. We invite you, in turn, to read Laudato Si’ and to share your responses with your own faith community, friends, and neighbors.

May 29, 2016

His Holiness, Pope Francis Apostolic Palace 00120 Vatican City

Dear Pope Francis,

We write to you on behalf of our congregation, Peace Lutheran Church of Seattle, Washington, a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). In response to your bold Encyclical Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home, we chose to form a group with a neighboring congregation that met for six consecutive weeks over soup and bread for conversation. Around twelve people met on average each week, and we included an invitation to members from other Christian congregations in the area to discuss your letter. To us, this encyclical represents a shift in tone and substance, and we want to acknowledge this exciting conversation, and with clear voice answer back YES, we hear your call.

You wrote that the urgent challenge to protect our common home includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change. To this, we say YES.

You appeal for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all. To this we say YES.

Thank you for inviting this conversation. We would like to affirm the following from the letter:

The current path of human development is overwhelmingly marked by pollution, water scarcity, throwaway culture, deforestation, and dependence on oil which disproportionally affects the poor. Most alarmingly, the vicious cycle of increasing carbon in the atmosphere, where if current trends continue, we will soon be witness to unprecedented destruction of ecosystem with grave implications: social, economic, political, representing the challenge facing humanity, with the worst impact affecting developing countries.

We agree that we currently lack the culture and leadership needed to confront this crisis, and that there is a lack of awareness of how decisions by developed countries affect those in developing countries; their problems are brought up as an afterthought, while there is an “ecological debt” and leadership needed from the more developed regions. And that it is foreseeable that once certain resources have been depleted, the scene will be set for new wars, albeit under the guise of noble claims. To this path, we passionately say NO.

Once we start to think of the kind of world we are leaving to future generations, we look at things differently. We realize the Earth is a gift which we have freely received and must share with others. And, now, we are at a cultural ‘tipping point’ of awareness.

“The earth is essentially a shared inheritance, whose fruits are meant to benefit everyone.”

The ecological movement has made significant advances, but it is now time for enforceable international agreements and global regulatory norms. We hear your call for a bold cultural revolution that looks past the technological paradigm; for a non-consumerism model of life, recreation, and community. To this, we say YES.

Rather than prescribing solutions, you have called for honest debate to be encouraged among the experts, while recognizing we are reaching a breaking point, and the world system is unsustainable. To this conversation we say YES. We agree that it is time for meetings which include scientists, activists, business leaders, politicians, and faith community leaders to find common ground and consensus in order to move forward wherever possible. It is time to move past market forces and work together, for “realities are more important that ideas”.

We appreciated your references and quotes from Christian mystics including Saint Therese of Lisieux and Saint John of the Cross, and for your discussion of a way forward paved with a path of spirituality, as their intimate experiences with the world shines a light to each of us on more intimate ways to exists in the world . Also, we appreciated how you spoke of cherishing each thing and each moment, and of Jesus’ invitation to us to contemplate the lilies of the field and the birds of the air, demonstrating being present to everyone and everything.

You wrote that it is time for a new start, our common destiny beckons us to seek a new beginning, including new consumer habits, ecological sensitivity. An integral ecology is needed where nature cannot be regarded as something separate from our selves. Again, we say YES, YES, and YES.

Over the past six years our congregation has taken the concerns you express in your Letter to heart. We have taken strong steps to shape our mission in ways that honor and reflect the values of Earth care, from the liturgy of our worship life to practical measures such as building lifesaving rafts for the Harbor Seal pups that grace the waters of the nearby Salish Sea, to the installation of raingardens on our property that help prevent sewage run-off into the Puget Sound. As a member of Earth Ministry, an ecumenical non-profit organization based in Seattle, our congregation has seized the opportunity to join hands with neighboring parishes of other denominations in various initiatives. And last month, at the invitation of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish here in West Seattle, we joined hands on a project of restoring a local watershed by removing invasive plant species, thus increasing the health of the local creek and the conditions for juvenile salmon. As we like to say: we do GOD’S WORK with OUR HANDS.

Our Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Social Statement “Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice” (1993) states: “Humans, in service to God, have special roles on behalf of the whole of creation. Made in the image of God, we are called to care for the earth as God cares for the earth.” It goes on to affirm so many of the insights you have raised in your Encyclical.

Despite current differences in theology and politics, there is no excuse for waiting to cooperate. These environmental and social crises we face need immediate and frank discussion, cooperation, and action. Let this now be a rock on which we can stand together as brothers and sisters in order to level the playing field between rich and poor, embrace the best scientific research, and work toward a cultural change of consciousness which can lead to renewed care for our common home.

In celebration of your call to action as outlined in Laudato Si’, we are honoring you with the planting of a tree on our church grounds in Seattle on June 5th, 2016, when we will celebrate the first of four Sunday liturgies focused on God’s foundational gifts of creation: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.

With gratitude and in solidarity, we are,

Your Brothers and Sisters in Christ

For more information:
– About Creation Care at Peace Lutheran Church
– About our Creation Care Team

Posted by pastorerik on June 1st, 2016

Special Adult Forum on Coal Exporting this Sunday 10/6

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As our congregation marks the Season of Creation we have been alert to opportunities to make crucial environmental topics part of our conversation as people of faith. This is part and parcel of our vocation as Earth-stewards. On October 6, LeeAnne Beres, executive director of Seattle based Earth Ministry / Washington Interfaith Power and Light, and Outreach Coordinator Jessica Zimmerle will be our special guests during the 9:15am Adult Forum, teaching a class on the issue of COAL EXPORTING.

There are numerous proposals on the table to develop means for shipping coal mined in Montana through Washington ports to China. LeeAnne will give us some background on what is being proposed; will explore what the environmental, health, transportation, and economic impacts could be if the coal export terminal projects move forward; and what in particular people of faith can do to make their voices heard on the issue. She will also touch on the opportunity we have as people of faith to stand in solidarity with our native brothers and sisters in the Lummi Tribe, as one of the proposed coal export terminals is slated to be on land they hold sacred.

Like so many issues with environmental impact, the issue of whether or not to EXPORT COAL is a complex and multifaceted one. You are invited to enter the conversation on Sunday, beginning at 9:15 in the fellowship hall. I hope to see you here.

Posted by pastorerik on October 3rd, 2013

Pass the Hat

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On the second Sunday of each month, our Peace congregation is visited (physically or virtually) by a local church or community based ministry that was chosen by the congregation to be the recipient of a special offering. After hearing an update on the work of that agency, we “pass the hat” (physically and virtually since the COVID lockdown) to receive an offering for support of the ministry/agency’s work.

How May We Donate to a “Pass The Hat” partner organization?

a. Via Tithe.ly: Visit our secure Tithe.ly Giving Page designating the name of the partner group in the “Note/Memo” box on the form.
b. Via check: Checks may be made out to Peace Lutheran Church, designating the name of the partner group in the memo line on the check.
c. Directly to the Partner Org: Donations may be made directly to the partner organization. (If a donation is made directly to the organization due to its being a Pass The Hat partner, please report these donations to the Peace office, whether via the form on the Contact Us page (using the “Office Administrator Kathleen Keyes” option in the drop-down menu), via the office email address, or via snail mail at the address in the footer of this page.)
d. Via an employer’s Matching Gift program.: Some employers may match donation gifts. (Some who do may require that the donation be made directly to the partner organization. See (c) above.)

Recent “Pass the Hat” Ministries

April, 2024 Holden Village
“Growing from the love of Christ, Holden Village is a courageous community that welcomes all people into the wilderness to form and renew their relationships with God, the earth, and each other.” The unique setting and ministry of Holden Village is dear to many of us who have traveled there on a regular basis. Over the course of 50 years, Holden has been transformed from a copper mining town to a vibrant place of education, programming, and worship. It has been a rich journey of faith. Holden welcomes all who seek contemplation and community in the remote wilderness of the beautiful Cascade Mountains. We invite people of all ages to come and experience our rhythms, which inspire and equip travelers to continue a sustainable life of faith outside the Village. And we continue to listen to and reflect on our story and history as we seek to discover our place in God’s creative mission in our world.”

March, 2024 Lutheran World Relief School Kits
The March 2024 Pass the Hat was chosen by the youth of Peace Lutheran Church. They decided they would like to focus on education, so have chosen Lutheran World Relief School Kits as their recipient and as a project. Their plan is to use the money that comes in from Pass the Hat to buy the supplies needed for the school kits in bulk, and then pack the kits to be sent to Lutheran World Relief who will distribute them to kids all over the world who need school supplies.
February, 2024 Duwamish River Community Coalition
Their mission is “An empowered Duwamish Valley community thriving in a healthy and just environment.” Beyond monitoring the cleanup of Seattle’s Duwamish River, they are guided by the voice of our community which is negatively affected by the environmental, social, and economic impacts of pollution and climate change.” Their work centers on creating a healthy environment for Duwamish Valley communities. They approach the environment as a holistic category that includes the places where people live, work, worship, and play. As they have fought to cleanup the river, the realities of climate change have become more extreme in our neighborhoods. It is imperative that Duwamish River cleanup efforts work for those who already call this place home. Robin Schwartz from DRCC will be with us on 2/18 to give us an update on their work.
January, 2024 Reconciling Works (LGBTQIA+)
Since 1974, “ReconcilingWorks: Lutherans for Full Participation” has advocated for the full welcome, inclusion,
and equity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual/aromantic (LGBTQIA+)
Lutherans in all aspects of the life of their Church, congregations, and community.
December, 2023 Lutheran Disaster Response – Mideast Crisis
Lutheran Disaster Response has a long time relationship with partners in the Holy Land, including:

Augusta Victoria Hospital. The hospital procures medical supplies and provides accommodations for
patients and staff unable to return to their homes in Gaza.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. The church provides emergency education
support for families who have lost income due to the war and are unable to pay school fees.
ACT Alliance. Through implementing partners Lutheran World Federation and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, ACT Alliance responds to immediate needs for psychosocial support, shelter, household items, public health centers and direct cash assistance, focusing on the Palestinian communities in Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Checks can be payable to Peace with the notation: Middle East Crisis.

November, 2023 Operation Nightwatch
“Operation Nightwatch reduces the impact of poverty and homelessness, in keeping with Jesus’ teaching to love our neighbors. Imagine no tents No litter No people alone under a bridge No seniors without homes Because there are friends, housing, health care, treatment for all. At Nightwatch, we believe all this is possible, Not simply because we imagine it, But because God loves us all.” Rev. Paul Benz, Jr. will be at Peace on 11/12/2023 to tell us about this important ministry.
October, 2023 Maji Development Coalition Guest Carolyn Kurtz, Executive Director.
Carolyn writes: “Thank you for the support you have given to the people of Maji, in remote Ethiopia. MDC had a great year, full of successes, as supply chains and other hurdles got sorted out. We distributed 500 more solar lanterns to children in the poorest homes. They will have light to do their homework, but their whole families will also benefit from having light in the home at night. And our huge, ambitious project–bringing safe water to
2000 people in several rural communities–is operational as of September. This will save people from debilitating waterborne diseases, especially children and the elderly. The new gravity-fed system will also save the backs of women, who have had to hike steep trails to bring water back for family use. As Ato Markos, our program director said, “MDC is like a miracle to us!” In the coming year we will focus on the women’s co-ops, and join with the local church to develop for a Women’s Empowerment Center in Maji town.
September, 2023 New Futures
As featured recently in the Seattle Times, New Futures provides students with after-school and summer programming four times each week with children ages 5-19. During the school year, the program runs after school from 3pm-7pm and full week programming for 6 weeks during the summer. This provides ample time for youth in the program to develop trusting, healthy relationships with staff and peers, and have time dedicated to work on academics as well as participate in enrichment activities such as college and career readiness, field trips, STEM activities, and youth-led projects. Participants are also able to access a wide range of services offered through SWYFS including child, youth and family counseling; youth case management and behavioral modification classes; high school re-entry and young parent GED programs; family advocates; and parenting classes. Dennis Omondi, Senior Development Manager at SW Youth and Family Services, the parent organization to New Futures, will be with us to provide an update.

August, 2023 Refugees Northwest
Refugees Northwest believes that every person forced to flee war, persecution and terror can heal, thrive, and enrich our community with their unique gifts and strengths. We work with thousands of refugees and asylum-seekers each year to build upon the strength and courage that got them here, and to support their hopes and dreams. Our programs include trauma-focused mental health support, torture treatment, unaccompanied minor foster care, asylum assistance, complex medical case management, and a variety of community programs that help develop new skills, gain citizenship, and build fulfilling connections. The majority of Refugees Northwest staff came to the United States as refugees or seeking asylum. Speaking more than 17 languages, our dedicated and experienced staff have walked in the shoes of those we serve, giving us unique insight.

July, 2023 Duwamish River Coalition
Their mission is “An empowered Duwamish Valley community thriving in a healthy and just environment.” Beyond monitoring the cleanup of Seattle’s Duwamish River, they are guided by the voice of our community which is negatively affected by the environmental, social, and economic impacts of pollution and climate change. Their work centers on creating a healthy environment for Duwamish Valley communities. They approach the environment as a holistic category that includes the places where people live, work, worship, and play. As they have fought to cleanup the river, the realities of climate change have become more extreme in our neighborhoods. It is imperative that Duwamish River cleanup efforts work for those who already call this place home.

June, 2023 Earth Ministry
“Earth Ministry transforms faith into action for the well-being of communities and the environment. We organize people of faith to advocate for strong environmental policies and provide strategic guidance to religious communities working toward environmental justice. Our Greening Congregations program was the first in the country to help houses of worship implement sustainable practices, and our Faithful Advocacy program is on the cutting edge of empowering clergy and lay leaders to speak out on public policy issues. Earth Ministry’s Washington Interfaith Power & Light (WAIPL) project organizes an interfaith religious response to climate change and is part of a national Interfaith Power & Light network that is 40 states strong and growing. ”

May, 2023 Camp Lutherwood
Camp Lutherwood is nestled in the evergreen trees along the north shore of Lake Samish about 10 miles South of Bellingham, Washington. Since its beginning in 1946, Lutherwood has been running programs for campers of all ages on our 103 acres of beautiful waterfront and forest land. Lutherwood is the perfect place for summer camp opportunities, family camping, retreats all year round, family reunions, assemblies and various other gatherings.

April, 2023 Lutheran Campus Ministry at the University of Washington
UW Lutherans are a progressive, inclusive, welcoming, grace-filled, justice-oriented community of faith for the University of Washington community. Whether you are a UW undergrad or doctoral student, an alum or faculty member, staff or a Husky fan, we are here for you. Welcome Statement Written by Students of UW Lutherans (May 2022) We believe that Jesus preached a message of radical inclusion and love of God and neighbor; God’s love is for all creation. We strive to create a community of love, grace, and acceptance. We welcome people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions; all levels of physical, mental, or emotional ability; people of all races, ethnicities, nationalities, and immigration statuses. We recognize the reality of exclusion faced by marginalized groups in our society. We reject this status quo to instead work towards racial equity and social justice by engaging and serving our community

March, 2023 International Justice Mission
March 19 is also Pass The Hat Sunday, and in keeping with the commitment we made at our annual meeting it is a Youth Choice Sunday. The ministry our Youth have chosen to highlight is International Justice Mission, a ministry focused on eliminating human trafficking in the United States and throughout the world.

February, 2023 FAN WA (Faith Action Network of Washington)

“Faith Action Network is an interfaith statewide partnership striving for a just, compassionate, and sustainable world through community building, education, and courageous public action. It is a multi-faith, non-profit organization though which thousands of people and over 160 faith communities across Washington State partner for the common good. Together, we are powerful voices of faith and conscience advocating for a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world.”

January, 2023 ReconcilingWorks
“Since 1974, ReconcilingWorks: Lutherans for Full Participation has advocated for the full welcome, inclusion, and equity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual/aromantic (LGBTQIA+) Lutherans in all aspects of the life of their Church, congregations, and community. In relationships built through outreach and education, ReconcilingWorks shares Christ’s message, the Gospel, which is for everyone equally. We advocate for systemic change in policy and practice in church and society, working to alleviate not only the painful symptoms of oppression but also to eliminate its root causes. Reconciliation is a fundamental value; it is what the Apostle Paul says we are all called to do. Through our Reconciling in Christ Program, ministries, resources, events and alliances, ReconcilingWorks builds community for worship, education and support; fosters welcome and acceptance in all Lutheran settings; and advocates for the ecclesial changes necessary to ensure full participation in all sacraments, inclusive liturgical resources, and ministries of the Church, inviting all people into Gospel lives of authenticity, integrity, and wholeness. An independent, Lutheran, membership-supported organization, ReconcilingWorks is committed to strengthen all of God’s beloved for authentic, visible, faithful lives and to work for systemic change within the church and society. We believe reconciling works, for the sake of the world.”

December, 2022 White Center Food Bank
Each year December’s Pass The Hat recipient is kept open for designation so that we can respond to particular needs that arise within the local or larger community. This year, the Council has designated December’s Pass The Hat for longtime Peace partner – the White Center Food Bank.

“Our Mission is to Minimize Hunger…While nourishing community, nurturing self-reliance and embracing our rich cultural diversity.” The White Center Food Bank began unofficially in the mid-1970’s as a ministry of St. James Lutheran Church and other partners in response to assist struggling families and individuals in the greater White Center and Highline areas during a major economic downturn. “Much like today, many in the community were faced with difficult economic conditions that left them in need of food resources. We are supported by gifts from private donors and businesses that make sure our children and our seniors live in dignity and are well nourished. Our main priority is making sure all members of our community have access to fresh, healthy food. Your gifts truly make a difference. We couldn’t do what we do without you. Thank you! Your financial donations allow us to buy fresh, healthy foods to supplement what is donated. Without these gifts, we could not provide milk, eggs, poultry, and culturally appropriate foods such as tortillas, rice, beans, halal meat, and more. ”

November, 2022 Lutheran Counseling Network

Lutheran Counseling Network is a nonprofit organization of dedicated professional psychotherapists providing services since 1981. All LCN counselors have a masters or doctoral degree. The professional staff observes a strict ethical code of professional conduct. LCN is an extension of the church’s ministry to the community. They provide therapy for individuals, couples and families, addressing such areas as depression, anxiety, recovery from trauma, behavioral problems, parenting, sexuality and spirituality. By providing psychotherapy to people in need and education for congregations and pastors, Lutheran Counseling Network is an instrument of God’s grace which strengthens and brings healing to individuals, couples and families so that they might in turn be instruments of God’s grace.

October, 2022 LCSNW (Lutheran Community Services Northwest)
Lutheran Community Services Northwest partners with individuals, families and communities for health, justice and hope. They offer services without regard to race, ethnicity, national origin, religious belief, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, ability, military or veteran status, source of income or political affiliation. The origin of Lutheran Community Services Northwest predates the Great Depression to 1921 with the founding of the Lutheran Compass Mission in Tacoma. The mission served “down-and-out” individuals and families in the community. As human suffering escalated during the 1930s, Northwest Lutherans increased their efforts to provide clothing, bedding, food and shelter to the homeless. In the 1940s, they resettled refugees from Eastern Europe and started offering adoption services. The Spokane office opened in 1956 and the Tri-Cities office opened in 1964 as the work focused on mental health and marriage and family counseling. In the 1970s and 80s, they expanded services for refugees and unaccompanied minors, senior services grew in Tacoma, and the Rape Crisis Center opened in Spokane.

September, 2022 UW Campus Ministries (Lutheran Campus Ministry at the University of Washington)
UW Lutherans are a progressive, inclusive, welcoming, grace-filled, justice-oriented community of faith for the University of Washington community. Whether you are a UW undergrad or doctoral student, an alum or faculty member, staff or a Husky fan, we are here for you.

Welcome Statement Written by Students of UW Lutherans (May 2022)

We believe that Jesus preached a message of radical inclusion and love of God and neighbor; God’s love is for all creation. We strive to create a community of love, grace, and acceptance. We welcome people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions; all levels of physical, mental, or emotional ability; people of all races, ethnicities, nationalities, and immigration statuses. We recognize the reality of exclusion faced by marginalized groups in our society. We reject this status quo to instead work towards racial equity and social justice by engaging and serving our community.

August, 2022 Camp Lutherwood

July, 2022 Columbia Lutheran Home

June, 2022 Earth Ministry

May, 2022 NW Washington Synod Assembly

April, 2022 KIT Ministry – Klub of the Togliatti Initiative

March, 2022 The West Seattle Food Bank

February, 2022 Duwamish River Community Coalition

January, 2022 Holden Village

December, 2021 ELCA Disaster Response to Flooding in NW Washington

November, 2021 Operation Nightwatch

October, 2021 Maji Development Coalition

More Peace partner organizations are listed in our Links page.

Posted by pastorerik on November 18th, 2009

Links

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Links to Sites of Interest

Augsburg Fortress Publishers

Camp Lutherwood

Columbia Lutheran Home

Compass Housing Alliance

Duwamish River Community Coalition

Earth Ministry / Washington Interfaith Power & Light

ELCA Board of Pensions (Portico)

ELCA World Hunger

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – Social Statement on Human Sexuality

FAN WA (Faith Action Network of Washington)

Foss Home and Village

Gather Magazine

Holden Village

Hope for Homies Project

International Justice Mission

Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation

LGBTQIA+ Resources at NW WA Synod of the ELCA

Living Lutheran Magazine

Lutheran World Relief

Lutheran Campus Ministry at the University of Washington

Lutheran Community Services Northwest

Lutheran Counseling Network

Lutheran Ministry Services, Northwest

Northwest Washington Synod

NW Washington Synod Assembly

Peace Lutheran Church Livestream on YouTube

Peace Lutheran Church Seattle on Tithe.ly

People of Peace Lutheran Church on Facebook

Southwest Youth and Family Services

Pacific Lutheran University

ReconcilingWorks (formerly Open Door Ministries)

Seattle Operation Nightwatch

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

Today’s ELCA Bible Verse

Uplift Northwest (formerly The Millionair Club)

West Seattle Blog

West Seattle Food Bank

West Seattle Community Resources (formerly West Seattle Helpline)

West Seattle Herald

Westside Baby

White Center Food Bank

YWCA Works – Angeline’s Day Center For Women

Posted by pastorerik on September 1st, 2009

4/21/24 Fourth Sunday of Easter Worship @ 10:30

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Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The image of the Good Shepherd shows us how the risen Christ brings us to life. It’s the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep, one of mutual knowledge and love, that gives the shepherd authority. The shepherd’s willingness to lay down his life for the sheep shows his love. First John illustrates what it means to lay down our lives for another by the example of sharing our wealth with any sister or brother in need. Today, Earth itself is in need—and we are being called to divest ourselves of habits and practices which impact and affect the biosystems that sustain life on our planet.

The Sacrament of Baptism Today we welcome Astrud Bernadette Gray into the Body of Christ through the Sacrament of Baptism. Astrud is the daughter of Heidi Gaston and Jason Gray, and the sister of Wyatt Gray. Her sponsor/godmother is her aunt, Hilary Spivey. We welcome members of Astrud’s extended family who are here to share in this sacred event!

Pass the Hat Partner: Holden Village The unique setting and ministry of Holden Village is dear to many of us who have traveled there on a regular basis. Over the course of 50 years, Holden has been transformed from a copper mining town to a vibrant place of education, programming, and worship. It has been a rich journey of faith. Holden welcomes all who seek contemplation and community in the remote wilderness of the beautiful Cascades.

To tune into the Live Stream broadcast of this service at 10:30am, click HERE.

The Worship Guide can be downloaded here: Easter 4B 4.21.24 bulletin FINAL

Posted by Kathleen Keyes on April 16th, 2024

1/7/24 Baptism of our Lord/ Ocean Stewardship @ 10:30

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WELCOME TO PEACE! WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US.

Today as we mark the Baptism of our Lord we also pay attention to the stewardship of water on Earth—particularly the oceans, the “life engine” for our planet home. The use and disposal of plastics have emerged in recent decades as a major threat to the health of Earth’s oceans, their creatures and habitats, and to the health of our own species as well. A major focus of our ministry of Creation Care in 2024 will include exploring this issue and inviting us to reform our use of plastics. Our baptismal vocation includes not only stewarding our lives but caring for the watersheds which supply us with the water that fills our fonts and for the oceans to which all rivers flow.

We celebrate Christ’s presence in the Sacrament of the Table each week at Peace. Christ, our Host, meets us in this meal of grace and offers himself, fully embodied, in the bread and wine. He invites all to come and meet him in this Holy Meal.

RECONCILING IN CHRIST AFFIRMATION OF WELCOME

Christ calls us to reconciliation and wholeness, in a world that can be filled with alienation and brokenness. In faithfulness to the Gospel and to our Lutheran heritage, we answer Christ’s call to be agents of healing and safety, particularly for people who have been marginalized by our society.

As a Christian community, we invite all people to join us as we work to better understand the meaning of grace for our lives. We welcome people of all sexual orientations and gender identities into the life and mission of our congregation.

To tune into the Live Stream broadcast of this service at 10:30am, click HERE.

The Worship Guide can be downloaded here: Epiphany 1B 1.7.24 bulletin

Posted by Kathleen Keyes on January 4th, 2024

9/17/23 Rally Sunday Ed @ 9:15am & Worship @ 10:30am

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Our theme for the day is—WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST: Everyone has an important role. It is a time for re-connecting with each other; a time for re-discovering our place within the vibrant community of Peace Lutheran; a time for re-engaging in the ministry opportunities that are present in our community; a time for re-joining the pattern of weekly education and worship as together we are equipped by the Spirit for lives of service in God’s world.

The day begins with activities from 9:15-10:15am downstairs in the Peace Fellowship Hall and on the outside patio, including fun crafts and activity stations. There will be a special station all about garbology, so make sure you look for Mother Earth and the Wishcycling Witch. A light breakfast will be served. Looking forward to seeing you there!

**Please bring a few items to add to our outdoor Food Pantry if you can!**

To tune into the Live Stream broadcast of this service at 10:30am, click HERE.

The Worship Guide can be downloaded here: Pentecost 19A 9.17.23 Rally Sunday bulletin

Posted by Kathleen Keyes on September 14th, 2023

St. Patrick’s Breastplate: A Gift for This Time

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As we mark St. Patrick’s Feast Day, enjoy this version of St. Patrick’s Breastplate Prayer, sung to The Deer’s Cry, a lovely lyrical version sung by Irishwoman Rita Connolly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeVEGOPjJXQ

St. Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland, (c. 389-March 17, 461)

Here’s a audio recording recounting St. Patrick’s life and ministry:

St. Patrick

Patrick grew up in a somewhat privileged family, on the west coast of Britain during the waning days of the Roman empire. And though his father was a Christian deacon and his grandfather a priest, Patrick, as a child, was not very religious. But when he was kidnapped as a teenager by Irish raiders, his life was turned upside down.

Sold to an Irish chieftain, Patrick found himself in exile—herding sheep and living in isolation and deprivation in the north of Ireland. It was there, during six long years of captivity, that he discovered the voice of God speaking to him from within. Responding to that voice, he fell into a rhythm of prayer each day. It was this same voice that inspired Patrick, six years later, to make his risky escape from slavery.

Walking 200 miles through forests and bogs, he found his way to a port and onto a ship, and, eventually, was reunited with his family. This experience of exile seeded a spiritual conversion within Patrick and he started on a new path of love for God, for his neighbor, and even for his enemies.

Much to the consternation of his family and the amazement of his former owners, he returned to Ireland years later as a missionary to preach and practice the love and mercy of God.

The hymn of St. Patrick is often referred to as a lorica or breastplate prayer. “Lorica” means a protective sheath, and loricas were to be chanted while dressing, arming oneself for battle, before travel, and as a protection against spiritual enemies. This prayer expresses Patrick’s faith and zeal in a powerful and memorable way as he invokes the power of the Holy Trinity, the powers of heaven and earth, and Christ himself, to accompany him in all circumstances and guard him from the powers of evil.

In recent years Patrick’s prayer has become precious to me. Reciting it daily helps to keep me grounded as I attend the challenges each day brings. As restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19 broaden and personal concerns for protection deepen, spiritual resources that ground us become more and more important. Reciting St. Patrick’s Breastplate Prayer doesn’t magically protect us, but it can help us plant ourselves on faith’s firm footing as each day begins. I share it this with you now with the invitation that you seek out, in your own way, spiritual resources that will serve to ground you in these times.[1]

ST. PATRICK’S BREASTPLATE

I bind unto myself today the strong name of the Trinity

by invocation of the same, the Three in One and One in Three.

I bind this day to me for ever, by pow’r of faith, Christ’s incarnation,

his baptism in the Jordan River, his cross of death for my salvation,

his bursting from the spiced tomb, his riding up the heav’nly way,

his coming at the day of doom, I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself today the virtues of the starlit heaven,

the glorious sun’s life-giving ray, the whiteness of the moon at even,

the flashing of the lightning free, the whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,

the stable earth, the deep salt sea, around the old eternal rocks.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,

Christ behind me, Christ before me,

Christ beside me, Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort and restore me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the name, the strong name of the Trinity

by invocation of the same, the Three in One and One in Three,

of whom all nature has creation, eternal Father, Spirit, Word.

Praise to the Lord of my salvation: salvation is of Christ the Lord!

[1] By the year 690 his hymn was being sung in churches and monasteries throughout Ireland and has been ever since. When Cecil Francis Alexander was asked to make a metrical version of the hymn, she wrote a paraphrase based on a 12 century manuscript which was sung for the first time on St. Patrick’s Day in 1889. This hymn form made its way into our Evangelical Lutheran Worship hymnal #450.

Posted by pastorerik on March 16th, 2022

4/9 Easter Vigil Exsultet

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THOUGH WE DID NOT HOST AN EASTER VIGIL THIS YEAR DUE TO COVID-19, MINISTRY OF MUSIC JON LACKEY HAS RECORDED THE EXSULTET CHANT. YOU CAN FIND IT ON OUR YOU-TUBE CHANNEL HERE.

BELOW IS A HISTORY OF THE EXSULTET COMPILED BY JON.

A Brief History of the Exsultet Chant

The Exsultet is one of the oldest and most evocative rites of the Christian liturgy and is a central part of the Lighting of the Paschal candle at the Easter Vigil. This year we will be posting the Exsultet on our Easter Vigil Online Service, so look for it there.

Traditionally chanted by the deacon, the Exsultet is sung after the Paschal candle has been lit and the clergy have processed to the altar. The procession and chant have a twofold meaning. They symbolize the journey of the Israelites out of Egypt, as well as the arrival of Christ who is the Savior of the world. The Exsultet recalls for us the history of our salvation; from the fall of Adam, to the events of that first Passover held by Moses and the Israelites, and then finally the events of that last Passover at which Jesus suffered, died, rose from the dead and by which humankind were redeemed. The tone of the hymn is very much one of joy at having received so great a gift as our redemption and eternal life.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the Exsultet originated no later than the late fourth century. Its origin is uncertain, but most religious historians agree that it was written by Saint Ambrose. St. Ambrose (Ambrosius in Latin) (339 – 397 A.D.) was Bishop of Milan, a biblical critic, and initiator of ideas that provided a model for medieval concepts for church-state relations. He is remembered for his literary works, musical accomplishments and especially as the teacher who converted and baptized St. Augustine of Hippo, the great Christian theologian.

The Exsultet was depicted on a liturgical parchment scroll that contained the texts and chants of the Exsultet accompanied by various decorative illuminations related to the contents of the same. In liturgical practice this scroll would be unrolled by the deacon as he sang the Exsultet from it, allowing it to unroll over the ambo (an oblong pulpit in the early Christian church) as he did so, thereby permitting the faithful to see the related iconography as he sang the liturgical text which corresponded to it. A favorite part of the Exsultet for many is the section that refers to bees and bees wax. The picture above of an early scroll of the Exsultet depicts the scene referring to the bees.

As author Father Michael Flynn writes, “For centuries the Exsultet has served as a liturgical jewel of unsurpassed beauty on this, the ‘mother of all holy vigils,’ as St. Augustine aptly described the Easter Vigil. As the Exsultet compels us, ‘Be glad, let earth be glad, as glory floods her, ablaze with light from her eternal King, let all corners of the earth be glad, knowing an end to gloom and darkness.’ May this venerable Easter Proclamation serve us and our assemblies as a genuine expression of Easter hope and joy.”

Posted by pastorerik on April 9th, 2020

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St. Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland, (c. 389-March 17, 461)

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4/9 Easter Vigil Exsultet

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