Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church

Weekly Bulletin for February 5, 2012 [PDF]

You are invited to join Minister of Outreach Patrick Meagher and others from PRLC, who will travel to Olympia to participate in Interfaith Advocacy Day on Valentine’s Day – February 14.  This is a chance to see how your state government operates, become educated on urgent issues, and make a real difference by meeting with your representatives in the afternoon to share your opinions.  Materials, appointment set up, and lunch is included in the $25 cost of registration.   To register and find out more, check out www.fanwa.org, or contact Patrick in the office.

It’s dinner time, you’re hungry, but don’t feel like making a “meal” for just one or two people. What do you do?

A meal can be a chore or an experience. Do you have a friend or acquaintance who may be in the same situation as you, cooking for one or two? Schedule a couple of nights to cook together and share the meal, dishes, and leftovers. Judith Jones’s cookbook The Pleasures of Cooking for One is a useful resource. One helpful website is allrecipes.com; it allows you to enter in the number of servings you’d like to make of any recipe, and the site will change the amounts.

If you don’t relish (ha ha) the idea of making a new dish for each meal, you could make some “base” foods that can be part of a new dish each day.  Rice and pasta, for example, keep in the fridge for several days. Pair the rice with fish one day, in a salad the next, and stir fry the third day. Your stomach will never know it was the same batch! Feel like spicy Asian food? Try some curry or peanut sauce over the noodles.  Feel like Italian?  Try some basil pesto or red sauce on your pasta.  Feel like salad? Use pasta or rice instead of croutons.  You’ve just made it through a week!

Many foods freeze well.  Make a larger batch of sauce, chili, stew, or casserole; divide it into small, freezable containers; put them in the freezer, and you’ve got a week of meals.  If you spend one day cooking several different dishes, you can have an entire buffet line in your freezer!  You can broaden your meal selection by suggesting to a friend that s/he also make several larger meals, then trade small freezer containers.

Many cooking websites have search options that allow you to search by ingredients that you have on hand. This may make the meal preparation less frustrating, knowing you don’t need to go to the store for that one last ingredient. There are also substitution lists available online which may also save you a trip to the store.  Keeping a few common foods on hand can also save you a trip.

Preparation is key, but sometimes the best adventures are spontaneous.  Enjoy your cooking adventures, whatever they may be!

The dedication inscription for the newly released Faith Forming Faith says:

To the faithful women, men, and children of God at Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church in Seattle, Washington:  past, present, and future.

The book may have my name on the front cover, but it is really your story.  I was simply the one privileged to tell it.  And what a story it is!  — a story of God’s presence with us through the challenges and joys of almost the entire 20th century and now, the first tenth of this new millennium as well.

There is a subtitle to the book: Bringing New Christians to Baptism and Beyond.  It’s the “beyond” part of that subtitle that I think is so compelling for us as we look forward to all that lies ahead.  What is the beyond to which we bring people after their baptisms?  That is simply another was of asking, Where is God leading us?  All of us!

I am delighted that God seems to be leading us to places where we have a deep and abiding history.  It was reported at last Sunday’s annual meeting that the Food Bank in 2011 distributed 114,000 pounds of food last year, reaching over 600 different families.  The Child Development Center is filled (with a waiting list!) of young ones whose families we are serving from across the Seattle neighborhood.  It’s been that way for over 50 years.  The Phinney Houses continue to serve persons in need.  Kids are formed in faith through activities at Bread for the Journey, LYONS, Confirmation, Sunday School, weekly worship, choral activities, and Vacation Bible School.  Adults continue to “grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ” through Bible studies in Circles and forums, through Spirited Women and spontaneous groups.  Each week the Word is opened and the Table is set.

We look to new adventures in the future.  Mary’s Place will soon find a home at Phinney Ridge, and as soon as 1 May we will host our first group of 14 women and children in rooms 301/302 for a week.  The 100th Anniversary Committee is steeped in plans for our celebration spanning the April 2015 birthday of our church, and Council is at work charting a course of planning for mission in the immediate and mid-range future.

All of this is spiraled around the solid cross of Jesus that stands at our center and anchors our work in the name of Christ.  Women, Men, and Children – past present, and future… all joining together to do the work of God in whatever ways we can.

When you have a chance to read through Faith Forming Faith, it’s my fervent hope that you will not simply see on its pages the men and women of The WAY.  They are there, to be sure.  But so are YOU!  And it is because of you, and the unique ways that God has called you into ministry in the life of this congregation that we can and do welcome yet others to the “waters of life, and the bread and cup of blessing.”

You are a foundational part of God’s plan and God’s work in the world.  Thank you for that.

See you in Church,
Pastor Hoffman

3…2…1…Action! It’s show time! Dinner Theater Auditions will be held February 7- 8, 7:30pm-9:00pm and February 9, 4:00pm – 6:00pm at the Den. Whether it’s making sets, sewing costumes, playing in the band or acting on stage, if you’re a high school student we want you. Come out to auditions to learn how you can participate and to get more information about this exciting annual event. Shows will be April 27-29 & May 4-6.

LYONS Superbowl Party! Sunday, February 5 starting at 3:30pm. Join us at the Den from kickoff to the final seconds of Superbowl XLVI. We’ll chow down on pizza and wings and cheer on the teams.

Did you know the Den is open for you to hang out during the week? Now, all LYONS (middle and high schoolers) and friends can come every Tuesday and Wednesday after school from 2:30-5:00 (12:30-5:00 on early dismissal days). We play games, eat snacks, and have a time to just chill. Hey, the rest of your day is so busy, why not take some you time and relax at the Den!

It’s a new year and a new time for middle school LYONS to get together on Sundays. We’ve moved the time up to 3:30pm-5:00pm at the Den, so you can get home in plenty of time for dinner. Don’t worry…only the time has changed. The fun…let’s just say, it’s still awesome! Check the LYONS calendar online for details: www.roaringlyons.org.

LYONS has expanded its Board! Do you feel led to encourage, foster, and promote opportunities for youth to participate in a Christ-centered community of worship, witness, service, education, and fun? If so, this opportunity is for you. LYONS is looking for Board representatives from each member church to help LYONS make a difference in 2012! Only two members still needed.

LYONS Annual Meeting will be Sunday, March 4 at 5:00pm at Ballard First Lutheran. Please join us to hear about the exciting accomplishments LYONS had in 2011 and what is in store for 2012. Dinner will be served. We welcome anyone interested in the goals and work of LYONS to attend.

The WAY is now well underway as we move through the next weeks of Epiphany and soon enter the season of Lent.  Part of The WAY journey is learning to pray for others every day, and all who are involved in The WAY rely on your prayers of support.  You are invited to meet these people on Sundays and pray for them throughout the week as they prepare for baptism or affirmation of baptism at the Easter Vigil.

Candidates and Their Sponsors

• Doug Johnson, sponsored by John Hubbard
• Don and Jenn Boelter, sponsored by David and Jo-Ann Cress
• Ryan Ferrer, Christine Liebsack and daughter Eleanor, sponsored by Mike Bishop and Karen Clark
• Jasen Frelot and Hannah Hong, sponsored by Willie and Alice Gregory
• Dean and Ginger Glawe, sponsored by Roy Mock and Sallie Shippen
• Dave and Benz Kuipers and son Grant, sponsored by Tina Georgeson
• Eric Liljegren and Scott Shiebler and son Isaac, sponsored by George and Cherry Snelling
• Chasity and Adrian Malatesta and son Enzo, sponsored by John Breen and Nancy Monelli
• Camille McGee, sponsored by Roberta Diesner
• Jake and Julie Roberts and son Hudson, sponsored by Ellen Goforth and Bart Brosten
• Wes Schapper, sponsored by Greg Vernon
• Michael Trice and Jennifer Collins and daughter Brigid, sponsored by Rocky Piro and Ardis Pilz
• Ann Van Camp, sponsored by Luci Baker Johnson
• Zach Courter

Dear Partners and Friends,

This is a letter of thanksgiving to God and to you for the part you have played in supporting the Chicken Hatchery in Ethiopia Project.  Please accept our gratitude and thanks. Your gifts are making this idea possible.

Background
As you may recall, our NW Washington Synod has had a companion relationship with the North Central Ethiopian Synod of the Mekane Yesus Church in Ethiopia.  The North Central Ethiopian Synod (NCES) is one of 22 synods in the Mekane Yesus Church in Ethiopia.  We have had a sister relationship with the NCES since 1990.

In June 2010, the NCES asked us to help them finance a chicken hatchery project at the former Haik orphanage.  The orphanage in that area was not needed as before.  [Funds can still be donated for the orphan children who are now in school or living with extended family.  Contact the Synod Office on how to do this].  Most of the profits from the chicken hatchery will go for lay leadership training and seminary scholarships.  Some will provide partial assistance for up to 200 disadvantaged children in the area.

A Viable Request
The neat thing about this request is that it was the Ethiopian Church’s idea; it developed a doable plan and worked with the Ethiopian government to gain approval.

The Ethiopian government dragged its feet initially because it wanted the hatchery to be larger than proposed. The local Ethiopian Church, however, stood its ground, saying that resources were available from the NW Washington Synod but not to the extent for which they hoped.  The Ethiopian Church insisted the hatchery would grow and develop, and of course it will.  Final approval was granted by the government in late June 2011, and planning began in earnest.

Costs
For this project, the NW Washington Synod agreed to donate $102,000 over a six year period.  We have raised $50,422 so far, and the hatchery is underway. In 2-3 years the plan for the hatchery is for it to become self-supporting, at which time our contributions will taper off except for larger items such as incubators.

New Manager Hired; Incubators Purchased
To date, a professional chicken hatchery manager has been hired; and three incubators and a generator have been purchased, plus other equipment and supplies.  Exciting pictures of chicks are shown here.

Baby Chicks
550 baby chicks were purchased in November 2011 and now have grown in size.  In March 2012 these chicks should provide fertilized eggs for hatching.  The three incubators can handle about 2,400 eggs per month, or more than 28,000 eggs per year.  Glory to God!  Thank you for your generosity.

Sincerely yours,
Chicken Hatchery in Ethiopia Task Force
Ken Halvorson, Facilitator

Contributions may be sent to:

Ethiopia Business Venture Fund
(#02-346-03002)
NW Washington Synod Office
5519 Phinney Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98103-5299

Vicar Gina Herman

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of our Lenten journey to the cross. On that day, we receive ashes on our foreheads to remind us that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. Yet we are also reminded that Jesus comes to us through bread and wine, forgiving our sins and strengthening us for the journey ahead.

This year for our midweek Lenten services, we will be walking along side the Israelites in the desert as we look at stories from the book of Numbers and wrestle with our own faith. Just as the Israelites were parched in the desert, it is easy for us to become parched by sin and the things of this world that weigh us down. As we gather together each Wednesday during Lent (services at 11:15 am in the Chapel), we will be refreshed by the Word that brings us new life and we will encounter the living God, who will sustain us throughout our journey to the promised land.

God knows this journey will not be easy for us. No journey towards wholeness and holiness ever is! The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years, confronting their sin and learning how to trust in God to provide for them. As we journey towards the cross, we must also confront our sin and all the things that keep us from trusting in God.

The Monelli Memo
If there is one word we could use to describe February this year, that word would be love.  On the fourteenth of this month we celebrate Valentine’s Day by expressing our love for one another through the exchange of cards and candy. And then, only on week and a day later, the Season of Lent begins. Most people do not immediately think of love when they think of Lent. Penitence and self- denial are usually  the first two words that come to mind, but I think that love really is at the heart of these forty days. This is the time when we are called to reflect in very intentional ways on the great love God expressed for his people through the life and death of Jesus. It is a time for us to express our love for God by stepping away from many of the indulgences and distractions of modern life to better focus on our life with the Lord. And it is the opportunity for individual families and members of the family of faith to spend more time together in Bible study, prayer, and activities that call us to serve with love. I hope that you and your family will open your hearts in new and expanding ways to God’s love during this Lenten season and then share that love with one another and with those in need as well.

In hope and joy,
Nancy

Walk This Way
An Event for Lent
Sunday, February 26 at 10 am
Activities and resources will be available for all members of the church family (young and old) to help you more fully participate in the season of Lent. At this event you can. . .

• Learn more about the traditional spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, and works of love.
• Sign up for the 40 Days of Prayer project.
• Discover new and innovative ways to grow in your own spiritual life.
• Join with others to share your gifts to help others and glorify God
• Make and take items to help you celebrate Lent in your home.

Bread for the Journey
During February the classes for children in Kindergarten through fifth grade are focusing on the great Gospel stories of the Epiphany season. From the call of the disciples through the Transfiguration, the children will be exploring the many ways in which Jesus is the Light of the World.

Garden of Gratitude
This month we thank all the parents who faithfully bring their children to church and encourage them to actively participate in worship, Sunday School, Bread for the Journey or choir programs. The faith continues to grow and the light of Christ shines a little more brightly because a new generation of Christians are being raised in this community of faith.

Looking Ahead. . .
The dates for Vacation Bible School have been set! This year’s program will take place on Tuesday through Saturday, June 26  -  30.

At least 70 members of PRLC contributed to the success of Faith and Font, doing everything from hosting or transporting students, to making cookies or soup, to chopping onions, serving meals, setting tables, assembling notebooks, serving as small group leaders, leading the children’s choirs and the like.  Eighteen students and thirty-two other guests formed a community of faith over a weekend for an intensive experience of faith formation ala The WAY.  Guests included members of the ELCA, the Episcopal Church, United Methodist, UCC, Presbyterian Church USA and Mennonite Brethren.  The grace of this congregation to step forward in many and various ways in support of this biennial event is fundamental to making it possible, and the hospitality you offer is unmatched.  You, the people of Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church, extend the caring ministry of Jesus Christ to all who come through our doors.  Thank you.