September 2018
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100th
Anniversary Dinner Celebration
SAVE THE DATE
WHO?
You!
Your Family!
Your Friends!
WHAT??
Celebration Dinner
WHEN???
Sunday, September 23, 2018
WHERE???
Salty’s Restaurant on Alki Beach
WHY?????
To Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of
First Lutheran Church of West Seattle
These are the highlights concerning our upcoming
100th Anniversary Celebration dinner.
Remember to fill out the form to attend and indicate how many
will attend, your names and phone numbers, your menu choices
(chicken or salmon $75), if any of the attendees are children
($30/child), and if anyone attending have any dietary
requirements (allergies, gluten free,
vegetarian, etc.).
This information along with the appropriate payment, must be
returned to the church no later than
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2018!!!!!!
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God’s Gift of 100 Years
Humility is the hallmark of Christian life (Luke 18:14).
Therefore if we are going to boast, it won’t be in anything we
have done, but in the cross of Christ alone (Galatians 6:14).
The Bible therefore pits us against God – and all to his glory.
Though we are faithless, we learn, “he remains faithful” (2
Timothy 2:13). Now that’s surely good news to any sinner! And
that’s because we now know for sure that our failures won’t
quash God’s
even when we aren’t seeking him as we should (Isaiah
65:1; Romans 3:11)!
So we cannot – and we must not – forget this during our
100th Anniversary. We would surely go astray if we were
to recount all of the faithful people over the years who
have kept our church afloat. By so doing we would also
defame their memory by belittling their convictions.
That’s because they would all, to a person, tell us in
no uncertain terms that all goes “to the glory of God”
(1 Corinthians 10:31)! They knew they were only unworthy
servants doing their duty and deserving no thanks from
anyone (Luke 17:9–10). I know that because over the last
almost forty years, I have known about half of those who
labored here these past one hundred years and are now at
rest in heavenly glory. Amen.
Pastor Marshall
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PRESIDENT'S REPORT....by
Bob Baker
September 2018 Is Here!
Yes, it is here: the month we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of
First Lutheran Church of West Seattle! A big celebration has
been planned and has already started.
Some might say the plans seem too ambitious, too elaborate, too
expensive. After all, we seem to be constantly faced with
adversities that go with aging: one major building repair after
another; diminishing vitality; slow but steady decline in
participation. 100 years. Aging. Struggles. Reasons to
celebrate?
Well, as Luther put it, “A Christian is uplifted in adversity
because he trusts in God.” The focus is not the adversity but
rather the focus is on God. Putting God first. How do we focus
on God? We focus on the most important gift God has given us,
His Word.
Of course, the seed of His Word does not always fall on fertile
soil. But we do celebrate that in the past 100 years there have
been many pastors who have faithfully preached and taught the
Word of God. There have been those among us who have not valued
and appreciated that. But First Lutheran Church of West Seattle
should be known as a place that above all upholds the Word of
God.
We celebrate that the Word of God keeps it in our faces that we
are sinners, through and through. The Word of God also claims
that we sinners are redeemed by the blood of Christ Jesus. The
Word of God thus frees us from ourselves so that we may reach
out and care for others in need.
That this still abides after 100 years is significant and a lot
to celebrate, a lot to be uplifted about. Thanks be to God!
Please keep the Mission and Ministry of our congregation in your
prayers. |
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Your Good Deeds Follow You
Luther on Revelation 14:13
“Learn the
difference between a Christian and a heathen and their works….
If he is a Christian, see whether he honors, hears, and
earnestly loves the Word, or whether he is also plagued by a
cross and troubles. If this is so, he will come to church,
gladly hear the Word, take delight in it, believe from the
heart, pray, give thanks, and have a good conscience. If you see
this, then conclude with certainty that he is a saintly man who
is pleasing to God. And admire him as such. And whatever he does
later, whether in the government or in the management of
household affairs, you must say that it is pleasing to God and
that God will reward it not only in this life but also in the
life to come. Thus it is stated in Revelation 14:13: ‘Their
deeds follow them,’ not only the works pertaining to the church
but also those pertaining to the state and to domestic matters.
But the works of the godless and the heathen are not pleasing to
God. Therefore they do not follow them; but they die without
glory, without being remembered, without admiration. Our works,
however, have the glory and the inspection of God and His
angels, and they follow us into the life to come.” [Martin Luther, “Lectures on
Genesis (1545)
Luther’s Works
5:271–72.]
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More About Luther
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His First Biographies
By Pastor Marshall
A new
companion volume,
Sixteenth-Century Biographies of Martin Luther (ed.
Christopher Boyd Brown) has just been published to go along with
the new volumes of
Luther’s Works currently coming out (volumes 56–82). It includes
well known works by Coelius, Bugenhagen and Melanchthon – and
not so well known ones by Johann Walter – in the form of a 64
verse hymn! – and Johann Mathesius (which makes up the bulk of
this book – pages 103–612). At the end
of his biography, Mathesius praises Luther for “teaching the
doctrine of true Christian repentance and exhorting everyone to
contrition, sorrow, and blessed knowledge of the Lord Jesus
Christ and to genuine new obedience [which includes attacking]
impure doctrine and false worship” (599). Who knows this Luther
today? Who cares about any of this today? At the beginning of
his work Mathesius notes that when “our Friar Martin” showed up
in Wittenberg in 1508 he “assiduously devoted himself to Holy
Scriptures and began disputing against sophistry in the
university” – with such power and devotion that it was clear no
one would be “able to topple or refute” him (126–27). A good,
short summary of Luther’s contribution is in verse 46 from
Walter’s hymnic biography. Take it to heart – you might even
want to memorize it (95): Of Germany
the prophet he, Whom God at
last had sent us; Elijah-like
he downward cast The Baal that
did torment us, Restored the
people to the way, And to right
faith converted All those in
darkness gone astray, Who had God’s
truth deserted. |
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STEWARDSHIP
A Larger Biblical View
In exploring the concept of Christian stewardship, I thought it
useful to start with two definitions I found:
One
describes it as a follower of the teachings of
Jesus Christ who spends his or her time, money, and energy
focusing on making the world better and taking care of the
people and things which are important to them. An example of
Christian
stewardship is making regular donations to the
church to which you belong.
Another definition states that stewardship is a theological
belief that humans are responsible for the world and should take
care of it. Believers in stewardship are people who believe in
one God who created the universe and all that is within it, also
believing that they must take care of creation and look after
it. Creation includes animals and the environment. Many
religions and denominations have various degrees of support for
environmental stewardship.
Biblical references relevant to stewardship include the
following:
In
Colossians 3:23-24
Paul writes:
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for
the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an
inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you
are serving”.
The first verse of Psalm 24 states:
“The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and
all who live in it.”
Deuteronomy 8:17
states, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced
this wealth for me.” However,
Deuteronomy 8:18
seems to advise us to us to think differently: “Remember
the LORD your God,
for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth”.
In exploring this important concept, I’ve learned recently that
as Christians in the 21st century, we need to embrace this
larger biblical view of stewardship. I believe this goes beyond
church budgets or building projects, though these are important.
Stewardship connects everything we do with what God is doing in
the world.
Jim Coile, Church Council |
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ANNOUNCEMENTS:
DEO GLORIA CANTORES – Choir will start their practice sessions
at 7:30 pm on Thursday, September 6th, in the gallery.
Fall Schedule
starts on Sunday, September 9th.
Adult Bible Class, rm. D and Sunday School, rm. 4, 9:00
am. Confirmation
(6th – 8th grades) meet in the library.
The Wednesday pastor’s
classes (10:00 am & 7:30 pm in rm. D) start on September 5th,
and confirmation (3:30 pm in rm. D) starts on September 5th as
well.
FOOD BANK DONATION suggestion for September is canned, boxed or
instant soups or one meal options like corned beef hash, stews,
etc. |
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Saint Nicholas Faire
Sunday, December 9, 2018 from 4:30 to 7:30 pm
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Lou Landino
Edward Hopper
Dr. Louis Landino
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His Left-Handed Paintings
By Pastor Marshall
Dr. Louis
Landino – long time orthodontist in West Seattle and Renton –
joined our church in 1975. He served on the Council from 1985 to
1988, and as Chair of the Deacons in 1986. He retired in 2008
after having a stroke that left him paralyzed on the right side.
Not to be out-done, he took up water color painting with his
left hand. Before his stroke,
he also painted and made beautiful customized furniture and
finely painted wooden birds. He mother was also an artist – as
is his sister, Susan Landino Edwards (see her online). Included here is a sample from his
voluminous work this year. What he has done in this piece is
paint his version of an Edward Hopper self-portrait from 1930. I
think Lou’s style resembles that of Henri Matisee (1855–1917).
Like Matisse, his paintings use intense colorism, with bold
simplification of flattened forms (Hilary Spurling,
Matisse the Master,
2007). We wish Lou the best and thank him for the beauty he
brings to our world.
Henri Matisse
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With the Mind
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12-2 pm in the Room C,
Sunday, September 16th. 2018-2019
Sept. 16 Sarah Jakes, Colliding With Destiny:
Finding Hope in the Legacy of Ruth (2014). Nov. 18
Bryan Stevenson,
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption (2014). Jan. 20
George M. Marsden,
C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity: A Biography (2016). Mar. 17 Jacob Soll, The Reckoning: Financial Accountability
and the Rise and Fall of
Nations (2014). May 19 Karen Armstrong, Fields of Blood: Religion
and the History of
Violence (2014).
September Book
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12-2 pm in the Room C, Sunday, September 16th.
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Schedule for
Wednesday Bible Classes
with Pastor Marshall
2018-2019
Morning 10- 11:30 am
Fall: 1 & 2 Corinthians
Spring:
Isaiah
1) 1 Cor 1.1-31
9)
2 Cor 1.1-24
1) Isaiah 1-4
9)
Isaiah 34-38
2) 1 Cor 2.1-3.23
10) 2 Cor 2.1-3.18
2) Isaiah 5-8
10) Isaiah 39-41
3) 1 Cor 4.1-5.13
11) 2 Cor 4.1-5.21
3) Isaiah 9-12
11) Isaiah 42-44
4) 1 Cor 6.1-7.39
12) 2 Cor 6.1-7.16
4) Isaiah 13-16
12) Isaiah 45-48
5) 1 Cor 8.1-9.27
13) 2 Cor 8.1-9.15
5) Isaiah 17-22
13) Isaiah 49-51
6) 1 Cor 10.1-11.33
14) 2 Cor 10.1-18
6) Isaiah 23-26
14) Isaiah 52-56
7) 1 Cor 12.1-13.13
15) 2 Cor 11.1-33
7) Isaiah 27-29
15) Isaiah 57-60
8) 1 Cor 14.1-16.24
16) 2 Cor
12.1-13.14
8) Isaiah 30-33
16) Isaiah 61-66
Evening 7:30 - 9:00 pm
Fall: Hab., Zep., Haggai,
Zach. & Malachi
Spring: Matthew
1) Hab 1.1-2.20
9)
Zech 7.1-8.23
1) Matthew
1.1-2.23
9)
Matthew 14.1-15.39
2) Hab 3.1-19
10) Zech 9.1-10.12
2) Matthew
3.1-4.25
10) Matthew
16.1-17.27
3) Zeph 1.1-2.15
11) Zech
11.1-12.14
3) Matthew 5.1-48
11) Matthew
18.1-19.30
4) Zeph 3.1-20
12) Zech
13.1-14.21
4) Matthew
6.1-7.29
12) Matthew 20.1-21.46
5) Haggai 1.1-2.23
13) Mal 1.1-14
5) Matthew
8.1-9.38
13) Matthew
22.1-23.39
6) Zech 1.1-2.13
14) Mal 2.1-17
6) Matthew 10.1-42
14) Matthew
24.1-25.46
7) Zech 3.1-4.14
15) Mal 3.1-18
7) Matthew
11.1-12.50
15) Matthew
26.1-75
8) Zech 5.1-6.15
16) Mal 4.1-5
8) Matthew 13.1-58
16) Matthew
27.1-28.20
“You cannot
read in Scripture too much, and what you do read you cannot read
too well, and what you read well you cannot understand too well,
and what you understand well you cannot teach too well, and what
you teach well you cannot live too well.”
Luther’s
Works
60:285 |
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Sunday Education
with Pastor Marshall
2018-2019
9:00 to 10:00 am, Room D
FALL SESSION
I,
September 9 - October 28
A Christian Battle Manual:
Re-Reading the Book of Judges
This eight week class will study the Book of Judges – not
a favorite among Christians because of all of its violence. This
will be done by reading through the 63 page pamphlet,
A Christian Battle
Manual: An Unexpected Reclamation of the Book of Judges for the
Church (2005) by Pastor Marshall.
FALL SESSION II,
November 4 - December 23
Poisoning Baptism: Luther’s View
of Baptism
In this eight week class we will study Luther’s view of
Holy Baptism. It will be based on the article, “Poisoning
Baptism” (The Bride of
Christ, Lent-Easter, 1991) by Pastor Marshall. This class is
will be the culmination of our 100th Anniversary Celebration.
WINTER
SESSION, January 6 – January 27
A Conflict of Rights & the Cake
Baker’s Freedom
In this four week class we will study the recent US
Supreme Court decision, “Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil
Rights Commission” (June 2018). This is one the last decision
written by recently retired justice, Anthony Kennedy, and it
addresses the conflict between the civil right of a gay couple
and the religious freedom of a cake baker. It is being called a
landmark decision. SPRING
SESSION I, February 3 – March 31
Religious Horrors: Eight
Rejected Psalms
In this eight week class we will study eight psalms most
Christians don’t know about, and if they do, they’re outraged
over – Psalms 9, 39, 55, 58, 107, 109, 137, 139 and 144. Each class
session will be based on a worksheet of questions handed out the
week before. SPRING
SESSION II, April 7- May 19
A Fast Gospel: Reading Mark, the
Shortest Gospel
This eight week class will study The Gospel of Mark. This
Gospel has the latest beginning in Jesus life (with no birth or
infancies stories). It also has a strange ending that will be
explored.
Each class session will be based on a worksheet of
questions handed out the week before. |
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MUSIC NORTHWEST Concert:
Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of
First Lutheran Church of West Seattle
With Leonid Keylin, violin;
&
Jane Harty, harpsichord
On Sunday, September 16th
at 3:00 pm, in the
nave.
Come & enjoy
Handel’s: Sonata in D Major,
Tartini’s: "Devil's Trill" Sonata in G Minor
& Bach’s: Sonata in E Major, BWV 1016. Experience this contrapuntal
brilliance from Bach, who once said "Bring me coffee before I
turn into a goat!" and his contemporaries to celebrate the
beauty of this historic church.
Tickets can be
purchased online at
www.musicnorthwest.org
or at the door.
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Revelation 14.13
September 2018, Number 307 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 Revelation 14.13 noting the word
deeds. What are they?
On this read Matthew 22.36–39 noting
love for
God and
neighbor. What is it
like to love God? On that read Luke 11.28 noting the words
hear,
ways and
keep. What’s this
hearing like? On this read Colossians 3.16 noting the words
word,
dwell and
admonish. What else?
On this read Hebrews 11.6 noting the words
faith and
please. Also on faith
read John 6.29 noting the words
work and
believe. Anything
else? On this read Romans 8.17 noting the line
provided we suffer with
Christ. Read also 1 Peter 4.13 noting the line
share Christ’s sufferings.
And what is it like to love the neighbor? On this read Matthew
7.12 noting the words
wish and so. Also
read Luke 10.29–37 noting the words
beat,
compassion,
care,
repay and
likewise. Read as
well 2 Timothy 4.1–2 noting the words
urgent,
rebuke and
exhort. Also on this
last reading read, 1 Peter 3.15 noting the words
defense,
account and
gentleness. How easy
will both sets of deeds be? On this read Matthew 7.14 noting the
words narrow and
hard. Can you manage?
Week II.
Read again Revelation 14.13 noting this time the word
follow. What does
that mean? On this read 2 Corinthians 5.17 noting the word
creation. Are we then
marked and altered by our deeds? On this read Matthew 7.16
noting the line you will
know them by their fruits. Read also Isaiah 61.3 noting the
designation oaks of
righteousness. Who brings about this following? On this read
Hebrews 8.12 about
remembering your sins no more. If that is the case, what
does God remember instead? On this read Psalm 37.18 noting the
line their heritage will
abide forever. What difference does it make if God remembers
our faithful heritage instead of our sins? On this read Hebrews
13.7 noting the line
consider the outcome of their life and imitate their faith.
God sees to it that faithful examples are preserved for us to
enrich our discipleship. Do you agree?
Week III.
Reread Revelation 14.13 noting again the word
follow. Does this
have anything to do with heaven? On that matter and faith, read
Revelation 21.24 noting the line
shall bring their glory
into it. Read also James 2.26 noting the essential
connection between the words
faith and
works. So if our
faith is in heaven, the works attached to our faith will also be
there. What will that be? On this read Matthew 6.20 noting the
phrase treasures in
heaven. What are they like? On this read Revelation 22.3
noting the word worship.
Giving glory to God will be our work in heaven. What will this
include? On this read Revelation 5.9 noting the word
song. There will,
however, be no service to the poor in heaven. Why is that? On
this read Revelation 21.4 noting the word
pain. So all pain due
to sickness, homelessness, lost family and friends, as well as
hunger, will be gone. But note, there is also the
marriage supper in
Revelation 19.9. Such feasting will be another activity, albeit
not one in direct service to God. How does that look to you?
Week IV.
Read Revelation 14.13 one last time noting the phrase
rest from their labors.
What sort of labor is this? On this read Genesis 3.19 noting the
line in the sweat of your
face. Is there labor without sweat? Is that what singing,
praising and feasting are? And how are one’s deeds remembered?
On this read Mark 16.16 noting the words
believes and
baptized. Read also 2
Peter 1.5–11 noting the words
supplement,
virtue,
unfruitful,
cleansed,
confirm and
entrance. Do these
verses go with the word
does in Matthew 7.21? How about the word
should in Ephesians
2.10? But what about the solitary word
believes in John
3.16? On this read John 3.3 noting the need to be
born anew. That adds
transformation to faith. Read also John 4.23 noting
worship in
spirit and
truth. That adds the
doctrinal attunement of right worship. Note also the additions
of self-hatred in
John 12.25, judging
others in John 7.24, and
loving others in John
13.34. Do you still think faith alone saves you? John 3.16 –
when linked up with all of John’s Gospel – doesn’t think so.
How about you? Why is more needed than just faith in
Jesus? On this read 1 Corinthians 4.20. |
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Join
us on Sunday, September 23rd at 10 am for our 100th anniversary
festival procession and worship. That evening you are invited to
Salty's at 5 pm for dinner ($75 per person). Be sure to make
your reservations 206-935-6530 before September 9th.
We give thanks to God for our wonderful legacy. First Lutheran
Church of West Seattle has touched many lives in West Seattle
and throughout the world. At this time we remember those who
have worked hard and gone before us. To prepare, we have been
cleaning, repairing and planning for the big day.
On Sunday, September 23rd at 10 am, you won't want to miss being
a part of the procession from the site of our first church
building in 1918 to our present building,
and the Holy Eucharist and Hymn Festival at 10:30 am in the
nave. Then plan to join us for dinner at Salty's on Sunday,
September 23rd at 5 pm. Besides a delicious meal ($75 each,
reservations must be made through the church before September
9th) we will have a slideshow presentation by Paul Dorpat,
columnist for the "Now & Then" series in
The Seattle Times,
on Seattle 100 years ago. Also a few thoughts on our community
and First Lutheran Church of West Seattle will be shared by Jack
Miller of Husky Deli. |
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A Treasury of
Prayers Bless your
Church, O Lord, and fill it with truth and grace. Where it is
corrupt, purge it; where it is in error, rectify it; where it is
right, confirm it; where it is divided and rent asunder, heal
its breaches. Replenish all whom you have called to any office
therein, with true doctrine and purity of life. Let their
prayers be as precious incense in your sight, so that their
cries and tears for the Church may not be made in vain. In
Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
[For All the
Saints III:37, altered] |