Voice of Grace

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Reformation: Luther At The

Luther at the Diet of Worms, by Anton von Werner, 1877

First of all, what is a Diet? Here we are not talking about a diet such as Weight-Watchers or Atkins: A Diet is a deliber- ative assembly; a gathering of members of any kind of collective who use parliamentary procedure to make decisions. The Diet of Worms relating to Luther was April 16 to 18, 1521. On April 16, he was told to appear the following day at 4 p.m. On April 17, he was asked if a collection of 25 books were his and if he was ready to revoke their heresies. Luther requested more time for a proper answer, so he was given until the next day at 4 p.m. On April 18, Luther presented himself before the Diet. When the same questions were put to him, he answered, “They are all mine, but as for the second question, they are not all of one sort.” He went on to place the writings into three categories: (1) Works which were well received by even his enemies: those he would not reject. (2) Books which attacked the abuses, lies and desolation of the Christian world and the papacy: those, Luther believed, could not safely be rejected without encouraging abuses to continue. “If I now recant these, then, I would be doing nothing but strength- ening tyranny.” (3) Attacks on individuals: he apologized for the harsh tone of these writings but did not reject the substance of what he taught in them; if he could be shown from the Scriptures that he was in error, Luther continued, he would reject them. He concluded by saying, “Since your majesty and your lordships desire a simple reply, I will answer without horns or teeth. Unless I am convinced by Scripture and by plain reason (I do not believe in the authority of either popes or councils by themselves, for it is plain that they have often erred and contradicted each other) in those Scriptures that I see page 2 Worship 10:30 a.m. October 2017

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org Worms from page 1 stood before the Emperor and princes of the Holy Roman Empire, before cardinals and bishops of the Church of have presented, for my conscience is captive to the Word Rome and uttered the words: “I will not recant.” He left of God; I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go Worms an outlaw, condemned and finally excommuni- against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand; I cated by the Roman Church. can do no other. God help me. Amen.” In rejecting Luther the Catholic Church lost one of its most faithful sons. In his book, Obedient Rebels: Before I Forget Catholic Substance and Protestant Principle in Luther’s , the eminent scholar, Jaroslav Pelikan, by George Hanson writes: “ was the first Protestant; yet, he Luther – What I Have Learned was more Catholic than many of his Roman Catholic Martin Luther the Reformer is one of the most extraordinary opponents.” This paradox lies at the very center of persons in history and has left a deeper impression of his Luther’s Reformation. Today some excellent scholarship presence in the modern world than any other except Columbus. on Luther is coming from Catholic writers. Luther may (Ralph Waldo Emerson well be the person who will bring about reunion. Time A worthy assessment of Luther, but I would put Christ at will tell. This reminds me of something I did years ago – the head of the list. before Vatican II. At the time, I was living in Iceland. One night in late December a group of us went to the Catholic After considerable Cathedral in Reykjavik. The priest was very gracious in research and the accu- showing us around the church. He finally took us up to mulation of many the choir loft where there was a rather large and magnifi- books on Luther and cent organ. He invited us to play it if we wished. This the Reformation, what “cocky” Lutheran sat down at the organ, pulled out all the have I learned? Luther stops and immediately played Luther’s great hymn, “A “invaded my home” and Mighty Fortress is Our God.” The priest was not amused. I wondered where to Today this magnificent hymn is sung and appreciated in put all the books. Did Catholic churches. I know any more than I did before? I have a I learned that Luther suffered periods of depression, Lutheran background. his anfechtaugen. At times Luther felt that God had My mother’s heritage included over 200 Lutheran pastors, abandoned him. In one of his greatest writings, The including a few bishops, one of whom served in that office Heidleberg Disputation (1518), Luther comes to terms for 56 years, publishing the Bible in Icelandic (1585) with suffering and the “soul’s dark night.” God is found and firmly establishing in Iceland. Another in suffering. Here emerges his famous “Theology of the ancestor went to Wittenberg and studied with Luther. But Cross.” For me and many others, it is one of the greatest when I began this study, I really didn’t know too much and most profound theological statements in history. I about Luther. have concluded that Luther is the greatest theologian in history since Paul the Apostle. Little by little, I am I quickly learned that Luther was a complex man; and learning more about Law and the Gospel, The Two Luther remains somewhat of an enigma, elusive and Kingdoms, Justification, Faith, the Church, etc. sometimes contradictory. I started out saying that Luther was a complex man and The Reformation began with a soul’s search for God and sometimes contradictory. But on some things he was the subsequent struggles of a tormented soul within the firm and unchanging. If he felt that something was not walls of an Augustinian monastery. Finally, Martin Luther right he would attack his opponent like a vicious Pitbull found God in Jesus Christ. “The just shall live by faith.” dog, sinking his teeth in and never letting go. He was, Luther didn’t discover anything new. It was there all the on the other hand, a devoted husband and father, as well time - especially in Romans - his favorite book. Simply as a sincere friend. His Table Talk shows a loving and put, it was: We are justified by grace through faith. kind Luther. The Reformation needed a strong leader and One thing for certain, Luther was fearless. He knew Luther was that man. Sola Scripture. Scripture Alone. His what had happened to Hus and others. He felt that this, whole defense was the Holy Bible. True, he was deeply too, would be his destiny. A martyr’s death. The greatest influenced by Saint Augustine. But above any writing was moment in modern history is Luther’s defense in 1521 Scripture - in the well-known words of Luther: “Verbum at the Diet of Worms. Armed only with the Word of God Dei infallible” (the infallible Word of God). He also felt and the Holy Spirit, the peasants’ son from that everyone should have access to the Bible in their see page 3 Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org 2 Forget from page 2 In my ordinary secondary school (O level 2007-2009) I native language. His translation of the Bible (1534) has struggled a lot concerning the fact that I had to catch up no equal and has influenced the faith and language of on a lot of academic work in a very short time, as I was Germany for centuries. stuck before due to financial issues, but all in all, God was on my side. I excelled with First Grade and joined Solus Christus. Only Christ. Jesus Christ was the center of advanced secondary school (A level 2010-2011). For the Luther’s life. He was also the center of Luther’s theology. first time while in high school, I realized that for every In the entire Old Testament he saw Jesus Christ and hence choice we make, we have to face the consequences. I a Christ-centered interpretation of this part of the Bible, had a passion for science subjects and I had to make and of the New Testament, of course. In the classic film ends meet that is in four subjects (physics, chemistry, on Luther made some fifty years ago, Luther is shown an biology and mathematics and also Ebenezer, I excelled impressive collection of relics owned by Duke Frederick. and after many applications joined Kampala International Luther is not impressed. The question is put to Luther: University for a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of “ What will you give the people if these relics are taken Surgery. It has been my time here in university that I real- away?” Luther quickly responds: “JESUS CHRIST!” The ized that if God had not been on my side, I would have son of German peasants opened to the world the trea- been swallowed up. Many of my friends and colleagues sures of the Bible. The one who came to God as a beggar have dropped out not only for financial reasons but also and teaches us to do likewise, shows us the way to Jesus in discipline issues, impatience to finish 5 and 1/2 years Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. in just university, academic reasons where students are SOLUS CHRISTUS discontinued for poor performance, and, sad enough, some have contracted psychiatric illnesses. Honestly, I have had many good moments and some A Letter From Uganda sad ones, too. At times I felt hopeless and discouraged To all members of Grace Lutheran Church, because of emotional, psychological and spiritual issues, but all in all, God has spared me by His grace, and now I greet you in the I am to start my very last semester in medical school on name of Our Lord 21st August, 2017. I am hopeful that the God who has Jesus Christ. Hope brought me this far will continue holding my hand till the you, your families, very last moment of my life. and ministry are doing well. I am I am so grateful, really, for all of you who have sacrificed overwhelmed this a lot, even let go of the best you would have had just for morning with joy me and others to study. God bless you. I would not have as I write this letter been where I am or what I am if you had not poured out to you. Am just your love in sacrifice for me. I have no better way to thinking of how dark express my gratitude, but please allow me to say “Thank my future was, then you very much.” I feel so blessed knowing that very soon when I was hopeless I am graduating as a doctor and that I will reach out, bless about education, and and save many lives because of the blessing you are to had no hand to help me. I love you so much. despite my passion Yours, for education, God Vivian Nanfuka just brought these amazing people into my life, that have Vivian Nanfuka A Prayer for Faith Alone not only blessed my life, but also have blessed my family, my friends and my Gracious Lord God, you have laid claim to us and have country, Uganda, as a whole because every life matters, set us apart as your own. Help us not to think too highly and for sure if only one life is saved, then many genera- of ourselves or to seek glory by personal merit. Rather, tions that follow after them are also saved. The journey help us to rest our faith and hope in you alone. In all has been long, interesting, tough, and many lessons have things, let us remain strong in faith and lead us by your been learnt and for sure every day in school for me counts Spirit, at work in your Word. In the name of Jesus Christ and a lot is being added into my life. we pray. Amen submitted by Roberta Bymers

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org 3 Gone Digging Penny’s Thoughts by Lois Sherwood In a recent mid-week For four days update from Pastor in July 2017, Coe, the congrega- I joined 30 tion was asked to read teachers from the book of Jonah. the United I thought, “I can do States and that” and went to my Canada for an little stack of Bible experience of editions. I have three: a lifetime with one humongous the Burke edition received as a wedding gift (the type to record Museum family history with tons of beautiful pictures); another DIG Field School, near Jordan, Montana. During those received from Kathy Gibson when she was giving away four days, we camped in tents at the Hell Creek State Bibles not too long ago; and the one my parents gave me Campground with 30 university students, graduate for Christmas when I was nine years old. students and professors from University of Washington, My “go to” Bible is the one my parents gave me. I the Burke Museum in Seattle and the Field Museum in always like reading the inscription in the front and Chicago. remembering their love. As I was flipping through Each day began with breakfast and packing a lunch. For the pages, a piece of paper fell out. I was stunned on the first three days, we all loaded into one of 10 SUV’s a couple of levels: one, how could I have missed this for the long dusty drive to the day’s dig site. We learned before; and two, was this my writing and how old was I the skills of paleobiologist. We crawled on our bellies when it was written? under the blazing sun scavenging for microfossils. These Yes, it was my writing, but as a young child. I cannot were indicators of the presence of other fossils deeper for the life of me remember why it was written or when. in the rocks. We used rock hammers and picks to find Was it from a Sunday School class? Was it from cate- the productive horizon, the most likely layer for finding chism class? Regardless of the circumstances, reading it the parent fossils, then gathered bags or rocks to filter was very interesting and I’m going to share it with you. and sort for later analysis. Sometimes we even found whole bones of Triceratops or Hadrosaurs. We learned to “Oh Lord, who are you that commands us to go into prepare and jacket these finds in plaster for later retrieval. all the world?” Our Father, who art in Heaven We practiced identifying the microfossils in the Hell “What, oh Lord, shall we say?” Creek formation to gain information about the ecosystem Hallowed be thy name that existed 66-68 million years ago when dinosaurs “And what, oh Lord, shall we pray?” roamed these lands. We learned that the great K/T, or Thy kingdom come more correctly, the K/Pg extinction was more compli- “What, oh Lord, shall be our goal?” cated than first thought. The K/Pg event may have been Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven the proverbial straw the broke the camel’s back for dino- “How, oh Lord, will you support us?” saurs’ existence on earth. Other global geologic events Give us this day our daily bread may have set the stage for this final extinction event. “What, oh Lord, shall we teach?” What can we learn from this to understand our modern And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those world and the current threat of mass extinctions? who trespass against us So why did I do this? I am retired from teaching, right? I “But Lord, I’m only a kid.” still care deeply about understanding our planet, both its And lead us not into temptation past and future. I still care deeply about science educa- “And I’m afraid to face those people.” tion and preparing the next generation of explorers. But deliver us from evil If I can use this experience to prepare myself to train “How then, oh Lord, shall we know you are there?” teachers, then I can still make a difference for our future. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen So, yes, I am retired from the classroom, but retirement is an opportunity for reinvention. Timeless, don’t you think? God’s blessings to you all. Penny

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org 4 Pastor’s Message A Full and Fabulous Fall – God is Working Grace Lutheran is already embarked on a full and fabulous fall season with lots of events, celebrations, and opportunities to serve and learn. I wanted to take this space to highlight many of those activities and to encourage you to participate in as many of them as possible. God is working in and through Grace Lutheran, and it is a privilege to be part of that work. Our fall season kicked off withRally Day on August 27. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed the theme of “Island Life.” Everyone was decked out in colorful outfits, and we enjoyed burgers and brats from the barbecue. It was such fun. Everyone enjoyed the conversation, fellowship, and delicious food. One of the highlights of the fall was our Koinonia gathering with Emmanuel Apostolic Church on September 17. Nearly forty people from Grace attended; it was a wonderful afternoon. We were warmly welcomed by Bishop Robertson, First Lady Lillian and the entire congregation. We enjoyed spirit-filled music led by the Emmanuel music team. Then, the combined Emmanuel-Grace “Hallelujah Choir” (my name for the group) thrilled us with a wonderful rendition of Order My Steps. I was privileged to share briefly from God’s Word, and the Bishop even took up an offering for the benefit of Grace. We received $400 which will go into a Koinonia Fund to help with future events and activities. If all of that worship and music and love wasn’t enough, we were then treated to an absolutely delicious barbecue including ribs, hot dogs, chicken, and all the sides. Ummm, that was good! The Bishop gave us a tour of the $13 million Marvin Webster center that is being built as a community center. It will be a wonderful building that will bring significant and long-lasting benefits to their community. It was very inspiring. It was a wonderful afternoon; we all talked about wanting to figure out next steps and what we could do together for the community. The leaders from both congregations will be working on that challenge. Our fall adult forum program is centered around Martin Luther’s Small Catechism. Some are studying the catechism for the first time and for others this is a refresher. But in either case, this is a great study of the basics of Christianity and Martin Luther’s take on applying those basics to our lives. It is interesting, challenging, and fast-moving. Come and join us Sundays at 9:15 a.m. By the time you read this, the Men’s Picnic will have taken place on September 23. This is always a fun event including games, good food, and fellowship. As we head into October, we will celebrate our pets with a Blessing of the Animals on October 14, 5:00 at the church. Bring your beloved pets as we thank God for all his creatures. I am very excited about the Social Concerns Gathering after worship on Sunday, October 22. The purpose of this meeting is to plan and get on a calendar all of our events and fund-raising and important dates. This calendar can then be published. It will help all of us plan ahead and know what is coming up. It will help those who are coordinating the events to have plenty of lead time. It will be a great piece of information about Grace Lutheran when we publish it on our website. We do make a difference in our community; this will help make that visible to others and will be a great reminder to invite others to participate in these events. On Sunday, October 29th we will celebrate the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s posting of the 95 Theses with a barbecue and celebration right after church. You are invited to bring your favorite German dish; we will be cooking brats for all. There may be some contests involving your knowledge of the Reformation so you might want to study ahead. We will be celebrating the Reformation throughout the year, and this will be one of the key events. A half-day Prayer Retreat will be offered on November 4. The retreat will begin at 9:00 a.m. and end by noon. These are always meaningful times of quiet, study, and prayer. Please plan to join us. The next day, Sunday, November 5, is the Gathering of Grace at Lagerquist Hall at PLU. This is a synod-wide worship event and begins at 3:00 p.m. There will be a combined choir and it should be a glorious opportunity for worship. As we get closer to the day we will orga- nize some carpools. Then on Wednesday, November 15, we will have a wonderful evening together celebrating and learning about our Ugandan Orphans. We will begin with pizza and a movie at 5:30 p.m. We are going to watch the movie, Queen of Katwe, a delightful Disney movie about a young Uganda girl who learns to play chess and becomes an expert. We will take time to answer your questions about our orphan program and you will have the opportunity to become a regular supporter of this important effort. see page 6

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org 5 Pastor’s Message from page 5 Finally, as we move into December and Advent, we will have an Advent Craft Event after church on December 3. One of the things that event will include is the construc- tion of new chrismons for our Grace Christmas tree. We can even put the tree up that afternoon and celebrate with these new decorations. December 10-13 will find us providing meals at the Homeless Shelter; watch for a sign-up list. This is an important and rewarding opportu- nity to serve some of the most needy in our community. Our annual Grace Christmas Party and White Elephant Gift Exchange will be held on Sunday, December 17. It will begin with a 5:00 p.m. appetizer and dessert potluck, followed by the always hilarious white elephant gift exchange. Whew, there is lots happening, but it is all wonderful. There are many ways that God is working in and through Grace Lutheran. Please invite your friends and neighbors to participate in these events — they are a good way for frequently depend upon my skills, my friends, my family, newcomers to begin to get to know Grace Lutheran. my beloved wife, my savings account, my possessions, my job? Upon what do I REALLY depend? We might put the question this way, “What in life do you love the most?” If Jesus is truly my God, why am I so upset when my schedule gets changed or I can’t complete my to do list or I get a scratch in my new car? Hmm, maybe I am Koinonia Gathering Homily not doing so well on the Ten Commandments. September 17, 2017 But the Ten Commandments are not the highest standard By Pastor Coe we are measured against. What about Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 and following 2017 is the 500th anniversary of the Protestant - where Jesus says things like “Unless your righteous- Reformation. As we remember this anniversary, we cele- ness exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will brate the work of the Holy Spirit through many people. never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus says, “Give to As Lutherans, of course, we tend to focus on Martin everyone who begs from you and do not refuse anyone Luther, but there were many other influential reformers who wants to borrow from you.” Yikes! I am not doing so before and after Luther. The more I read and learn about well there either. these people of great faith, the more respect I have for But even Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is not the highest them and the more I find that we still seem to struggle standard. The real standard is Jesus himself. Yes, Jesus! with the same issues. Today, I hope to share with you one Are we living up to his example? Are we living as the of the Holy Spirit’s greatest works in Martin Luther and King who came not to be served but to serve? Are we others and why I think that work is still relevant today. willing to be like Jesus who gave us life for others, even As Christians, we believe that Jesus will “come to judge those who denied Him? How can we ever live up to that? the living and dead.” John’s Gospel declares that the How can we ever get over that bar? How can we ever Father, “has given all judgment to the Son.” So, while pass that judgment? Well….the answer is, we can’t! we may not know all the details, we know there will be That was exactly the problem that Martin Luther ran into. judgment. Someone recently asked me by what standard He was raised in a tradition that understood that righteous- we would be judged? What is the bar we must surpass? ness or pleasing God was earned as a result of good works. Great question! He would go to confession and do all the things a perfect We might first think of the Ten Commandments, the monk was supposed to do, yet, he would never quite feel first of which is, “You shall have no other gods before he was measuring up to God’s demands. The story is told me.” Let’s examine how I am doing on that one. Is the that he would spend hours confessing, racking his brain to Lord truly the only god upon which I depend? Or do I think of all his sins. Exhausted, he would finally make his

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Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org 6 Homily from page 6 way back to his room where he would remember another sin and race back to begin again. Sometimes I understand Martin Luther’s struggle to please God. I confess there are times that I wonder if I am pleasing God, am I doing enough, loving enough, praying enough, studying my Bible enough, serving enough? Am I measuring up? Do you ever have times like that? Somehow I want to make sure that God loves me. And I always think it means I have to do more, work more, pray more, and serve more. These are times that I face some of the same struggles as Martin Luther. Thanks be to God, through the work of the Holy Spirit, Luther was completely turned around. He came to under- stand that righteousness was not something we earned; it is a gift we are given! Romans 3:22 speaks of “the righ- teousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.” Righteousness is received, as a gift, through faith. And through faith, through believing and trusting in this gift, we have already passed judgment. Listen to Jesus in John 5:24 (I love this) – anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me HAS eternal life and does not come under judgment but HAS passed from death to life.” It is past tense! In Christ, we HAVE PASSED judgment. Already done! This amazing gift of grace, this unconditional love, is ours. We are loved; we are adopted as God’s children. In Christ, we are pleasing to God. So you have received this free gift. Now the only question is what are you going to do with it? Instead of striving to satisfy God, or suffering anxiety about whether we are doing enough, the only question now is how would you like to live in response to the greatest gift you could ever receive? For example, we love our neighbor – not because we have to – because we GET to! And this, my friends, is freedom and peace. It is freedom from striving! It is peace from worrying about whether I am good enough, whether I am pleasing God! In Christ, YOU are righteous! In Christ, YOU are free! In Christ, YOU are loved! Grace wins—every time! That’s good news! That’s one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit through the reformation. So, now my friends, having received this gift of grace, I pray for you as Paul prayed for the Ephesians. “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ for you, that you may know this love that surpasses knowledge and that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of Koinonia God.” Amen. Good Music, Good Fellowship!

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org 7 Greetings to My was there almost every day of the week! For many years Wonderful Grace Family! my father was the church council president and my mother the president of the Philoptochos, or women’s society. I am extremely grateful for the many gifts given to me spiritually, culturally, educationally and socially through my church community. I went back there a couple of years ago when the church dedicated a beautiful garden to my father and two other men who dedicated so much of their time and talent to the church. It was wonderful to be there and see some of my childhood friends who are now raising their children in the church. It really made me appreciate what a wonderful childhood I was blessed with. I have continued to be blessed with a wonderful life full of many adventures. When I was 22 years old I spent 10 weeks traveling through Europe. It was the summer of 1992 and a lot was happening there. I went to the Summer Olympics in Barcelona, The World’s Fair in Seville and the running of the bulls in Pamplona. And that was just My name is Crissy Dunlap, and I am the office manager in Spain! I also went to France, Italy, Greece, England here at Grace Lutheran Church. There are many new and Wales. It was a wonderful adventure and I hope to go faces in the congregation, so I thought I would take the back someday with my family. opportunity to introduce myself to those of you who are new and tell you a few things about myself that maybe I met my husband shortly after that trip, in the spring of even those who have been here since I was hired almost 1993. We proceeded to have many adventures together as 14 years ago might not know. well. We spent a summer touring around the country in a VW bus visiting beautiful national parks and seeing many My husband, Piper, and I moved to Port Townsend 14 Grateful Dead shows. We lived on a sailboat for seven years ago with our two children, Juniper and Theo. Juniper years. Some of that time was in Sausalito, CA, and the was three and Theo was 15 months old. They are now other time was spent cruising through Central America 17 and 15 years old! I was hired at the church just three and the Western Caribbean. We sailed from Sausalito months after we moved here, and I have loved my job ever down the California and Mexico coast, stopping at since. It has been, and continues to be, a blessing to have many beautiful places along the way. We spent about six such a loving and supportive work environment while months in Costa Rica and Panama before going through raising kids. They spent a lot of time here when they were the Panama Canal and through the Western Caribbean to much younger and had to come to work with me. Florida. We visited Isla San Andrés, the Bay Islands of Juniper is a strong and motivated young woman with Honduras, Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula. We moved a passion for cooking. She works at two restaurants in off of the boat in Florida as I was four months pregnant town and cooks and bakes all the time at home. And, if with Juniper and was ready to live on land. We weathered you don’t mind my bragging, she is amazing! Her natural two hurricanes that summer of 1999, which included talent and passion comes through in the foods she makes. nesting our sailboat among the mangroves to protect it Theo is a sophomore at Port Townsend High School. and evacuating from the coast to Orlando. Fortunately we He is a good student and loves to learn. His passion lies all fared well, including the boat! mostly in surfing, windsurfing and skiing. He and his dad When Juniper was four months old we drove across go on many exciting adventures throughout the year. My the country to Santa Barbara, CA, where my husband husband, Piper, practices Traditional Chinese Medicine attended graduate school for three years to become a here in town. He is an acupuncturist and Chinese herb- Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner. We moved to alist. He is also an accomplished and avid sailor, and Port Townsend shortly after that and made a new life here among his many adventures he has done the Race to for ourselves and our children. Alaska twice, finishing in eighth place in 2016. I hope that you have enjoyed my story! If you have not I grew up in Northridge, California, and spent most of my met me, I invite you to come and visit me in the office. I childhood at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. They would love to know each and every one of you. had a parochial school that I went to from grades 3-9, so I

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org 8 Surviving a Loss Q. What can you say to others who will walk this route? A. Expect to cry for some time. Prepare for loneliness: The Voice, with the help of Earl Kong, is conducting a Reach out to friends –call, visit, talk and share.Volunteer series of brief interviews with people who have lost a and /or stay busy with meaningful tasks, but most impor- loved one. This is the first in a series. tant, “stay in community.” Lucy Hladecek, interviewed by Earl Kong Prepare for an upward learning curve. You will be faced with many new challenges. Count on a surge of confi- Q. How did you survive that first day? dence and satisfaction each time you are able to overcome A. I kept busy preparing for visits from our neighbors, one of these challenges. friends and family; I cooked, I cleaned and I visited. It does take persistence.You will begin to walk away Q. Did you have any help? smiling every time you manage to fix something or solve A. Yes, Pastor Coe and Janet stayed with us at Harrison a problem. Expect never to get over the loss of your loved Hospital through Jim’s passing, praying with us and one, though. giving us great comfort. My children and extended family are so grateful for Grace Lutheran Church. It would have been very difficult to get through Jim’s years of illness and death without our faith in our Lord Jesus and our Grace family. Talking about it and sharing with others has also helped me through this heartbreak. Nurturing Spiritual Relationships Q. After things calmed down how do you cope? A. I do cry frequently! I try to stay meaningfully busy. How we care for ourselves impacts our relationship with I love being active. I live in a wonderful “Jim Museum” God. This includes what we eat, how physically active surrounded by “Jim memorabilia.” This way, I never feel we are, how we share and steward our resources, how we empty, because Jim is ever-present in my daily life as care for the earth, and how we honor the Sabbath. well as firmly fixed in my heart. The alone times are still difficult. I have had to adjust my routine (e.g., having the Nurturing your spiritual relationship with God can be evening meal at the table that we always shared was hard done in many ways. For some of us, worship, prayer, and for me, so I found a cozy solo place to dine). I particularly study of Scripture keep us grounded in our relationship. miss having lunch with Jim. We ordinarily played scrabble For others, it may be baking, music, art, retreats, walking on our iPads during lunch and sometimes spent a couple in nature, journaling, or movement prayer that grounds. of hours. Scrabble was our game! I haven’t played since. We are called to live well. And God calls us to share our gifts with others. It is part of our vocational iden- Q. Is there any pain? A. No, just sadness. Sadness is inevitable, but joy, which tity as friends, daughters, sisters, aunts and mothers to we all recognize as a gift from God, finds its way in empower God’s people to embrace health and wholeness. somehow. I experience sadness and joy at the same time. As nurturers and caregivers, we have the opportunity to Joy just finds a way through the sadness. The grieving shape a new generation, to equip them to live as whole does not dwindle, though. people of God. This message was adapted from Q. About Jim A. Jim was the hero of our family. He made us all feel “Our Journey to Wellness” safe and well-loved, and he was extraordinarily trust- Submitted by Roberta Bymers worthy, compassionate, generous and very good-natured. I thank God daily for the precious years we shared. We October is W.A.V.E. Month were married for 56 years, and both of us were convinced WAVE is a community drive organized by the churches our marriage was “arranged” by God! We grew up and is a major source of funding and food for the Food together, and we became one together. Bank. Both food and money donations are encouraged. I will never get over losing dear Jim. There is a lot of food that the Food Bank can purchase Q. What is the biggest surprise? more cheaply than we do. If you want to give food, then A. The paper work, the business calls and the inter- canned protein is most appreciated. You can bring your minable waiting time on the phone. More of the same food or money donations anytime during October; we seemed always to be there the next morning! will gather them all up and turn them in at the conclusion of the drive. We are excited to announce that the Council approved using up to $500 of Thrivent Choice dollars as a one to one match for donations.

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org 9 Happenings at Grace Lutheran

Good News Band played on Rally Day Barbara Berthiauame gave a talk at the women’s Picture taken by Miriam Gaenicke. picnic.

Lots of good food at the women’s picnic. We’re all ears for Marty at the women’s picnic.

The men played bocce ball at the men’s picnic...... while some just sat it out at the men’s picnic.

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org 10 More Grace Happenings Saying Farewell to the Potthoffs

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org 11 Mark Your Calendar Grace Financials Mark Your Calendars for These Upcoming Events: Please check out the full calendar on the Grace Year to Date through September 30, 2017 $160,000 Lutheran website: www.gracelutheranpt.org/calendar $142,258 $140,000 $136,261 $136,212 Saturday, Oct.14, 5:00 p.m., Blessing of the Animals $120,000 Sunday, Oct. 22, After Church, Social Concerns Calendar Development $100,000 Sunday, Oct. 29, Reformation Day $80,000

Saturday, Nov. 4, 9:00-Noon, Prayer Retreat $60,000 Sunday, Nov. 5, 3:00 p.m., A Gathering of Grace - $40,000 Synod Wide Worship, Lagerquist Hall, PLU Wednesday, Nov.8, 5:30 p.m. Budget & Stewardship $20,000 lasagna dinner $- Friay, Nov. 10, 2:00 p.m., Stewardship Pie with the Budget Expenditures Giving Pastor at the parsonage Sunday, Nov. 12, 9:00 a.m., Stewardship meeting “Pray, and let God worry.” ― Martin Luther during Adult Forum Sunday, Nov. 12, 12:30 p.m., Lutheran Community “God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also Services Fundraising Luncheon, Bremerton on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.” Harborside ― Martin Luther Wednesday, Nov. 15, 5:30 p.m., Ugandan Orphan Night Sunday, Dec. 3, after church, Advent Craft Event Sunday, Dec. 10 - Wed. Dec. 13, Grace Lutheran serves meals at homeless shelter Sunday, Dec. 17, 5:00 p.m., Christmas Party and White Elephant Gift Exchange

Ugandan Orphan Night We will watch the inspiring movie Queen of Katwe about a Ugandan orphan and enjoy a pizza and salad dinner. There will be an update on our orphan program. This will be a great opportunity to learn more about our orphans and to sign up to support them. Pastor Coe and Janet with Arlo and Clementine

Church Council Church Staff

President: Penny Westerfield Pastor: Rev. Coe Hutchison [email protected] [email protected] Vice President: Mary Ronen cell 206-369-0606 Secretary: Catherine White Parsonage 360-385-2281 Ministers: Office Manager: Crissy Dunlap Resources (Treasurer): Dianne Espenson [email protected] Facilities: Tom Larsen Organist/Pianist: Lisa Lanza Worship/Music: DeeDee Norman Choir Director: Colleen Johnson Stewardship: Don Fristoe Sunday School Superintendent: Linda Wolff Social Concerns: Earl Kong Editor, Voice of Grace: Mary Ronen, [email protected] Fellowship: Karen Erickson www.gracelutheranpt.org Photos of church events may be published in print or online. If you do not want your picture included, please contact the office at [email protected] or (360)385-1595.

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org