BURLINGTON LUTHERAN CHURCH THE BRIDGE June 2018

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BURLINGTON LUTHERAN CHURCH THE BRIDGE June 2018 Grace and Peace in the name of our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ, This past month has been a nightmare for me and my family.

1 BURLINGTON LUTHERAN CHURCH THE BRIDGE June 2018 Grace and Peace in the name of our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ, This past month has been a nightmare for me and my family. My beloved father died unexpectedly from a massive stroke in the last days of April leaving me reeling. In three days from my writing this it will be one month since he passed from life to Life. Even now, my pain at losing him is intense. Although I look back at the last month as a blur of tears and grief, it is also laced with grace. From you. You have cared for me and my family so well. You have baked, cooked, hosted playdates, sent cards, sent flowers, hugged, listened, donated to my father s memory, and generally loved on us spectacularly. When I needed you most, you were there for me. I am unsure how I can ever properly thank you. Being a part of this church community has made a huge difference to us as we navigated this loss. You have been the Body of Christ well hands and feet to the hurting. We are so grateful for all of your love and care. Every Monday morning I had a standing phone date with my mom and dad. They always asked about church and about you all. He loved you and was so grateful that his daughter, son-in-law and granddaughters had such a beautiful worshipping community. It makes me even happy, now that he is gone, that he knew that we were enveloped in such love. So, this month, all I can say is thank you. Thank you and well done, church. I know how well you love in difficult circumstances first hand now. It is a powerful thing. I continue to be honored to be your pastor. Much love, Pr Bethany

BLC WELCOME STATEMENT God is love. We are all God s beloved children and are recipients of God s radical love and grace. All are welcome in this church community.

2 BLC WELCOME STATEMENT God is love. We are all God s beloved children and are recipients of God s radical love and grace. All are welcome in this church community. You are welcome here if you have ever felt excluded or judged because of your gender, ethnicity, race, religion, status, ability, sexual orientation, doubts or questions. We believe in Jesus commandments to love God and love neighbor. Join us! Dear Scholarship Committee, Thank you so much for awarding me with the Ruby and Einer Knutzen Memorial Scholarship. It means a lot and will help me pay for my tuition next year. Thank you! Love, Hadley Knutzen BRIDAL SHOWER All are invited to a bridal shower for Lindsey Loving on Monday, June 11, 6:30 pm, in the Fireside Room. Lindsey is the daughter of PJ and Kari Loving, and the granddaughter of Garland and Avis Robinson. Lindsey s fiancé is Travis Olson, and they will marry on August 18, They are registered at Macy s and Cabela s.

FAMILY PROMISE Welcoming New Lives into Skagit Valley! Family Promise of Skagit Valley is about to open a second transitional house, named Mary s House.

To adopt a room: An individual or church can contact Audrea at 360-854-0743 or Audrea@familypromiseskagit.

3 FAMILY PROMISE Welcoming New Lives into Skagit Valley! Family Promise of Skagit Valley is about to open a second transitional house, named Mary s House. We call on your continued love and support to foster hope in our soon-to-be moms. Please join in this community project by adopting a room to create a warm place to welcome new babies into our valley! To adopt a room: An individual or church can contact Audrea at or Audrea@familypromiseskagit.org Needs for this community project: Furnishings for a 7 bedroom house Household items Yard maintenance Mentors to build supportive relationships Diapers, diapers, and more diapers! Financial contributions to help with utilities Many thanks to all for your ongoing contribtuions of time, treasure, and talent to keep the promise alive and growing. COFFEE & FELLOWSHIP TIME If you love having coffee downstairs in the Fellowship Hall after the service, please sign up to host the coffee hour! Volunteers are needed to make the coffee and bring the treats. We will even train you on how to use the coffee pots and dishwasher!

4 Dear Ones: JOSEPHINE CARING COMMUNITY Carpe Diem! Greetings to you in the name of Christ and blessings as we begin the long Pentecost season sometimes referred to as Ordinary time. Granted the word used here as ordinary is not used here in the way that many of us use the word ordinary but nevertheless I d still like to use it in that sense to challenge us. I d like to challenge the way that we sometimes just let life happen to us. I see it with the people I minister to at Josephine sometimes some of whom are experiencing some tremendous changes in their lives and don t really have the choice but face life as it happens to them. I d like to take a moment to acknowledge this right off the bat. I respect the folks I work with too much to minimize that in any way shape or form. Getting older is often not an easy journey! However, that being said, I wonder if there is a part of the life of faith that we should also not allow to simply be dictated just by a life that happens to us. Hear the voice of the Jews who would have such a strong faith in God that they would expect God to show up in every moment in their lives especially in their times of suffering. Their expectation would be so strong that they would be so bold as to argue with God when they didn t see God showing up! I love that spirit. I m inspired by that spirit. It s a faith that expects that with God there can be no moment in life that can be ordinary. Carpe diem! Seize the day! or even Seize your moment! (from the movie, Coco ) all phrases that move us to see that each moment can be pregnant with God s spirit. Once we are able to name the sometimes extremely difficult parts of life that just happen to us, I wonder if our life of faith also then has the capacity and boldness to expect that God will also come? Let s take an example. If Martha has memory loss, might Martha have the capacity to name that loss, not be embarrassed about it, and acknowledge that her value is based on how God looks at her and not by her disease? If Martha s disease will no longer allow her to do that, can she count on her caring community to help her do that? If Martha is feeling useless, because she cannot remember things, could her caring community help her to seize the day and find ways for her to be useful again? Cont d on next page

A volunteer, named Dawn, is stepping forward as Martha s caring community to help. By visiting Martha in the Memory Care twice a week, she is pronouncing that she is worth hanging around with.

5 A volunteer, named Dawn, is stepping forward as Martha s caring community to help. By visiting Martha in the Memory Care twice a week, she is pronouncing that she is worth hanging around with. By leading an adult coloring session with Martha, Dawn is helping Martha seize the day. By framing those colored pictures and hanging them up on the wall when they are done, she is opening the opportunity up to Martha that with a little creativity she can be useful again. For Lenny, we built a hat rack together. For Judy, I m thinking about hooking her up with our laundry staff to help fold clothes. For Jack, I would love to have his help writing a book of original short stories. What might you or your church have that might help folks here also seize the day? We d love see your creativity and hear what you might have! Warmly, Chaplain Andy American Cancer Society Relay for Life Team Hope for Two/ Burlington Lutheran Contact Melissa Dahl or Janice Burwash if you d like to help with Relay For Life Team Hope for Two/Burlington Lutheran. On Saturday, June 9 survivors lap at 2 pm, then open for all walkers (until 10 am Sunday morning), luminary ceremony at 10 pm Saturday night. Lutherwood Camp and Retreat Center In partnership with Western Washington Lutheran Congregations, Lutherwood Camp and Retreat Center is a year-round outdoor ministry, renewing all in the Holy Spirit through education, adventure, service, and prayer. Check out camping opportunities at

WRITER S WORKSHOP Kathy Reim will facilitate a 6 week writer s workshop, creating an opportunity to write stories about faith and family.

Ephesians 6:2 mentions one of the Ten Commandments as being the first commandment with a promise.

So that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth. B. So that you will have a happy home life. C. So that they may be proud of you. Always. D.

6 WRITER S WORKSHOP Kathy Reim will facilitate a 6 week writer s workshop, creating an opportunity to write stories about faith and family. The last class will be Wednesday, June 13, 7-8 pm, in the Conference Room. More details are on the bulletin boards, or contact Kathy at kreim@earthlink.net. Ephesians 6:2 mentions one of the Ten Commandments as being the first commandment with a promise. The commandment is the fifth which reads: Honor your father and mother. Which of the statements below is the promise? A. So that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth. B. So that you will have a happy home life. C. So that they may be proud of you. Always. D. So that you may learn and grow from their wisdom. Hint: The answer is in Ephesians 6:3. Answer: A MAIL CARTS Remember to check your mail folders in the Narthex! If you don t have a folder - or a name tag - and you d like one, please sign up on the clipboard located on the nametag table.

If you would like to make a donation in memory of Pastor Bethany s father, please visit the website of Na Wokabaut. This is the non-profit that Pastor Bethany s parents, Dr.

7 MEMORIAL SERVICE A memorial service for Pastor Bethany s father, Dr. Larry Hull, will be held at Burlington Lutheran Church on Friday, June 8, at 3 pm, with a reception to follow in the Fellowship Hall. All are invited. If you would like to make a donation in memory of Pastor Bethany s father, please visit the website of Na Wokabaut. This is the non-profit that Pastor Bethany s parents, Dr. Larry and Aarlie Hull, established to meet the needs of the people of Papua New Guinea. You may also send a check to: Na Wokabaut PO Box San Antonio, TX YOU CAN HELP! Take a moment to look through the Sign-Up book on the table in the Narthex to see all the ways that you can help the church run smoothly. We have something for every age and ability! Children s Church volunteers are scheduled through the office. If you d like to help, let the office or Pastor Bethany know.

Whatever they do to the web, they do to themselves. This earth is precious to God, and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its creator.

8 God s precious earth In 1854, as Chief Si ahl (also spelled Seattle) transferred Indian lands to the federal government, he said: This we know. The earth does not belong to the humans, humans belong to the earth. Whatever befalls the earth befalls children of the earth. The humans did not weave the web of life; they are merely strands in it. Whatever they do to the web, they do to themselves. This earth is precious to God, and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its creator. LUTHERWOOD CAMPOUT AND PICNIC Our annual campout will be held at Lutherwood, located at Lake Samish, Friday, July 27 Sunday, July 29. On Sunday, July 29, our Sunday service will be held at Lutherwood, with our annual church picnic happening afterward. We will provide hot dogs and hamburgers, and ask that you bring a dish to share. More details coming soon! If you d like to help in any way, please contact Linnie Scott at linnie.scott@gmail.com

9 THE WORK OF A CHRISTIAN FATHER Martin Luther taught that God calls all Christians to use their daily work to serve others. Living in the Middle Ages, he used a rather progressive example to illustrate his point: Our natural reason says, Alas, must I rock the baby, wash its diapers, make its bed, smell its stench, stay up nights with it, take care of it when it cries...? What then does Christian faith say to this? It says, O God, because I am certain that thou hast created me as a man and hast from my body begotten this child, I also know for a certainty that it meets with thy perfect pleasure. I confess to thee that I am not worthy to rock the little babe or wash its diapers, or to be entrusted with the care of the child and its mother. O how gladly will I do so. Father s Day Sunday, June 17 ORGANIST TRAINING FUND If you d like to see young people learning how to play the organ, please consider donating to the Organ Training Fund. Money from this fund allows for continuing lessons, taught by our own Lynne Berg. Make checks payable to Burlington Lutheran Church, and put Organ Training Fund in the comments section.

10 40,000 OF MY CLOSEST FRIENDS Rev. Kirby Unti, Synod Bishop, Northwest Washington Synod Article from The Spirit, June 2018 I am just coming off a wonderful pre-youth gathering event intended to prepare the 276 young people from the Northwest Washington Synod who will be traveling this summer to Houston, Texas for this ELCA's national youth gathering. When I meet with the young people of our Synod I am both terrified and inspired. I am terrified because I am so disconnected from the world that they inhabit apps, language, movies, music, etc. I worry whether I can relate to these remarkable young people. Do I have something of meaning that I can bring to the table? I am inspired because I am so very impressed by the young people who are formed by this church. They have hearts that care. They exhibit behavior that is fun to be around. Repeatedly my experience has been how respectfully they treat me and others. I love their global awareness and how at-home they seem to be in a world that, at times for me, is overwhelming. One of the things that our young people have shown me is how they resonate to authenticity and honesty. They will put up with an old goat like me if I strive to live within my own skin and answer their questions honestly. We had a "Stump the Bishop" session at this recent prep event. They asked fun questions - and they asked hard questions. Where was God when the holocaust took place? How can there be different interpretations of the Bible? Who was my first crush? Did I like being a parish pastor more than being a bishop? Which of my daughters do I love the most?" They wanted honest answers - and I did my best. The ELCA Youth Gathering will make a real impact on the city of Houston. Unleashing 40,000 students equals a lot of worker bees - and I saw how much good can be done when we were last in Detroit. The event also has the potential to have a major impact on our young people - helping them to deepen their understanding of their baptism and their vocational call. We will worship together, pray together, play together, and serve together. Cont d on next page

One day of the Gathering is set aside as a Synod Day. During that time, I will again have the joy of spending time with our synod youth and sharing my personal faith journey with them.

11 One day of the Gathering is set aside as a Synod Day. During that time, I will again have the joy of spending time with our synod youth and sharing my personal faith journey with them. It is indeed a privilege to have this opportunity. Research shows that young people who have this kind of religious scaffolding, experience less at-risk behavior and are three to four times more likely to be involved in their community in the following ways: Work on community projects Volunteer associations Vote in local elections Attend Public Meetings Donate time and money So, June 27-July 1, think of me and 40,000 of my closest friends, as we will experience what it means to be the church together for the sake of the world. TREASURER S REPORT FOR MONTH END APRIL, 2018 $14,926 General offering per month needed to meet budget. April income: $15,983 April expenses: $16,575 Minus $592 for the month. Minus $2,651 year to date. Average attendance for April: 103 Finance Committee: Linda Rudy, Treasurer Cindy Cohen, Finance Committee Chair Rhonda Brown Shirley Osborn

12 JUNE SCHEDULE June 6: June 8: June 11: June 13: June 27: June 27: Writer s Workshop, 7-8 pm, Conference Room Memorial service for Dr. Larry Hull, 3 pm Lindsey Loving bridal shower, 6:30 pm, Fireside Rm Writer s Workshop, 7-8 pm, Conference Room Council, 6 pm, Conference Room June Bridge deadline Every Sunday: Praise Team practice, 9 am Worship Service, 10 am El Camino worship service,12 pm Every Wednesday: Praise Team practice, 6:30-8 pm, Sanctuary Burlington Lutheran Church 134 E. Victoria Avenue, Burlington, WA burlingtonlutheran@gmail.com Office hours: 9 am-3:30 pm, Tues-Wed-Thurs Pastor Bethany Hull Somers burlingtonlutheranpastor@gmail.com Check in and Like us on Facebook. Follow the church on BLC Staff Rev. Bethany Hull Somers, Pastor Sean Bendickson, Worship & Music Leader Sheri Logan, Office Administrator Lynne Berg, Organist Matthew Ranten, Sound Technician Selena Guadamuz, Nursery Attendant Randy Dalaba, Custodian

BURLINGTON LUTHERAN CHURCH THE BRIDGE. September 2018

BURLINGTON LUTHERAN CHURCH THE BRIDGE September 2018 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure