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Prince of Peace Lutheran Church

Phone: 906-249-3122

Fax: 906-249-4504

E-mail: popmqt@gmail.com

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/

princeofpeacemqt

Website: www.popmqt.com

Prince of Peace Lutheran Church

555 Riverside Road

Marquette, MI 49855

Northern Great Lakes Synod

ELCA

Ann Gonyea (387-2520) Admin. Interim Pastor

Mandy Moseley (249-3122) Parish Secretary

Cathy Moilanen Music Director

Sunday Worship with Holy Communion begins at 9:30 am, followed

by fellowship at 10:45.

If you have a pastoral emergency, please call Pastor Ann’s office at

387-2520, or her cell phone at 202-9037.

Mission Statement: A faith community serving and inviting

others to celebrate God’s Word.

Place

Stamp

Here

OFFICE HOURS: 12:30-3:30 Monday through Friday

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Calendar

Pastor Ann’s Column 2

Wednesday Prayer Time

Food Pantry

Five Year Strategic Goals

Meeting Needs

A Heavenly Focus

3

Prayer List

Bible Quiz

In Awe of God

4

Facts of the Month 5

February Birthdays

February Anniversaries

6

Council Highlights

Christian Symbol

7

Kids’ Corner

8

Sunday School Update

Craft Night

9

Thrivent Action Teams

Thrivent Choice Dollars

Ash Wednesday Prayer

10

Pastor Ann’s Column Cont. 11

PRINCE OF PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH

As we begin to really

settle into Mark's version of

the story of Jesus this

church year, it's fruitful to

think about some of the gos-

pel's broad overarching

themes and literary devises

so they catch our ears a little

more purposefully over the

months to come … so we

can spot them weaving their

way through this greatest

story of all time.

Mark is the oldest of

our gospels. Scholars used

to write it off and not really

spend too much time with it

because it was long thought

to be the most primitively

written story – kind of like a

first draft for the others, par-

ticularly Matthew and Luke.

It gives us a grittier, down to

earth, very human picture of

Jesus and his walk on the

planet.

This is a gospel that

was told in one setting, prob-

ably memorized by a couple

of people in the community

and passed down to children

and grandchildren. It would

be told over and over again.

The language is very

spare, and it gets right to the

point. No time to waste, peo-

ple need to know this stuff

and know it now. It reminds

us that the very early follow-

ers of Jesus thought he was

coming back right away.

To help build that sense of

urgency, the gospel uses the

word “immediately” all the time.

In just Chapter 1, for instance,

we have:

And the Spirit immediately

drove him out into the wil-

derness. (1:12)

And immediately they left

their nets and followed

him. (1:18)

Immediately he called them;

and they left their father

Zebedee in the boat with

the hired men, and fol-

lowed him. (1:20)

Immediately the leprosy left

him, and he was made

clean. (1:42)

All this language of urgen-

cy moves us along in the story

itself too. The gospel of Mark

speeds along in it's story of Je-

sus' ministry and then slows

down to a crawl when Jesus and

the disciples get to Jerusalem

that last time; when the earthly

part of Jesus' ministry comes to

an abrupt and appalling end on

the cross, only to introduce a

new age in which God's people

live freed from their sin. A new

life in which we find ourselves

gathered around baptismal

fonts and communion feasts all

over creation; where we all are

equal, marked as children of

God and followers of Jesus for-

ever and nourished on the food

of eternal life.

Cont. on Page 11

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1st Wednesday of the

Month

Pray for Prince of Peace

Wednesday, February 7th at noon we ask you to pause and pray for this family of faith.

Pray that this congregation might follow in the paths of the Lord and be renewed in service of God and our community. Pause for prayer in your home or at work. Consider asking others to pray with you.

Two ways to Feed the Local Hungry

1) First Sunday of every Month is “Food Pantry Sunday”

2) Money in “soup cans”—Bring to church

We ask that you continue to bring non-perishable food items for our food pantry ministry.

Drop these items off on the shelves in the YAFA room. February 4th is our “Food Pantry Sun-day”. Lorraine Robbert will continue to deliver these items to the Salvation Army. Thanks Lor-raine! Another great way to help is saving your coins and small cash in “soup cans” for Feed-ing America. These cans will then be available for our members to take home. Everyday you could throw your loose change into the can. All monies collected go directly to Feeding Ameri-ca for local hunger needs.

Our 5 Year Strategic Goals

1) Encourage all members to attend worship services

2) Follow up with new members

3) Support our youth fellowship program for elementary through

high school students utilizing college-age students.

Meeting Needs

“My neighbor’s material needs are my spiritual needs,” said 19th-century theologian Israel Salanter. In other words, when someone else suffers hunger and poverty, when people endure a natural disaster and lack shelter, when another human being is sick or injured — in all such cases, God calls us to action. And God knows that whatever we do to meet those material needs will meet our spiritual needs at the same time. It might be our spiritual need to expand our horizons into neighborhoods, cultures or situations where we’re uncomfortable. We might need to grow in love for people dif-ferent from us. By serving others, we might find our own sagging spirits nurtured with a sense of well-being or even joy. And as we reach out to help, surely we’ll notice others doing the same thing, and our spiritual need for renewed faith will be met.

—Heidi Mann

A Heavenly Focus

“Why are not our hearts continually set on heaven?” asks 17th-century pastor and au-thor Richard Baxter. Focusing on heaven stirs our faith, guards against temptation, eases suffering and makes us an encour-agement to others, Baxter says. He urges:

“Bend thy soul to study eternity, busy thyself about the life to come … and let not those thoughts be seldom and cursory, but bathe

thyself in heaven’s delights.”

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Contact Mandy if you want to add or remove someone from

our list.

Acute needs: Jeff Davis, Donna

Clarke, Ron Koshorek, Our Call

Committee, Family of Scott Miller,

Bob Peterson, Sandy Dooley

Military: Tony Hofer, Cole C.

Dooley, Jan Michael Krieg

Ongoing: Gerry Robbert, Margie

Fortuna, Pete Gregg, Gail Alango,

Goodell Family, Gall Family, Karl

Zueger, Harry Grote, Grace Carl-

son, Lisa Hoffman, Larry Weting,

Lucy Weting

In Awe of God

A feel-good gospel is attractive but not transformative, writes Michael Yaconelli in Dangerous Wonder(NavPress). “The nice, nonthreatening God needs to be re-placed by the God whose very presence smashes our egos into dust, burns our sin into ashes, and strips us naked to reveal the real person within. A healthy, childlike fear should make us more in awe of God than we are of our government, our prob-lems, … our doctrines and agendas, or any of our other earthly concerns.” Yaconelli urges Christians “to become people whose God is big and holy and frightening and gentle and tender and ours; a God whose love frightens us into his strong and powerful arms where he dares to hold us in his terrifying, loving presence.

Bible Quiz

Paul declares that nothing “will be able to

separate us from the love of God that is in

Christ Jesus our Lord.” Which of the fol-

lowing does Paul specify as unable to

block God’s love?

A. death; life

B. angels; demons

C. present; future

D. height; depth

E. all of the above

Answer: E (See Romans 8:38-39, NIV.)

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Pigs (Sus Scrofa) -Are highly intelligent. Scientists have proven that pigs have the

cognitive ability to be quite sophisticated, more than domesticated dogs, some primates, and 3 year old humans.

-Are very social, playful beings. Like dogs they enjoy playing and even answer to their name when called (if they like you). In the

wild, pigs live in close-knit groups called sounders. Sounders consist of one male, many

females and their young. Males without a sounder will form their own herds or be solitary. Pigs form close bonds with other individuals and love close contact and lying down together.

-Are very clean and will keep their bathroom area far away from where they lie down and eat.

-Have very few sweat glands so maintaining appropriate body temperature is difficult. Rolling in the mud is their way of cooling off; also why they have a reputation of being dirty animals.

-Are very peaceful, rarely

showing aggression, except when a mother with her young

offspring is provoked or

threatened.

-Possess a tremendous sense of smell. The large disk of

cartilage at the tip of the snout is connected to muscle that gives it

extra flexibility and strength for rooting in the ground.

-A fully-grown pig can consume up to 14 gallons of water a day.

-Pigs are omnivores which means they eat both plants and animals. Wild and free pigs enjoy a variety in their diet: fruits, vegetables, roots, leaves, rodents and more. Farm bred pigs eat

commercially made diets of mostly corn.

-Winston Churchill once said, “Dogs look up to man. Cats look down to man. Pigs look us straight in the eye and see an equal.”

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2-1 Louise Spickerman

2-2 Jill Zueger

2-2 Matthew Schlemm

2-8 Sandra Dooley

2-8 Aleta Michels

2-9 Wyatt Erickson

2-10 Gayl Johnson

2-12 Kay Johnson

2-17 Andrew Raisanen

2-18 Pat Dooley

2-21 Luke Bressette

2-27 Marcia Hemmila

2-1-64

Al & Lois Marshall

2-19-60

Jerry & Barb Ojibway

• African-American History Month

• Transfiguration of Our Lord, February 11, 2018

• Ash Wednesday, February 14, 2018

• Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2018

• First Sunday in Lent, February 18, 2018

• Presidents Day, February 19, 2018

• Second Sunday in Lent, February 25, 2018

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COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS

*Complete minutes and committee reports available in blue notebook in narthex

-The MSP was presented to the council, sug-

gestions and changes made per recommen-

dation of members. When completed a vote

was taken and council approved the MSP

with changes. Connie plans to submit it this

week to the Synod website for their review

and approval.

-Dog sled races are on Feb. 18. Girl and Boy

Scouts will be covering parking, bonfire, chili,

hotdogs and goodies.

-Mary Vertanen requested to have the chil-

dren’s sermon moved closer to the beginning

of the service, so that they could get started

on their lesson in the nursery sooner and

with fewer interruptions. It will now take

place after the Gathering Hymn.

Christian Symbol

Lark

Birds became prominent in Christian

art during the Medieval and Renais-

sance eras. The lark came to symbolize

the humility of the priesthood because

it flies high and sings only when flying

upward.

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KID’S CORNER

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First Craft Night in 2018

Tuesday, February 6th at

6:30pm

Bev Jarvis will have all the sup-plies we need to make greeting

cards. Make them for yourself, or our shut-ins. Always fun to just

get caught up with friends! Please sign up on the sheet provided in the Narthex.

Dear Parents of Sunday School children,

Christian Education would like to update you on what’s going on

with our program. We have a unique situation with small groups and

the fact that we are awaiting a new Pastor. Sunday School is now

meeting during church for Nursery through 5th grade. As of

February 4th the routine will change to hopefully make things run

smoother. We will have the children’s sermon directly after the Wel-

come and then they will all leave for Nursery/Sunday School. They

will return to their parents for communion at the end of Sunday

School/Nursery. In the spring we plan on having confirmation pick

up where each individual left off. A great source to share ideas with

your children is childrenministry.com. Be patient and pray for all of

us trying to continue this ministry.

Blessings,

Your Christian Education Committee

Mary Vertanen, Mary Armstrong, Jeanette Miller, Jeanne Meravi,

Sara Kelly, Angie Forslund, and Dennis Vertanen - Liaison

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Thrivent Choice Dollars If you are a member of Thrivent Finan-cial you may be eligible to direct monies to a charity of your choice including

Prince of Peace.

Go to thrivent.com/choice or call

1-(800-847-4836) . Last year Prince of Peace received hundreds of dollars

through this program.

By directing monies to Prince of Peace you are not reducing the value of your

own accounts.

Strengthen Your Community through

Thrivent Action Teams

H O W I T W O R K S Think about an unmet need in your community and

how you could help. Apply to lead your volunteer

team in a one-time fundraiser, service activity or ed-

ucational event that can be completed within 90

days. Once your project is approved, you'll receive a

Thrivent Action Kit, including:

• Promotional banner.

• Invitations and thank-you cards.

• Thrivent Action Team T-shirts.

• A $250 Community Impact Card to use as seed

money to purchase project supplies and create

promotional materials.

Ash Wednesday Prayer

Merciful God, you called us forth from the

dust of the earth; you claimed us for Christ in

the waters of baptism. Look upon us as we

enter these Forty Days bearing the mark of

ashes, and bless our journey through the de-

sert of Lent to the font of rebirth. May our

fasting be hunger for justice; our alms, a

making of peace; our prayer, the chant of

humble and grateful hearts.

“Let love live long; let hate live short.”

—Burmese proverb

* * *

“Love is a friendship set to music.”

—Various sources

* * *

“Though our feelings come and go, God’s love

for us does not.”

—C.S. Lewis

* * *

“Love doesn't make the world go round. Love

is what makes the ride worthwhile.”

—Franklin P. Jones

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And, of course there is the odd and surprising way this gospel ends – where the women

disciples, the only ones who stayed with Jesus until the very end, even if it was from afar, meet a

messenger of God who tells them Jesus is not there. He is raised from the dead, just as he said

and waits back in Galilee. So they run away in fear and don't tell anyone a thing about what has

happened.

It's a brilliant end to a riveting story that compels us hearers throughout the ages to pick

up where the disciples could not – to continue telling the story of Jesus' life, death and resurrec-

tion and our salvation.

We heard two more overarching themes in our reading from Mark on Jan. 20. They are

key to Mark. First, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and be-

lieve in the good news.” (1.15)

This is the centerpiece of Jesus' ministry in the Gospel of Mark. He boldly and confidently

proclaims to us that the words of the prophets have come to pass in God's time and wisdom.

The kingdom of God has come right here into our lives in the person of Jesus and so there is no

time like the present to confess our sins to God and live our lives in a manner that lets this Good

News shine through us too.

This proclamation ... this first sermon from Jesus in Mark … will be brought to life in the

stories to come in the weeks ahead. First Jesus preaches it and then his shows us that it looks

like: the man with an unclean spirit, the transfiguration, the cleansing of the temple, the parable

of the mustard seed, the feeding miracle, the healing of blind Bartimaeus, and the list goes on.

At the heart of all these events and experiences are Jesus' first words in Mark: “The time

is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good

news.” (1.15)

Immediately after saying that, as Jesus is passing along the Sea of Galilee, we get the

second thing Jesus says in this gospel: “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” It's an-

other very important theme in this gospel, this invitation from Jesus to follow. It asks us to con-

sider …

... what it is that holds us back from that invitation?

… what prevents us from jumping into this new reality Jesus has brought with him with all

and everything we have?

… why would we hesitate in throwing down our nets, whatever they may be, and following

Jesus through this brilliant and inspiring account from Mark, until we exit the story in that scene

of the empty tomb? Because it is there we realize the words of the messenger are really meant

for us: “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has

been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go... (go back Galilee, go

back to the beginning), tell his disciples and (tell everyone)... just as he told you.’ (The time is ful-

filled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.)(16.6-7,

1:15)