THE PRINTS OF PEACEMAY 2018

A periodical newspaper for and by the people of Peace Lutheran Congregation, Vernon, BC

IN THIS ISSUE

Pastor David’s Message

Church Choir Corner

Council Highlights

Walk to Jerusalem Weekly Devotions

Lutheran World Federation

Peace Community

A M e s s a g e f r o mP a s t o r D a v i d

CONFIRMATION

On June 3, we are celebrating CONFIRMATION. It has been a while since our last confirmation. We may be more in the habit making confirmation of our hotel and our flights or our doctor’s appointments than our faith, so maybe it is helpful to reflect on the meaning of this word in church, as an important passage in our faith life.

The most common misspelling of the word among confirmation students is, ‘conformation.’ It is an interesting slip because for some it might indeed feel like church participation requires conforming to a rigid set of rules or a certain lifestyle. A requirement to conform may be part of the reason many people have turned away from life in the church. There is an element of truth in the perceived need to conform but I believe it is less restrictive than we have sometimes chosen to believe. We are, after all, called to become imitators of Christ and Jesus lived a radical life in conflict with the religious expectations of his day. Being faithful followers, therefore, may lead us to take risks and even challenge institutional structures.

Taking a look at the word ‘confirmation,’ itself, “con” means together or with and “firm” means to strengthen. In the church, confirmation is to affirm one’s belief or faith within the fellowship of the church. This is the step we take to mature into fully participating members of the church.

Connor Walper, Caleb Chatterton and Isaac Chatterton have been exploring the meaning of their faith through the study of biblical characters and an examination of the Small Catechism. They will express their faith in their own unique way and they will continue to learn how to live faithfully, both within the local faith community and in the world. Like each one of us has done, they are stepping up to make a statement about what their baptism means to them. They will each face a very challenging question.

“You have made public profession of your faith. Do you intend to continue in the covenant God made with you in holy baptism:

to live among God’s faithful people,

to hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper,to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed,to serve all people, following the example of Jesus,and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth?”

This covenant life is very personal but also very big, with global implications. Each person will respond as seems appropriate, “I do, and I ask God to help and guide me.”

We recognize in this expression of our baptism that living our faith touches us on a deeply personal level. We also see that we are called to something that is much bigger than ourselves. Only as we commit ourselves to working together with others in the church will we ever come close to living our faith in a full and satisfying way. For this reason, we need confirmation. Together we find strength in one another to move forward in the mission of God’s love on earth. It is appropriate that we remember our confirmands in this month leading to their confirmation and that we also pray for strength to continue faithfully in the covenant of our baptism. Let us pray.We give you thanks, O God, that through water and the Holy Spirit you give us new birth, cleanse us from sin, and raise us to eternal life.Stir up in Connor, Caleb and Isaac the gift of your Holy Spirit: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence, both now and forever. Father in heaven, for Jesus’ sake, stir up in each of us the gift of your Holy Spirit. Confirm our faith, guide our life, empower us in our serving, give us patience in suffering, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

Thank you for your prayers, which strengthen our congregation and bless our young confirmands preparing for their confirmation. God bless you as you walk in the way of your baptism.Peace, Pastor David

“ P E AC E LU T H E R A N

C H U R C H

C H O I R C O R N E R ”

“The trumpets sound, the angels sing, the feast is ready to begin.” (ELW 531) What joy-filled music we sing in the Easter season! I pray you are blessed by music of the Resurrection.

Choir is winding down and will resume in September! Please consider joining our group this fall as we share the love of Christ in song. We will welcome you.

Our annual year-end choir party will be at our home on Monday, June 4 at 5:00 pm.

Shalom!Margaret Hundeby Hunter

P e a c e L u t h e r a n C o u n c i l

M e e t i n g H i g h l i g h t s

A p r i l 2 0 1 8Chair Russ Crawford called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm.Present: Pr. David, Mike L, Peter N, Russ C, Bob W, Irma L, Heather S, Ralph L, Janice M

Absent: Ron Birch, Susan Lloyd.Devotions: Janice M led in devotions- “By Love, We Know This”.Motion 2018-21: MSC that agenda be adopted as amended. The topic of church keys was entered under new business.Motion 2018-22: MSC that minutes be adopted as presented.Continuing Business:

a) Constitution Update: A reply was received from the Bishop with grammatical and typo errors indicated. The Synod council will be holding a phone meeting on April 21/18 to discuss the constitution.

b) TV screen for the rear of the Sanctuary: Council members dealing with this issue are on the lookout for the right size of screen and price. A 70” screen is needed. A discussion was also held on a TV screen for the Fellowship Hall, which might be needed for overflow for church services and other functions in the Hall.

c) CLWR Banquet: This event is postponed until June as St John’s which is hosting the event is unable to prepare for this event because of their move.

Treasurer’s Report: Motion 2018-23: MSC that Treasurer’s Report be accepted as revised.Motion 2018-24: MSC that a cheque for $3000 be forwarded to the Synod as our quarterly benevolence.Chairperson’s Report: Request for use of facilities by Intuitive Dance Group was unable to be granted due to lack of space times required.

Committee Reports:a) Worship: no report. Upcoming meeting on April 25/18.b) Property Management: as presented. Peter N has requested to change the

council coffee Sunday to May 6. The Youth Group will host on May 20/18.Pastor’s Report: as presented.

Adult Bible Study “Animate Faith” will be finished by the end of April. New studies will begin in the fall.Confirmation Sunday is June 3/18.Karen Lee and Pr. David are both registered for the Synod Convention in Langley, BC, May 24 – 27, at a cost of $1040.00.

May 6 services- Pr. Ron Sedo will lead the service, and Candice L will be the pianist. Ron Birch will lead the afternoon service at Heron Grove with Adele Steinke as the pianist.April 29/18 service will include the Blessing of the Quilts made by Peace Lutheran Quilters. These quilts may be shipped to Winnipeg for distribution by CLWR, or if the shipping cost is prohibitive, they may be disbursed by local relief agencies. Muriel Vigdal will look after quilts for 2018 graduating students.

New Business:a) A request for use of facility space for a startup Brownie troop was received. Russ will

contact Jenny Inkster with the possible week night available.b) Church Keys- Discussion was held on the issue of rekeying the front doors and

basement door because of report of lost keys. Peter N will discuss with Pam regarding the time needed to prepare for the rekeying of the doors and disbursement of keys to various members and groups, as required.

c)Next Meeting: May 16/18, 7 pm sharp.

Devotions: Peter Nisse (also responsible for council coffee Sunday, May 6/18.)

Motion 2018-25: MSC that meeting be adjourned at 8:16 pm.The meeting closed with the Lord’s Prayer.

April 29 – CairoIt is Cairo, a city like no other and we will spend the day soaking up the ambience. We are awoken at first light by the first call to prayer as the dueling loudspeakers from the many minarets vying for attention of Muslims to start their worship day. After a rock hard roll and Turkish coffee we will go back down the Giza road to the pyramids. It’s a bit quieter now in the morning and we get there in about an hour. Fortunately we have both a feisty

guide and a bodyguard to ward off he hucksters and those who would sell us anything from guide services to trinkets to camel rides. With the usual pushing and shoving and loud Arabic cursing (I assume) we see the awe inspiring tombs, the museum of the sun boat and the less impressive Sphinx.

Our next stop is the Muhammad Ali Mosque and the war museum. From the ramparts of the Mosque we get a view over Cairo from the hills and marvel as we try to figure out how the great stone slabs that comprise the pyramids were transported across the river. The Mosque is huge

and we are surprised that we can go inside with no questions. We must remove our shoes, women must cover their heads and men must bare their heads. If we desire, there are facilities for washing outside but it is not necessary unless we intend to pray.

A wander along the Nile River is necessary to get some indication of its importance. It is huge and fully controlled by the Aswan High Dam. Along its length there are a series of barrages that divert water into irrigation canals. The last barrage is at the outskirts of Cairo at El Kanatir (where your author’s offices were located). From here two canals carry the water to the fertile Nile Delta. Seen from the air, Egypt looks like a pile of rock and sand with a green strip running down the middle on either side of the Nile. The Pharos used to set the price of everything according to the level of the river and until the mid-1990s the level of the river was a state secret. Across from our hotel we see the island of Zamalek where posh clubs and residences of past British control exist.

Just outside our hotel is the Egyptian Museum where the many displays of ancient artifacts will boggle the mind. We see Tutankhamen’s funereal masks and pay a bit extra to view about a dozen mummies on display. Tonight we take our life in our hands as we walk out the back of the hotel and across Tahir Square, the site of the Arab Spring demonstrations. As soon as we leave the safety of the Hotel grounds and the armed guards, we are surrounded by papyrus salesmen and would be guides. But we know our way and dodge the traffic to the other side. We head down a narrow side street, then another, then another and we come to Felafel – traditional Egyptian restaurant with all the ambience one would want including the wandering cats and the birds in the thatched ceiling. Then it’s back to the hotel because we have an early morning and our trip across the Sinai.May 6 - Sinai to St. Catherine

We will leave Cairo by the Agriculture Road and go east toward the Suez Canal. We have about 450 kms to the Monastery of St. Catherine in the center of the Sinai Peninsula. While it took Moses et al three months to get to Mount Sinai, we will try to make it in a day. We will cross the huge and strategically important Suez Canal through the old tunnel at Suez and then proceed back south along the eastern sore of the Gulf of Suez of the Red Sea. This will give us the opportunity to see some of the beautiful resorts on the Gulf and to experience the warm and shallow Red Sea. At Ras Sudr we will be able to wade at least a mile into the sea and still be not deeper than our armpits. After approx. 100 kms we will turn east and start to climb the plateaux that forms the top of the Sinai Peninsula. On the way we see terrain that can only be characterized as a moonscape. The occasional Bedouin camp is visible and we see the washouts caused by the infrequent downpours on the desert. We pass through the Feiran Oasis, the largest oasis in the Sinai, and stop for some water and shade.

As we approach Mount Sinai there is a small parking lot at an intersection. For those with the sufficient imagination, an image is visible of the outline of a golden calf, said to be the one Aaran (Moses’ brother) built for the people while they waited for Moses. The image burned into the rock is the result of the destruction by Moses of the “false God” on his return. We reach the

Monastery of St. Catherine at the foot of Mount Sinai and are welcomed in as special guests. The Sacred Monastery of the God-Trodden Mount Sinai dates from 556 and is one of the oldest monasteries in the world. The icon of the Monastery is Catherine of Alexandria who was martyred at the age of 18 and whose remains were found by Monks around 800. St. Catherine is present in her glass case and one can still see the skin on her hands and face and sinews of her hands. We walk part way up the mountain but we have a date with a newly killed goat and some wonderful food in the lush valley next to the mountain.

Surely this must have been where Moses tended his flocks. There are three shallow wells and the vegetation is luxurious. Ancient stone walls divide the various grazing paddocks. Our meal is delicious but one cannot escape the history of the area and its importance to our faith. The light is failing and the cold of the desert night night is beginning to settle. We retreat to the warmth of a Bedouin tent where we sip sweet tea and smoke shisha and learn more about the area until it is time to return to our hotel.

May 13 – St Catherine to Taba to Jerusalem via Jordon

This morning we will set out on the final long leg of our journey. We leave St. Catherine and slowly descent the plateau back down to the Sea near Nuwiebaa. As we descend, the beautiful vistas of the Gulf of Aqaba open before our eyes. After about 150 kms we come to the resort town of Taba on the border between Egypt, Israel and Jordan. Right across the Gulf we can see the lights of Saudi Arabia. Only 328 kms to go. We have probably ascended 2000 meters from the Gulf of Suez and descended the same to the Gulf of Aqaba.

We have decided to go north through Jordan because we can stop in to see Petra. Petra has been inhabited since prehistoric times by the Nabateans and at one time was the crossroads of trade between Egypt, Arabia and Syria-Phoenicia for incense, silks and spices. The city is half carved, half built into rock with an ingenious system of channels, tunnels, reservoirs and cisterns, which conserved and distributed the seasonal rains. It’s tomb and temple architecture and vast and elaborate religious high places and monuments bear testimony to now lost civilizations, which succeeded each other at the site.

We enter through the Siq and walk through and down an increasing narrow fissure in the rock. At some points the Siq is only 2 metres wide yet 300 metres deep. The walls have been sculptured and carved by the waters of Wadi Musa and the beauty is stunning. After about 2 kms we come to an open courtyard and the Treasury (made famous in Raiders of the Lost Arc). We spend as much time as possible exploring the area and even take a camel ride part way back.

Our journey continues north where we will follow the Dead Sea Highway (the inland Kings Highway is faster but less scenic). After a brief stop at Karak to tour and the view the very complete ruins of a Crusader Castle we continue along the Sea with its beautiful vistas. A picnic lunch is in order. We continue north until we come to the border crossing with Israel.

Here, the Jordan River forms the border between Israel and Jordan (further South it is the Dead Sea). We must cross the River Jordan at the King Hussein Bridge (also known as the Allenby Bridge). Generally, this border crossing is congested and very slow. Several of our travellers have diplomatic passports so we are fortunate to be able to use the VIP lines and facilities. We went through a few checkpoints before we actually got to the departure point. The whole process involves, going to this room, going to this wicket, stuff getting stamped, papers exchanging hands, more wickets and more rooms and of course the inevitable payment for something or other. Then we cross the Allenby Bridge and the whole process happens in reverse in Israel including clearing customs. All in all, we get through about seven checks fortunately without lineup and without incident and it took us about 2 hours. The checkpoints, and there are many, are characterized by an army pickup truck parked at right angles to the road. There is a large machine gun with a barrel about 5 feet long mounted on the roof and manned. All the ground personnel have their small machine guns strapped over their shoulders. After a while you get used to it - sort of. We are back on the road and about 30 minutes from our destination – Jerusalem. Next week we will have an extended write-up of our time in the Holy City.

May 20 – Jerusalem

Although not the oldest city in the world, Old Jerusalem is just about as old as you can get. The architecture is an historical mixture of Roman, Byzantine, Constantine, Crusades and 19th century reconstruction. Much of this mix can be viewed simultaneously. In many places stones placed at intervals hundreds of years apart can be seen and identified by period or builder.

We meet our guide, Fr. Christian, a Dominican priest who speaks English, French, German, Arabic, Greek and Latin and is a teaching Biblical Archeologist. He lives and breathes the religion, history, culture and architecture of the old City. We start out in the Armenian quarter (the oldest quarter and half of the Christian sector) at the Citadel just beside the Jaffa Gate. The Citadel dates from the 14th century but remains in the area have been found that date back to the 2nd century BC. It is thought that this was the site of the trial and condemnation of Jesus – or at least the turnover of Jesus to the crowd. This does not necessarily square with a description of the trial site later.

We view the Armenian Orthodox Church as well as the Armenian village inside the City. In effect, a walled village within a walled city. There are only two ways into the village, one of which is through the church.

Then it was off to the Western Wall or the Wailing Wall. This wall forms one side of the Haram al-Sharif, a rectangular esplanade. This is the Temple Mount that originally was the site of Solomon’s Temple. It later housed the second temple enlarged by Herod the Great and destroyed by the Romans. The site became an Islamic shrine with the building of the Dome of the Rock on the site where Mohammad ascended to heaven on a winged horse to confer with the early prophets. While the Jews think the site is still theirs, the Muslims have occupied it for

over 1300 years – hence the “wailing” wall. The Jews believe that the closer one is to the synagogue, the better one's prayers are heard. In order to get near the Wall we had to go through metal detectors. The men and women had to approach the Wall on different sides. As we were walking around in this quarter, we came upon many young army conscripts all carrying machine guns. They are between 19 and 21 years and all with guns. We also saw groups of tourists that were obviously Jewish with their armed body guards.

We walked through the Muslim Quarter on our way to lunch in the Christian Quarter. Much of the Hebrew and Muslim Quarters are taken up with shops. There are two main streets that traverse Jerusalem. One is the ancient Roman Cardo that runs north - south and the other runs east and west. It takes 20 minutes to traverse the city from gate to gate by either of the streets. They are mostly narrow and lined with shops.

Our last major quarter after lunch, where we spent most of our time, was the Christian quarter. We went to the site of the Last Supper in the Upper Room. Interestingly, in the vicinity a movie was being filmed with the actors in period costume and performing a “market” scene.

Our final stop was the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which encompasses Golgotha, the Garden of Gethsemane and Christ’s tomb. The Church is “managed” by six major denominations – the Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Ethiopian, Coptic, Latin (Roman Catholic), and Syrian Christians. But they can’t agree on much including who gets to keep the key for the place. We did meet the Custodian and Door-Keeper (keeper of the key), Wajeeh Y Nuseibeh, a Muslim. The Church has evolved over time with reconstruction and additions. Its current general format is somewhat smaller than it once was when defined by the Crusaders. They moved the entrance to the side of the building beside Golgotha. Each of the six denominations has a chapel, and living quarters for their Monks (there are over 100 Monks who actually live in the Church) who in turn take custody of a different portion of the Church. There are some common areas including the tomb of Jesus. Any change to anything requires the agreement of everyone so nothing gets changed. This administrative arrangement is known as the “Status Quo”.

Golgotha is the rock on which the cross of Jesus was placed. When Jerusalem was being built, the site was basically a quarry for the rock used for the ramparts and various buildings. Golgotha is an area of fissured and soft rock which was left because of its poor quality. The cracks in the rock were suitable for placing the bottoms of crosses. The site has archeological evidence of wood fragments and nails and even hands and feet still nailed to the wood. One can view and touch the rock. Our archeological priest (Fr. Eeckhout) said we are 100% certain that this is the site where Jesus was crucified.

The location of Jesus’ tomb has been in some doubt. The tomb area was built by Constantine in the 4th century. During construction, the remains of an Hadrianic temple and quarried fill, which had been used for the foundation, were removed and the stone of Golgotha was found. It was however destroyed by sultan Hakim in 1009. There has been a succession of shrines

since that time. The most recent shrine was built in 1810 replacing a 1555 structure that was destroyed by fire. Given the destruction of the tomb coupled with other evidence including its proximity to Golgotha, Fr. Eeckhout gave the probability of it being the actual tomb at 90%.

Today the tomb is owned by the Greek, Armenian, Coptic and Roman Catholic communities. Until very recently it was crowded, dark, dangerous and in very poor repair. The Latins (Roman Catholics) want to take the whole superstructure down and open the area up for viewing. As a stop gap measure, the British, built an I Beam cage around the superstructure to stabilize it. They allow only four people in the tomb at a time, partly because of space, and party because a collapse would only result in the death of four people. The only remaining part of the tomb itself is the rock upon which it sat. One can enter the shrine and touch this rock as well.

While Romans have not won the day, the Edicule over the tomb has been refurbished and rebuilt in 2016. Additional archeological investigations and dating of materials has added credence to the site being the actual tomb of Christ.

We will spend another day in the Old City but this time on our own at a more leisurely pace. We enter the Old City through the Damascus Gate and make our way past the Western (wailing) Wall to the secure entrance to the Haram al-Sharif. The Temple Mount or Mount Moriah is of major significance to the big three monotheistic faiths. In the Jewish tradition, it is the spot where Abraham prepared his son Isaac for sacrifice (in Islam it was his elder brother Ishmael). Much later King David bought the hill to build a temple to house the Arc of the Covenant - the temple was eventually built by his son Solomon. Herod refurbished the remains of the temple many years later and it is featured in the life of Jesus. Among other things, this is where Jesus upset the tables of the moneylenders. As Jesus predicted (Mark 13:1) , the temple was completely destroyed (by the Romans) in 20AD. For Muslims, Mohamed was said to have been taken to a "furthermost place" and came here from Mecca and ascended to pray with Abraham, Moses, Jesus, et al. In due course, two mosques were erected on the Temple Mount, the Al-Aqsa Mosque (the furthermost sanctuary) and the Dome of the Rock Mosque. The Dome of the Rock is the huge golden dome that highlights the skyline of Old Jerusalem. We wandered around the beautiful Haram until it was prayer time the guards (Israeli) ushered the tourists out through the Bab Al-Maghribah (Gate).

We shop our way back to the Jaffa gate where we stop for a coffee to rest. Then its the ramparts and we walk from the Jaffa gate to the Lions Gate on the elevated walls of the Old Cty It is an incredible walk up and down the stone steps and ledges of the walls. One gets views of the area outside the wall as well as the rooftops of the buildings inside the wall where people live. This is one tiring walk (climb). We were getting hungry and set out in search of food.

On our way to find a restaurant we walked the Via Delorosa, the street of the signs of the cross. We found (with some difficulty) the Ecce Homo (Behold the Man - John 19:5) Convent of the Sisters of Sion. This convent is built upon some very significant and well preserved ruins

including the canal that supplied water to the Temple Mount and cisterns that were vaulted over in the 2nd century by Hadrian. Hadrian also constructed an Arch to mark the place where the trial of Jesus took place before Pilot – a large room called the Lithostrotos. An adjoining church (perhaps Greek Orthodox) or shrine contains the jail cells of Jesus (and other criminal such as Barabas).

After some time and some more shopping, we get to Pappa Andreas where we enjoy huge Greek salads and some lamb brochettes. Walking back to the Damascus Gate, find our transportation and make our way to the American Colony Hotel for afternoon tea. (listed in the 1000 places to see before you die).

That night we find a noisy, funky atmosphere filled restaurant in West Jerusalem and had a wonderful (if expensive) meal. Although deep in the heart of Jerusalem there seem to be no dietary restrictions – everything from shellfish to pork although there is no printed menu. A great way to end our pilgrimage of sorts and experience one of the most important cities of the world for our faith.

From the Lutheran World Federation

“Fighting against the commodification of everything”NEW YORK, United States/GENEVA| 25/4/2018

The statement calls for social and climate justice, and support for climate change-hit countries. Climate change can affect weather severely. A tropical storm in El Salvador left devastated fields in its wake. Photo: LWF/M. Boulogne

LWF and ecumenical partners urge new economic system serving all

(LWI) The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) together with ecumenical partners has called for “an alternative financial system” embracing the experiences of those left out of economic and political decision-making.

In a joint statement, issued on the occasion of the 3rd United Nations Financing for Development Forum, the LWF, the World Council of Churches, the World Communion of Reformed Churches and the Council for World Mission called for economic, social and climate justice, limits to greed, tax relief for the poor, an end to tax havens, and support for climate change-hit countries.

The statement followed the third meeting of the Ecumenical Panel on a New International Financial and Economic Architecture (NIFEA) which was held on April 21-22 in New York City.

Obstacle to justice and peace

“The global financial crisis of 2008 provoked the moral observation that, a system of speculation, competition and inadequate regulation has failed to serve the people and instead has denied a decent standard of life to the majority of the world’s population,” the statement reads.

“Current economic systems pose a profound obstacle to the justice and peace we need as one humanity for our life together, today and tomorrow. The pursuit of profit, when it is held up as an ultimate value in itself and when it becomes the purpose of life, is sinful,” the statement declared.

“Christians and churches must see the fullness of life they identify with Christ is being sold short if they do not claim it for all of the earth, all of humanity and for how we are called to live in community and creation in love and grace.”

“Not for sale!”

“We are fighting against the commodification of everything. The Lutheran themes of ‘Salvation not for sale, human beings not for sale, creation not for sale’ guided us at the Twelfth Assembly and continue to inspire us to action,” Rev. Dr. Martin Junge, General Secretary of LWF said at the NIFEA meeting in New York. “We are meeting to sharpen our focus, update approaches and decide what the best entry point is in our context today. I look forward to implementing our plans together.”

A M e s s a g eF r o m t h e P e a c e C o m m u n i t y

OUR BRANDThis excellent editorial piece is a reflection on church and society by Bob Wettlaufer. Submissions to the

newsletter by our members are welcome.

I grew up in the west end of Winnipeg. Our federal constituency was Winnipeg North-Centre, which could charitably be described as “working class”. Our Member of Parliament was Stanley Knowles. He represented the constituency from 1942 to1958 for the CCF and from 1962 to1984 for the NDP (almost 40 years). He was a crusader for social justice and is largely responsible for increases to the Old Age Pension and the introduction of the Canada Pension Plan. He was raised a Methodist, but eventually became a United Church Minister, ordained in 1933. He was a Christian and well respected on both sides of the aisle.

Every election my Grandfather collected everyone of voting age and made sure we all went out and voted Liberal. My Grandmother took great delight in spoiling her husband’s vote election after election by voting for Stanley Knowles. Opponents came and went but Stanley Knowles persisted. Grandma voted with her head and her heart. She was not fooled by past allegiances and rhetoric, or swayed by empty promises. She simply voted for the hard working, trustworthy, honest – and Christian Stanley Knowles. She voted for the Gospel. Grandma was a leftie, a socialist and – if caring for others above yourself matters – a Christian. Although she didn’t have the label, she was an “Evangelical” Christian - one who believes in the “good news” of the Gospel.

Somewhere along the line, the term “Christian” has become associated with politically conservative - “right wing” politics and the practice of exclusion and even genocide. Christians seemed to go from left (progressives) to right (social conservatives) and the idea of a social gospel fell out of favour.

Increasingly, Christians are being lumped in with the fundamentalists. We now hear the lunatic fringe (including the NRA) being referred to as Evangelicals or Evangelical Christians. Their

beliefs and actions seem to be about as far away from the “good news” of the Gospel as you can get.

Of course much of this has come to light in the wake of the election of the most insecure, damaged and incompetent individual to the US presidency. Lest we get too smug, we got a sneak preview of our situation in Canada during the campaign for the leadership of the Conservative Party. Several of the candidates were unabashedly racist and misogynist under the label of fundamentalist Christians. And just a few weeks ago the Ontario Conservatives elected a populist blowhard to be their leader.

So we are the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada. We believe in the good news of the Gospel. But our brand has been hijacked. We are in danger of slipping further from our association with the good news of the Gospel to the bad news of the fundamentalists.

Back in 2013, I wrote a piece about the new Pope Francis. At that time he was a breath of fresh air, trying to become the champion and servant of the people rather than the one to be held up and worshiped. Pope Francis has not modernized the Catholic doctrine. He has, however modified the language of transmission. He is the master marketer.

He is changing the Catholic Brand from one that shuns people with its rigidity to one that attracts people with its return to basics. In the words of a Globe and Mail columnist, he is taking lessons from Coke and realizing when your Brand is failing, you don’t change the product, you change the message. It’s all about marketing.

Where does that leave us? What is our Lutheran Brand? What do people think when they hear “Lutheran” or “Evangelical Lutheran”? Some may recall a German Monk who led a 16th century protest movement leading to the Protestant Reformation, the largest and most important event in Christendom in 2000 years. Some may think of Lutherans as a worldwide relief agency. Some may not have a clue.

Luther’s fundamental precepts and teachings are as important and relevant today as they were 400 years ago. The Column by Bishop Pryse (Eastern Synod) in the Oct/Nov 2013 issue of Canadian Lutheran contains some food for thought. In part he notes that:

“Martin Luther’s articulation of ‘salvation, by grace through faith’ is the most mind-blowing, revelatory and life-changing theological construct of the past millennium. It stands in total opposition to the primary secular and sacred creeds that dominate our present age, creeds that deceive us by promising a counterfeit ‘salvation’ based on personal merit or accomplishment; counterfeits that promise to make all storms of life go away.”

WOW. What great stuff. Salvation, by grace through faith.

Perhaps we have to turn it all over to the marketing department and figure out how to package this message so that it resonates with a public that has come to regard Evangelical Christians as alt-right, knuckle-dragging, racists. Our Brand must speak to current Canadian circumstances and culture and recognize that we must be a force for grace and love as opposed to the far-right fundamentalist haters, that seek to divide this young, vibrant, multicultural (that means not necessarily Christian) and exciting country.

Bob WettlauferApril 2018

F r o m t h e B C S y n o d

Registration for the BC Synod Convention Saturday Learning Event – Riding Backwards Bikes is now Open!

You can register online by going to the BC Synod website and click on Events/2018 BC Synod Convention or for your convenience you can REGISTER HERE

If you are planning to attend the Celebration Dinner after the learning event, please register by May 15, 2018

Where: Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, Langley When: Saturday, May 26 Time: 1 - 5pm Cost: $15

LEARNING EVENT SATURDAY, MAY 26 RIDING BACKWARDS BIKESwith Dr. Michael Binder

Come and join an afternoon of learning alongside the delegates to the BC Synod Convention. Together we will engage in a creative, slightly challenging but fun afternoon where we will experience howlistening to our neighbor and taking immediate actions can result ina new relationship and make us more aware of God’s presence.

The cost for the afternoon is $15.You are also invited to stay for the BC Synod Celebration dinner but you need to pre-register for the meal by May 15th.

Join the BC Synod in

Convention1:00 pm– 5:00 pm

Engaging , interactive

learning that will help us join in God’s mission

Bring a Team or come on your own!

How do we learn the new

things God wants to teach

us?

Register online

BC SYNOD CONVENTION

Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church

20097-72 AveLangley, BC

Cost for afternoon $15

Celebration Dinner $30

JOURNEY.TOGETHER: COMPANIONS

RIDING BACKWARDS BIKESOur Speaker/Facilitator

Dr. Michael Binder is the Pastor of Teaching and Vision at Mill City Church in Northeast Minneapolis. Mill City Church (www.millcitychurch.com) is a new church development that is nine years old, with a focus on neighborhood ministry. Michael completed his dissertation in a PhD program at Luther Seminary in 2017. His doctoral research focused on the revitalization of regional church denominations through partnership with God in neighborhoods. His recent writing includes "Participation is the New Excellence" and "Failing Them Softly," published in Leadership Journal and Christianity Today. Michael has been consulting with churches and denominations for the last five years. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and three kids.

Learning Event with the BC Synod in ConventionDr. Michael Binder will join us on Saturday, May 26th, from 1-5 pm at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Langley. He will take us on a creative, engaging journey to help us explore how we learn the new things God wants to teach us? Here is an outline of our afternoon.

Cost & Registration

Introduction and Dwelling in Word How do we learn new things God wants to teach us? Learn through Experience – What might God be up to? Learn by Doing – Crash Course (90 min) What did we learn from this experience? Riding Backwards Bicycles – Making Connections to Everyday Ministry Where Have We Seen God at Work Today?

The cost for the afternoon is $15. Please use this link to register Learning Event Registration and send your payment to the BC Synod office at 80 East 10 th Ave, New Westminster, V3L 4R5. [Please note that convention delegates are pre-registered and prepaid through the convention fees. Delegates Do NOT complete this form.] While pre-registration for the afternoon is not required it would be appreciated so we can ensure we have adequate materials on hand for every participant.Learning event participants may also choose to attend the BC Synod Celebration dinner on Saturday evening. This event will begin at 6:00 pm and the cost quoted by the caterers is $30. Pre-registration for the meal is required and must be submitted by May 15th, 2018.

For more information, please contact the BC Synod office.

U p c o m i n g a t P e a c e

PRAYER SHAWL – Wednesday, May 2nd @ 10:00 AM

HERON GROVE SERVICE – Sunday, May 6th @ 2:30 PM

ALTAR GUILD – Thursday, May 10th @ 1:30 PM

SUNSHINE SENIORS – Friday’s May 11th & May 25th @ 1:30 PM

SOUP KITCHEN – May 12th sign up is posted in the hall.

CONFIRMATION CLASS – Wednesday May 16th @ 4:15

COUNCIL MEETING – May 16th @ 7:00 PM

ELW MEETING – Tuesday, May 22nd @ 1:00 PM

BC SYNOD CONVENTION – May 24th- 27th

POTLUCK – Sunday, May 27th

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … …P e a c e L u t h e r a n P r a y e r C h a i n

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …Is sponsored by our ELW, it is made up of individuals who have made a commitment to pray for others in need. Those with a particular concern

for themselves or others are invited to contact Rita Makasoff and explain the circumstances for which prayers are requested.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE for June edition of

“THE PRINTS OF PEACE” newsletter is May 29th Thank you!