On the goodness of Christ

By Allison Ramsey, office manager

As we approach Easter, the anticipation of Jesus’ resurrection, and the joy that it brings, I recall one of our (almost) weekly Eucharist services that we had as synod staff.

Bishop Hofstad was leading the service that week. The text that day talked about seeing the goodness of Christ. So, Bishop Hofstad asked each of us, “What Bible verse most clearly speaks to you about the goodness of Christ?” It was a great question, but I didn’t have an answer.

I was absolutely stumped. I started to feel dumb … that I didn’t know enough of the Bible by heart to answer that question. One Bible verse in the front of my mind lately had been one that we were talking about at my church from Psalm 34:8: “O taste and see that the Lord is good!” It mentions the Lord is good and I like this verse, and especially love to think of it as I am enjoying my evening meal. But, that didn’t speak most clearly to me about the goodness of Christ.

One of our synod staff quickly answered that John 3:16 was the verse for them.

When Bishop Hofstad asked this, I wasn’t aware of how personal this question was. Shortly after our service and staff meeting was over, I was reading the monthly newsletters that come to our office from so many of our congregations. I was just about to put the newsletters in a pile to send off to our synod communicator, when a verse written in large print on the page caught my eye (at least the print seemed large at the time). It was like God wanted to show it to me so that I could see this wonderful gift now: 2 Corinthians 1:20 “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.” I now have this verse handwritten on a Post-it note hanging at eye level next to my desk.

What verse speaks to YOU most clearly about the goodness of God? You’ll find this question on our Facebook Page (Southwestern Washington Synod) and on our Soul Café page and I’d love to see you post your answers for us all to read.

Mega-shelter effort in Vancouver winds up another season

VANCOUVER, Wash. – The promise of a job draws a young family with two small children from Ohio. But they find no work here in southwest Washington, where high-tech, timber and fishing are down amid 13 percent unemployment.

Penniless, they land in a homeless shelter at St. Andrew Lutheran Church. They are among "the new homeless" that the Rev. Jim Stender sees much more of now, hardworking people who are no match for the recession. For nine years, St. Andrew and nearby St. Paul Lutheran Church are sites of two homeless shelters that together are part of one of the biggest such initiatives in the Pacific Northwest, called Winter Hospitality Overflow, or WHO.

Every day from November to March, WHO provides shelter here when all other Vancouver shelters are full. That's all the time. St. Andrew takes in women and families. Single men are at St. Paul.

The numbers since the recession have "gone off the charts," said the Rev. Chris Nolte of St. Paul. Some 175 men will have received shelter at St. Paul between last November and March, many staying weeks.

At St. Andrew, 400 families will stay, again some for long periods. Together, 10,000 bednights will have been provided by 1,500 volunteers putting in an astounding 13,000 hours of service.

Volunteers and support comes from 40 Vancouver churches, and also from social-service agencies such as Share, a government/private partnership to aid the homeless.

“This has been a marvelous cooperative effort,” Stender said.

The pastors don't preach. "This is not a crusade," Nolte. Instead, it's a two-way street. A decade ago, some of the members of the two congregations sat in the back pews red-faced and fuming about the proposed mega-shelters. Those same people now are doing the overnight shifts.

"It's amazing what the guests bring to us," Nolte said. Said Stender, "In their faces, you see the reflection of Christ. I hope they can see Jesus in us, as well."

Pictured top to bottom: Dinner, a student, team leader Geri Hiller, and bedding down at St. Paul in Vancouver.

Story by Rachel Pritchett; Courtesy photos

Asian expert to speak at community event at PLU

Whitman College professor of Asian religions Daniel Kent will speak on "Killing Tigers, Killing Cows: The Karma of Killing Animals in the Sri Lankan Civil War, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. April 4 at Pacific Lutheran University. All are invited.

Kent's appearance is part of PLU's Ingram Lecture series. It takes place in the Scandinavian Cultural Center. There is no cost, and reservations are not necessary.

Got a poverty project?

Hi everyone,

I am researching what I am told is going to be the cover story for July issue of The Lutheran. The overall focus of the story is the Lutheran response to domestic poverty. The story is to consist of 12 smaller stories about projects across the nation showing this response.

For example, I have a community meal in Charlotte, N.C., that's just huge. I have community gardens in Waverly, Iowa, on home sites where dwellings were destroyed by floods from the Cedar River in 2008.

Here at home, I've chosen to lift up the Winter Hospital Overflow at St. Paul and St. Andrew of Vancouver as among the 12. I can't make this too Washington state-focused, but if you'd like to make your pitch to me, now is the time. I'm looking urban, rural, ethnic. I'd love for some of you doing the Hispanic outreach in Lewis County and south to be included. The projects have to have some kind of link to the ELCA.

I have to turn this monster around pretty fast, so I'm taking several days off my day job next week and the week after, because I want to do this. Make your pitch pretty soon. You can email me at rachelpritchett@msn.com or call me at 206-498-0920. Pictured are some students from Wartburg College in Waverly working on the gardens.

Rachel Pritchett, communicator

Human trafficking, bullying among topics

PORT ORCHARD — South Kitsap Helpline and the the YWCA ALIVE Shelter for abused women are the beneficiaries of an upcoming event of the Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

On Saturday, March 17, that organization's Olympic Cluster will holds its Spring Celebration at Elim Lutheran Church in Port Orchard that will feature Sharla Musabih on the abuse of Muslim women in Dubai and Mary Abo on being interned with Americans of Japanese descent during World War II.

Also featured will be Sarah Benjamin speaking on human trafficking, and Dave Colombini of the South Kitsap School District on bullying. Presenters will lead workshops, as well.

All are invited. The $12 cost includes lunch. Reservations can be made by calling the church at 360-871-0602 by Monday.

A worship service will be led by the Rev. Beth Orling, and proceeds from a free-will offering taken then are to benefit the food bank and shelter. Elim is at 5911 East Hillcrest Drive.

Blatt learned stewardship early, now living it in Paraguay

By Denny Scott, St. Andrew Lutheran Church

VANCOUVER — Jessica Blatt, who grew up at St. Andrew Lutheran Church and is a Peace Corps volunteer, is building an environmental-restoration center made of recycled plastic bottles in Paraguay.

Since 2009, the 25-eyar-old has lived in Ayolas, a town of 15,000 on the southern border of the South American country. Blatt has raised $7,000 for the project, which is already having several impacts. It demonstrates how solid waste can be reduced. It engages young people to think environmentally. And, a new center of environmental-restoration programs will result when Blatt's tour ends this June.

Blatt has generated excitement among the youth of Ayolas. They have formed EcoAyolas and they are collecting plastic soda bottles and preparing them to substitute as "bricks” for construction. Fifteen members of this group have organized community cleanups, tree plantings, Earth Day celebrations, environmental field trips and ecology summer camps.

Blatt said the seeds of her service were planted at St. Andrew. "Being nurtured at St. Andrew to share my time, talent and treasure. I decided to become a steward in a very real way doing an environmental project in Paraguay.”

Cutlines:

Jessica Blatt

Blatt and students collect plastic bottles for the building.

The bottle walls will be covered with stucco, as in this example from another location.

Update from your synod's Namibia Task Force

This spring the companion relationship between this synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia continues as Valinda Morse, assistant to the bishop, and husband Lyle attend a "consultation" in the African country from May 17 to 20.

Three other synods in the ELCA that have relationship with synods in Namibia will attend, as well.

Updates on issues of interest to all sides are given at consultations, and planning for future companion-synod events happens, as well.

More will be written about the consultation when Morse returns. The last such consultation was in 2005, and Bishop Robert D. Hofstad lead a contingent then.