House of Prayer on Parker and MainPeace TalkNEWSLETTER

August, 2014

ENCOURAGEMENT IN CHRISTIAN LIVING!

“Consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together… but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Heb. 10:24–25).

We do live in difficult times no doubt… but contrary to the natural way of thinking, that should be the impetus for us Christians to “shine all the more” in our lives. We ARE the Holy People of God and it is such a JOY to be His beloved! A blessing to be His disciples!

And amazingly there are ALL KINDS of lovely examples of our lives “shining all the more.” I hope you are noticing them. Do you get this newsletter or the bulletins in the mail with a kind, handwritten note by Elsie Schweitzer? I hope you take the time to thank her. It is a labor of love!

Do you see the beautiful flowers under the crosses here at church? Those don’t happen by chance.

And who ARE those people, anyway, who donate sacraficially according to the gifting of God in every Sunday’s offering so that ministry can continue here at Peace? Every Sunday’s offering gives witness to the miracles

of God.

And then it is SO beautiful to hear the stories of our congregational members living out their Christian lives at home, work and at play! (Check out the reprint of how Daryl Smallcombe “shone” - on page 5.)

One member of the congregation some time ago felt that they were not hearing the stories of all the good things going on in the congregation. Let that never be the case here at our church! The glory of God and His salvation must never be diminished! Wave the banner and let us never be ashamed to be the light of Christ in the midst of the great darkness of sin around us!

MAY OUR PRAYERS ASCEND:

As so many have no doubt seen and heard, the ancient Christian community in that part of Iraq and Syria controlled by ISIS has been told to convert to Islam, leave, pay a massive tax that no one can come up with, or die. And from pictures that have made the rounds on Facebook, the killings have begun. This is an attack on one of the oldest continuous Christian communities in the world. Would you take a moment right now to join with me, my brothers and sisters in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, in a prayer to our heavenly Father on their behalf and on behalf of all throughout the world who suffer for the precious name of Jesus?

All-merciful Father, You gave Your Son into the flesh to experience hatred and violence and to conquer them with His unfailing love. Remember in compassion Your children, our sisters and brothers in Iraq and elsewhere, who suffer now for the sake of Christ. Strengthen them for a good confession, and give them grace to entrust themselves entirely into Your loving care, knowing that You will never leave them or forsake them and that death is no match for the life that You have given in Your Son and Spirit. According to Your wisdom, bring an end to the bloodshed and violence. Open the hearts of Your people in all places to stand with these hurting members of Christ’s body and provide any earthly aid we can to them. We ask it all in the name of Him whose cross is the triumph over all hatred, violence and death and whose resurrection is our everlasting hope, even Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

With you, under the saving blood,

Rev. Dr. Matthew C. HarrisonPresident, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Page 1

Pray without ceasing!!!

Working in partnership with God's people to raise up a new generation of faithful Christian men and women!

The Immanuel Preschool and the Lutheran Academy!

The Academy and Preschool prepare for the 8th Academic Year!PLEASE PRAY for Ms. L. and the Academy Board of Directors as they prepare for the upcoming year that starts August 27th! There is a lot of work still left to do, but the excitement is building! We currently have 12 very precious children enrolled and are happy with that as we have not found another permanent replacement for Mrs. Mandile. They will be plenty of work for Mrs. L and all our volunteers!

+ INTRODUCING OUR NEW PRINCIPAL: MS. LUKLANCHUK! At our most recent Academy Board Meeting we did appoint Ms. L. to be our new Principal at the Academy, taking up the role of Mrs. Mandile. We thank the Lord for all her gifts and talents that she brings to our school. Please pray for her!

+ DO YOU KNOW OF A LOCAL RETIRED CHRISTIAN TEACHER? We have some plans in place to help our Academy Principal/Teacher Ms. L. teach Grammar and Math this Fall, but they are not permanent. We are still looking that blessing from God of a qualified teacher who can come in and help Ms. Luklanchuk most days for a couple hours at the Academy. If you know of a teacher who might be interested in helping us out, please call Pastor Bjornstad!

+ NEW THIS FALL: A new web portal for our school that will serve all our students, faculty, and especially parents! Parents will be able to see all their children’s daily grades, be notified of any discipline problems immediately, never miss calendar events, communicate with staff effectively - all through a web page!

THE LUTHERAN ACADEMY IS A “CLASSICAL” EDUCATION INSTITUTION. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? Wisdom, eloquence, and virtue— these are the goals, i.e., the fruit, that a classical education cultivates within its students. The ancients knew that education should be about more than “basic skills” and mere competency. A good education transformed, elevated, and refined the mind and the soul. For thousands of years, the classical arts of learning were the standard for education. These arts were timeless and proven because they focused on the timeless and proven. The Good, the True, and the Beautiful were the objects of this sort of education. Eloquent confessors and wise leaders were its results. Our communities badly need just these sorts of men and women. In an endless pursuit of the latest educational dogma, most of our schools no longer have the capacity to judge what is Good, True, and Beautiful - much less teach it. In forsaking the soul for the mind, they have forgotten how to educate both. (see more at www.ccle.org) It goes without saying that the Lutheran Academy will be teaching that the ultimate Good, True, and More specifically, Beautiful, is our Triune God!

church website: www.yourpeace.org.... email: yourpeace@verizon.net

PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS INCLUDE:

TWO DAY PROGRAM:  For younger 3 year olds8:30 - 11:30 am    Tuesday and Thursday

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THREE DAY PROGRAM:  For younger 4 year olds8:30 - 11:30 am    Mon., Wed., Fri.

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Full Day Kindergarten8:30 - 3:00 pm    Monday through Friday

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Summer Discovery Camp

Are you looking for a beautiful preschool for your children?

ConsiderIMMANUEL LUTHERAN PRESCHOOL!

NOW PA STATE CERTIFIED!(this means that your tuition can be subsidized

according to a sliding, need based, scale!)

You can see more information at www.leccs.org

REMEMBER: THERE IS BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE AVAILABLE!

Remember to ask: "How can I pray for you?"

Pray without ceasing - 1 Thes. 5:17

Page 2

HAPPY NEWS AND NOTES:

+ A.L.F. RANSOM VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH HYMN SING AND PICNIC! Sunday, August 17th at 3:30pm we will have our annual picnic at the beautiful country church. Audrey loves to treat us all with a beautiful dinner! Grand time for the whole family! Church van will pick up as you give voice to your needs! :)

+ FAMILY CAMPING LABOR DAY WEEKEND! Come out to camp on Friday or Saturday night - or just come out for the day and enjoy it with us!  We have several families who are planning on coming out with us!  Contact Pastor Bjornstad for more information and

then how to reserve a camping site!  $25 per night - tents only!

+ RALLY DAY! SEPTEMBER 7, 2014! Sunday Schedule changes to 8:15 Spoken Liturgy; 9:30 Education Hour; 10:30 Worship. Plan to be there!!!

+ THE WEDDING! The Bjornstad family AND Erika would like to thank the congregation for their support of the family this last month on the occasion of Erika’s wedding to Caleb Keith! Everything went very smoothly and Erika and Caleb are very happy together! Wedding pictures are at www.prettygoodportraits.org/essays and you can write them at: Erika and Caleb Keith, 652 Joette Dr., Gardnerville NV 89460

+ THRIVENT CHOICE POINTS RECEIVED: Did you know that about $450 of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans "Choice Points" were donated to Peace Lutheran Church by members of the congregation (and others!) - since the beginning of the year 2014! We still have more to go! Please do NOT let your choice points expire without directing them to Peace Lutheran! These dollars are then directly applied to The Lutheran Academy bank balance!

+ Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML): On Sunday, August 24 we will have a (very late) quartly MITE OFFERING! As well, many women from around PA and NY will be gathering at beautiful Camp Pioneer September 19-21 for the annual women’s retreat. You can see the information on that retreat on the next page. Pastor Bjornstad will be attending and can provide any transportation needed!!!

+ ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE CLASSES NEED TO START AGAIN! But Pastor needs more support! If you are available Thursday evenings to volunteer please let him know! The friendships with the Nepali Community are so precious and we look forward to continuing our ministry to them with knowledge of English and God’s love!

+ PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR CHURCH WEBSITE (www.yourpeace.org) if you ever have questions about upcoming events or need information about the church. Also please LIKE our Facebook Page for updates about all that the Lord is doing here at Peace so that you can praise the Lord and/or pray for any needs. (look for “God’s Peace at Parker and Main”)

+ MUSIC AT PEACE: With Hannah Bjornstad leaving for university in MN what will we do? We first we need to fill the hole she will leave with our choir! Please consider singing with the choir this Fall! Also she will not be able to assist Amanda Kilgus with organ duties. Thankfully Michele Wilson, music teacher at Midvalley Elementary, will be happy to play the organ when Amanda is unable! Praise the Lord for His provision of our needs! (ANOTHER NOTE… Who is it that will replace Hannah teaching her Sunday School class? Please speak to Beverly Gedrimas about helping out!)

PRETTY GOOD PORTRAITS: Pastor Bjornstad has NOT been particularly busy with his photography business lately. He actually is not sorry about that because he has been extremely busy with LOTS of other things… He would, however, enjoy just a FEW more engagements this fall. He is especially eager to break into the Senior Picture business a bit as well as schedule two or three weddings for next year. He also loves to do events of all kinds! Proceeds of all work go to The Lutheran Academy, so please do not hesitate to refer him to your friends and family and share his website www.prettygoodportraits.org for their consideration!

THE BEST KIND OF STORIES!Pastor Bjornstad calls a member of St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church this past week in order to check on something… and after the business is taken care of she said she wanted to tell him something:A few days ago she was doing some yard work in the front yard. As she was moving a large pile refuse she heard a voice calling - seeming out of nowhere - “Can I help you?” At first she thinks she is imagining things… or that actually God was speaking to her! She tried her best to ignore it. She kept on working but then heard the voice again: “Can I help you?”She finally gets the courage to look up and turn around. And standing there is a young man on a bicycle she had never seen before. And he asked her again: “Can I help you?”He helped her move her yard refuse and it wasn’t too long before she found out that he was a Christian and that he belonged to Peace Lutheran Church!You probably know who this special person is by now. It is our own dear Daryl who loves to hear God’s Word, worship Him, show his faith in His actions, and give testimony to his Savior Jesus! Praise the Lord for this beautiful faith and life! What a beautiful place the world would be if we all were like Daryl!

UPDATES ON THE LIVES OF FORMER FRIENDS AND MEMBERS:EILEEN DUFFY: in an email Eileen writes “All is well here, My husband has taken a job in North Dakota in the natural gas and crude oil business. He has been out west for a year and a half, coming home every 6-8 weeks and holidays for a visit. Shaun is living at home and attending Centenary College in Hackettstown, NJ. I can't believe that she is a senior this year. I have not yet found a job, but still looking. Had a very bad back injury last November and spent 6 weeks in physical therapy. Much better now. I have been attending a the church that I spent my childhood in with my parents and grandparents .It is in a neighboring town.”

GEORGE AND DEBRA PRICE: George and Debi Price are doing very well in Deleware. George has recently been elected to the church council in their new church and Debi is very active as well volunteering at the church’s Lutheran school. The other day George was cooking pancakes for a church function! Praise the Lord for all His goodness!

NOTE ALSO CONCERNING PASTOR NISCHAL AND HIS FAMILY! Midway through July Pastor Nischal received an invitation to serve in an interim way at a Methodist church in Gibbons, PA, (about 25 minutes north of Scranton off 81). As they were offering a beautiful parsonage he and his family moved there and he preaches there every Sunday. He continues to work at Care America in Clarks Summit and you will hopefully see him around as we try to move forward with Reaching Indians for Christ! We do praise God for the provision he is giving the family!

Pictured is Rev. Hanus with the @1965 confirmation class. To the upper left is pictured Calvin McGreggor, whose funeral we just observed in Tunkhannock August 9th. Please pray for his mother Ruth, sister Joan, and brother Robert as they mourn his passing and trust in God’s Grace and saving power over sin.

THANKS BE TO GOD FOR A BEAUTIFUL 2014 Vacation Bible School!This year over 35 children enjoyed the theme “Gangway to Galilee” and our Bible Story leader Amy Betts shared about Jesus and his disciples in and around the Sea of Galilee! From Walking on the water, Calling the disciples, Calming the sea, Feeding the disciples and Teaching from the boat, she covered it all - and the kids soaked up the Good News of their savior Jesus Christ!THANKS ESPECIALLY to Michelle Cherney who did a FABULOUS job directing the whole operation! For the first time EVER, Pastor Bjornstad was running around doing OTHER things during VBS!!! Praise the Lord!

The Debate in Christianity on Capital PunishmentToday in the news we hear of how the Arizona convicted murderer Joseph Wood seemed to have suffered over 100 minutes during his execution by lethal injection before he finally died. It is quite a story that it seems to be getting harder and harder for the state to execute its criminals because the drugs that used to be so effective in killing are unavailable now.  Drug makers have either ceased production of them or simply refuse to sell them because they object to their use in these executions.

Capital punishment has been a hot topic for many decades of course, but I am not really sure that people are all that aware of the philosophical debate generally, or the debate among Christians. Most people I think determine their view on the death sentence by how they “feel” about it… But it is really quite a fascinating topic if we stop to learn more – with good points on both sides!

The debate over capital punishment actually has broader implications – implications for the whole of our criminal justice system. The question at issue is “What is the aim of our criminal justice system?” The historic view of almost every culture and society has emphasized the “justice” issue. If a crime has been committed then the purpose of any sentence is to administer punishment. This view has been called “Retributionism”. It sounds nice and simple.

But then in the last couple centuries another idea has begun to gain a lot of traction. This idea is that the main aim of the justice system is not so much punishment, but “rehabilitation”. A couple years ago I visited the Eastern Pennsylvania State Penitentiary in Philadelphia – and the history lesson there was summed up in its name “Penitentiary”. It was where criminals were to come and learn to be “penitent”, to repent of their sin and learn to reform their lives. Its original “Rehabilitationism” purpose was not so much punish criminals, but to reform them and make them into responsible citizens. This view came out of the “Enlightenment”

and a high view of human nature and the capacity for the will of man to change.

So which view is more Christian? Some Christians would argue that the main point of the Bible is that God hates death and that he loves mercy. It is plain that God certainly desires the reformation of the heart life through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. They would point to places in the scripture where God spared the murderer – such as with Cain and King David. But the Retributionist Christian certainly has lots of scripture to back their view up as well. Certainly capital punishment was included in the laws given by God that governed the early Israelite nation. And certainly St. Paul admonished all Christians to respect the sword of the government that was instituted by God to keep the peace in the land.

I personally take the view that although God certainly does desire every chance for repentance and loves mercy, and that every opportunity should be taken to minister to the criminal so that he might repent and reform his life, all this does not take away from the principal of justice in the Kingdom of the Left (Civil realm) and that the government and society have every “right” to implement capital punishment. HOWEVER: I also take the view that capital punishment is not a requirement of government and that in mercy we might desire to cease its practice. I suppose the one thing that makes me hesitate the most in being a vocal advocate for capital punishment is that our Justice System is so fallible. The sinful and often corrupt law enforcement and Judicial system has proved so incredibly wrong so many times that you have to suspect that almost any conviction is suspect. It is so very difficult for me to think about how many people have been wrongly executed.

Ultimately with this (and so many of our vexing problems in life) the reality is that there is no “good” answer. We desperately need good sound thinking on the subject, but we also need a fleeing to the Savior who loves us even though we can’t get a handle on life. Even the fact that we even NEED a criminal justice system is sobering! It drives me to repentance and love for my savior Jesus the Christ!

More of Pastor Bjornstad’s “ruminations” can be seen at www.fysherofmen.wordpress.com

THANKS TO ALL WHO MADE THE CHICKEN BBQ A GREAT TIME FOR ALL! Thanks especially to Tom and Arlene Jones who did so many preparations, and then Adam Evans who came in and did a superb job cooking the chickens! Also thanks to Stanley who made some world class baked beans and cole slaw! And thanks to God who made it all possible!