Wedgwood Community Church

May 2015

Volume 42, Issue 5

The Wedgletter Wedgletter Contribution

If you have a personal experience for Journey Talk, a book review, or an article you would like to share with us, please let Ellen Brown know by the 15

th of the month and submit it to

her by the 23rd

.

Inside this issue:

LLS: You Can Be a Hero 1

Elliott Walters Remembered 2

Upcoming Events 2

Pastor Wim’s Column 3

Worship Themes for May 4

Book Club 5

Movie Night 5

Evergreen News 5

LLS Update 5

Birthdays 6

Board Highlights 6

Humor 6

Did You Know? 6

Africa: Pictures and Stories 7

Conversation: Death with

Dignity

7

Bulletin Board 8

Publisher: Barbara Johnson

Editor-in-Chief: Ellen Brown

You can be a hero.

Mission Moment:

Did you know? More than 1.1 million people in the U.S. are living with, or are in remission from, a blood cancer. The money we raise supports the LLS mission to find blood cancer cures and provide precious pro-grams and services to these patients. Want to learn more? Visit www.lls.org to find programs and services near you.

National Walker Challenge:

Team members who register and raise $100 by May 31st

will earn an exclusive Light The Night flashlight keychain. What a cool prize! Register and jump-start your fundraising by May 31

st!

Click here to register today: http://pages.lightthenight.org/wa/SeattleL15/WedgwoodWalkers

-- Victoria Wenick

Page 2

S. ELLIOTT WALTERS 1928 - 2015

S. Elliott Walters was born in Joliet, Illinois, on June 29, 1928 and passed away on March 13, 2015. He was a

proud Captain in the U.S.M.C. serving his country in Korea. Elliott attended the University of Illinois, Cham-

plain, where he met Sheila M. Dalby. Elliott and Sheila had four children: Wendy Truitt (Jim), Pam Eshelman

(Bob), Martin (Joyce), Adam (Janice) and daughter-in-law Carolyn Macfarlane. Elliott lost Sheila in 2005 to

Alzheimer's after 52 years of marriage. In 2007, he met and married the second love of his life, Christine Riley,

and hoped for 50 years more. Elliott often said, "God gave me two great women." He embraced her daughters:

Elizabeth Hutchinson (Bill), Erica Swanson (Matt) and Alison Riley (Chris Young). Elliott had 15 grandchil-

dren: James, Reid and Jack Truitt, Amy Eshelman and Mollie Eshelman Bullis (Graham), Ryan Walters

(Brandi), Chelsea Thornton (Mark), and Tristin Walters (Samantha), Christina, Emily and Jayne Walters, Liam

and Micah Hutchinson, Riley and Greta Swanson. He had five great-grandchildren: James, Emma, Elliott, Grant

and Charlotte. Elliott had a zest for life he freely shared. In lieu of flowers, Elliott's family asks that remem-

brances be made to the Elliott Walters Memorial Fund to help create a new gathering space at St. Barnabas An-

glican Church, 2340 North 155th Street, Shoreline, WA 98133. A memorial service will be held at St. Barnabas

at 2 PM on Sunday, June 28.

[Adapted from the Obituary Published in The Seattle Times on April 5, 2015]

Sunday May 10 Mother’s Day Breakfast 9:30 AM

Sunday May 17 Potluck and Discussion 12:00 PM

Saturday May 30 Movie: McFarland USA 6:00 PM

Sunday May 31 Africa – Pictures and Stories 12:30 PM

Page 3

Who Is More Primitive?

Sometimes we think of countries that have less powerful armies or less sophisticated

economies as being less interesting or developed, maybe more primitive. When we

look deeper we find that less developed in one way means more developed in an-

other.

Annette and I had just landed at Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. Having

left home 27 hours before, we were looking forward to getting through the airport

and on to anything resembling a bed as quickly as possible. But there remained the gauntlet of airport lines

and customs between us and the promise of sleep.

Having made it through a series of lines, we came to the visa check point where we dutifully paid for our visa

into Kenya. The agent at the desk was making his way through the long line of customers that had just ar-

rived on our 747 by making change—not from a cash register or credit card scanner—but from the scatter of

bills piled on his desk. He then tediously handwrote receipts. Still, he managed a smile as he looked up at

each waiting patron.

We picked up our luggage and headed toward the most difficult part—customs. There was a short line for

each of the tables where customs agents spoke with incoming tourists. Most had opened a suitcase and I

thought, “Here we go. This will take forever.” Then an agent standing in the middle of the room waved us

through. I looked around. Could it be? We were supposed to just leave? I looked over to a distinguished

military officer sitting behind the agents and asked, “We are supposed to leave?” He smiled and shrugged

and pointed to the exit. I laughed and said to Annette, “If the military guy tells us to leave, I guess we had

better leave.”

What a relief! We had made it through the airport security in record time. Then we realized that we had no

way of contacting our daughter, who was going to pick us up. I walked over to a security officer leaning

against a wall at the café close to the airport building exit. “Could you tell me where I can find a pay

phone?” “There isn’t one around here,” he responded. “What number do you want to call?” And with that,

he reached into his pocket and pulled out his own cell phone and looked at me waiting for the number. I was

a little stunned, not sure I had understood him correctly. “Ah, well, let’s see,” I said lamely. “Let me find

it.” With that, I flipped my phone open to my daughter’s number and showed it to him. He dialed the

number and handed me his phone.

Whatever Kenya lacks in bureaucratic sophistication, its people more than made up for in simple grace and

warm acts of friendship. And if you are concerned about how such lacks of protocol might endanger public

safety, especially in an airport, let me put your mind at ease. We were, after all, people who had been

screened before we got on the airplane in Amsterdam. When we left Kenya, both we and our luggage were

each screened no fewer than three times between the street and the airplane!

-- Pastor Wim

Page 4

May Worship Themes

This month we begin a sermon series on the Sermon on the Mount. This sermon by Jesus has long been

described as the Constitution of the Kingdom, the single most concise description Jesus offers of how we

are to live. At the same time, others have discounted the Sermon as impractical and unworkable in this

lifetime. Clearly, they say, it was meant for the time after the reign of God becomes more established on

the earth. This sermon series assumes that Jesus intended for us to live out his directions today. Even

though we may not get it right, and certainly won’t get it right all the time, the Sermon provides us with a

measure of our spiritual maturity as God’s grace grows within us.

May 3 A New Model of Life Matthew 5:1,2

May 10 The Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5-7

May 17 Humility Counts for a Lot Matthew 5:3-5

May 24 Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing Matthew 5:6-8

May 31 Shalom – Peace as the Ultimate Social Goal Matthew 5:9

-- Pastor Wim

Page 5

BOOK CLUB

Our book club selection for

May is Pilgrim’s Progress,

written by John Bunyan. A

spiritual allegory, composed

in the 17th century, it is con-

sidered to be one of the most

significant pieces of

Christian literature ever penned. We

encourage you to join us as we read and

discuss this classic.

The next Movie Night will be on Saturday,

May 30, at 6 PM. The film, McFarland

USA, will be shown in the Fellowship Hall.

Bring some snacks and a friend!

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Make “someday” today! Please join the Wedgwood Walkers Light The Night team's effort by registering to walk on October 24 at Seattle Center or by making a donation to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Your participation will help LLS achieve

our mission … a world without cancer! Thanks for your support!

http://pages.lightthenight.org/wa/SeattleL15/WedgwoodWalkers

This year we are walking in memory of our dear friend Marty Welch.

-- Victoria Wenick

EVERGREEN NEWS

Take your Pastor to the Ballgame! will be on Monday, June 1. The Mariners will play the New York Yankees! Tickets are $21 each in Section 331, Rows 14,15, and 16. Order your tickets now. See Candace Sagor or email Clem at clemeba@comcast.net or call 253-859-2226. Evergreen needs volunteers to help in the Evergreen office, mainly to collate and prepare the monthly newsletter for mailing. If you are in the Seattle area and willing to join the volunteer team, please contact Evergreen’s Volunteer Coordinator, Charlotte, at 425-392-1185 (scherercm@q.com) or Clem at 253-859-2226 (clemeba@comcast.net). The annual Black Caucus-sponsored Barbecue Bake-off and Auction Fundraiser will be held on Saturday, July 25. Save the date for this yummy and entertaining event.

Page 6

We are including the birthdays of our American Baptist Special Inter-est Missionaries, including their children. If you would like to send a birthday greeting, email, or finan-cial support, please contact Ellen Brown for their mailing or email addresses. We are including the birthdays of our Ameri-

can Baptist Special Interest Missionaries

each month. If you would like to send a

birthday greeting, email, or financial support,

please contact Ellen Brown for their mailing/

email addresses.

May

3 – Wendy Bernhard*

4 – Isabella Smith**

7 – Edward Noyes*

13 – Ruth Halvarson

17 – Linda Rood

21 – Lee Ann Hwang*

28 – Carrie Monforte

28 – Marc Smith**

29 – Jeanne Halvarson

June

1 – Julie Finstad

1 – Christine Walters

4 – Tiffany Brown

7 – Bruce Sagor

8 – Philip Smith*

11 – Robert Sillence

11 – Lev Koshkin

12 – Rod Romberger

13 – Rose Zelaya

26 – Rita Chapman*

27 – Roberta Stephens*

30 – Grace Edmark

30 – Carissa Johnson**

*Special Interest Missionary

**Child of Special Interest Missionary

Church Humor

Don't let your worries get the best of you; remember, Moses started out as a basket case.

Leadership Team Highlights

“Transformed by the Spirit”: University Baptist and Queen Anne Baptist

churches are also participating in this program. The next step for all of us is to

put together Adaptive Challenge Teams and select coaches.

In the Planning Stages

Book Fair – planned for the future. The community will be able to drop off

books, which at a later date will be offered for sale.

Disaster Preparedness – will be conducted by a church neighbor.

CPR Class – The Fire Department will be invited to offer the class once again.

Sound System/Office Equipment to be acquired:

Sound Mixer to replace mixer in Balcony Sound room

Wireless Microphones (4) - 2 for upstairs/2 for downstairs (Funds to come from $5000 Audio/Visual gift)

Possibly a Receiver for the Fellowship Hall, to replace existing one

Replacement for our current copier with a (rented) Canon

Calendar

May 10 – Mother’s Day Breakfast

June 28 – Memorial Service for Elliot Walters

July 25 – Lay Leadership Team Retreat

With this issue of the Wedgletter, at

the suggestion of one of our congre-

gation, we are beginning a new fea-

ture called Did You Know? It will

include an interesting factoid or bit

of news about someone in our

church family. Please contact Ellen

Brown if you have a Did You Know?

item to share. We’ll begin with Milt

Brown, with the following item:

He really got around in his college

years, including schooling in Mex-

ico and working in Europe.

Page 7

Africa – Pictures and Stories

12:30 PM, Sunday, May 31

Pastor Wim will be showing pictures (projected onto a screen) and telling stories about his recent trip to Kenya during Coffee Hour on Sunday, May 31. The presentation will be made on the Fellowship Hall stage so others can continue with their own conversations if they would like. The illustrated narra-tive includes Nairobi National Park (featuring cheetah, antelope, zebra, hippo, etc.), Kibera Slum (more than 1,000,000 inhabitants) Mt. Kenya National Park, tea and coffee farms, worship service in Kawangware (west Nairobi), Tsavo National Park, Fort Jesus in Mombasa, and the beach at Kilifi on the Indian Ocean.

“Death with Dignity” Conversation

1 PM, Sunday, May 17

You are invited to the conversation about “Death with Dignity,” promised months ago. First, we will

have our May potluck and then we all pitch in to clean up before starting our conversation at 1 PM.

The “Death with Dignity” law allows people in Washington State to take their own lives under certain

circumstances. This law has evoked strong responses within our state and our congregation. God’s gift

of life invites us to actively care for all life. How can we respond to our own end-of-life decisions with

both the support and guidance of our faith community and accepting our own responsibility to make the

final decisions ourselves?

We will all be encouraged to bring our own answers and questions to the conversation while respecting

the opinions and values of others. You can expect that we will leave with some answers as well as gen-

erate more important questions to be answered as we continue to think about these important issues and

seek out God’s perspective for our lives.

-- Pastor Wim

BULLETIN BOARD

Read the Bible in One Year (May 1—31)

Day Old Testament New Testament Psalms & Proverbs

225 Ecclesiastes 7-9:12 1 Corinthians 7:36-40-8:13 Psalm 95:1-11

226 Ecclesiastes 9:13-18-12 1 Corinthians 9:1-18 Psalm 96:1-13

227 2 Chronicles 2-5:1 1 Corinthians 9:19010:13 Psalm 97:1-12

228 2 Chronicles 5:2-7:10 1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1 Proverbs 20:5-14

229 2 Chronicles 7:11-9:end 1 Corinthians 11:2-34 Psalm 98:1-9

230 Song 1, Song 2, Song 3, Song 4 1 Corinthians 12:1-26 Psalm 99:1-9

231 Song 5, Song 6, Song 7, Song 8 1 Corinthians 12:27-31, 13:1-13 Psalm 100:1-5

232 2 Chronicles 10-12 1 Corinthians 14:1-19 Proverbs 20:15-24

233 2 Chronicles 13-15 1 Corinthians 14:20-40 Psalm 101:1-8

234 2 Chronicles 16-18:27 1 Corinthians 15:1-34 Psalm 102:1-11

235 2 Chronicles 18:28-20:end 1 Corinthians 15:35-49 Psalm 102:12-17

236 2 Chronicles 21-23 1 Corinthians 15:50-16:4 Proverbs 20:25-30, 21:1-4

237 2 Chronicles 24-25 1 Corinthians 16:5-24 Psalm 102:18-28

238 2 Chronicles 26-28 2 Corinthians 1:1-11 Psalm 103:1-12

239 2 Chronicles 29-31:1 2 Corinthians 1:12-22 Psalm 103:13-22

240 2 Chronicles 31:2-21 thru 33:1-20 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:11 Proverbs 21:5-16

241 2 Chronicles 33:21-24, 34, 35:1-19 2 Corinthians 2:12-3:6 Psalm 104:1-18

242 2 Chronicles 35:20-27, 2 Chronicles 36 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 Psalm 104:19-30

243 Micah 1, Micah 2, Micah 3, Micah 4 2 Corinthians 4 Psalm 104:31-35

244 Micah 5, Micah 6, Micah 7 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 Proverbs 21:17-26

245 Isaiah 1, Isaiah 2 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2 Psalm 105:1-11

246 Isaiah 3, Isaiah 4, Isaiah 5:1-7 2 Corinthians 6:3-7:1 Psalm 105:12-22

247 Isaiah 5:8-8:10 2 Corinthians 7:2-16 Psalm 105:23-36

248 Isaiah 8:11-10:19 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 Proverbs 21:27-22:6

249 Isaiah 10:20-34, 11-13 2 Corinthians 8:16-9:5 Psalm 105:37-45

250 Isaiah 14, Isaiah 15, Isaiah 16 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 Psalm 106:1-15

251 Isaiah 17, Isaiah 18, Isaiah 19 2 Corinthians 10 Psalm106:16-31

252 Isaiah 20, Isaiah 21, Isaiah 22, Isaiah 23 2 Corinthians 11:1-15 Proverbs 22:7-16

253 Isaiah 24, Isaiah 25, Isaiah 26 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 Psalm 106:32-39

254 Isaiah 27, Isaiah 28 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 Psalm 106:40-48

255 Isaiah 29, Isaiah 30:1-18 2 Corinthians 12:11-21 Psalm 107:1-9

Items Currently Needed

Food Canned Fruits

Canned Soups & Stews

Canned Protein Items (tuna, corned beef

hash, chili, peanut butter-especially crunchy)

Soy Milk/Rice Milk

Vegetarian Items (tofu, canned beans, soups,

chili)

Pasta and Rice

Canned Vegetables (pasta sauce, peas, ol-

ives, etc.)

Cooking oil

Other Items

Bar Soap

Toothbrushes and Toothpaste

Toilet Paper

Shampoo

Deodorant

Pet Food

Paper and Plastic Grocery Bags

Baby Diapers, Food, Formula and Wipes