We are called to proclaim the Word and celebrate the sacraments. We gather in Christian community for nurture and support. We are sent out in service to others.

Voice of Grace

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org

Worship 10:30 a.m. September/October 2018

Graduation!To the People of Grace,

I’m glad to inform you that both of our students, Harunah Mugonza (Clinical Medical Officer) and Dr. Vivien Nanfuka, graduated on 23rd June. The date for graduation was shifted from the 16th to the 23rd because they wanted the President of the country to be the chief guest on their graduation.

Harunah is only waiting to get himself prepared to pay for the practicing license to the medical council to have himself start practicing what he studied. Vivien is required to take one year internship and then will start working for a salary. Her internship will begin in October this year and end in October 2019. She will be facilitated by the government during that year.

Here are some pictures of their graduation on this message for you.

God bless you and thanks a lot for the love and for all your support.

Kenneth Kasule

Dr. Vivien Nanfuka Harunah Mugonza

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org2

All-Day Prayer Retreat Reflections

by Pastor Coe

What a gift it is to be able to spend almost a whole day simply in the presence of God, reflecting upon God’s love and invitation to relationship. That was the gift of the recent all-day prayer retreat for me. Led by Sister Monika from the St. Placid Priory, we meditated on colors and upon God. Every all-day retreat has involved some kind of artwork, and this time we created what I would call “prayer icons” patterned after what are known as mandalas in the Buddhist and Hindu faiths. My icon is shown below and I have enjoyed using it as part of my prayer time.

My icon is designed with four colors: yellow representing God the Father, green as Jesus Christ, red as the Holy Spirit, and purple as me. You can see that the center is the Holy Trinity. It is almost as if the colors are all dancing together. I am (and each of us are) invited into the dance of the Holy Trinity, to abide with the Three-in-One. Of course you can see the cross and at the outer edges is the Holy Spirit drawing us into relationship with God.

Women’s Annual PicnicThe Women’s Picnic was held on July 28 in Linda Gaenicke’s backyard. It was a beautiful day, and the flowers were in bloom. Potluck foods including salads and desserts were enjoyed by all. Linda provided the group with an assortment of painted rocks and everyone decorated their rock with the supplied craft paints. Thank you, Linda!

It’s easy to fall into a habit of crabbiness. Crab, crab, crab, gripe, gripe, gripe. What if we chose to be grateful instead?

Choosing to be grateful is powerful. If we make a point of it, before long it becomes a healthy habit. Being grateful means being aware of the grace around us all the time – and that leads to our drawing closer in gratitude to the Source of it all.

Here’s a spiritual practice we can all try. Every day for a month, let’s write down three things we’re grateful for. At the end of the month, let’s see if practicing gratitude has made a difference in our inner lives.

I’m grateful that I can choose to be grateful. How about you?This message is adapted from a monthly online stewardship devotion by Audrey Novak Riley.

Gun Safety Statement In May of 2018, after yet another school shooting, Pastor Coe asked for volunteers to work on a task force to see if there wasn’t something that Grace Lutheran could say or do on behalf of gun safety and protecting our students. Some wonderful volunteers responded and they went to work. After much discussion they came up with the following Gun Safety Statement. This statement has been discussed at Council and Council has voted to recom-mend it for adoption by the congregation. It is scheduled for consideration at the October 7 congregational meeting.

We asked Pastor Coe what we are expected to do with this statement. He responded, “That is an excellent question. Each person’s response to this statement is up to that individual, but here are some ideas that we may offer to individuals or groups within the congregation. We could: (a) share the statement with other churches in the commu-nity, (b) share the statement with the newspaper, (c) put the statement on our website, (d) individuals could write to their elected representatives and share this statement with those persons, (e) we could turn the statement into resolutions to take to synod assembly, and (f) we could organize a Grace Lutheran visit to Olympia to meet with our representatives to discuss the statement. Those are all decisions that can come later.”

Thanks to the volunteers who worked on this task force: Keith White, Lois Sherwood, Paul and Kathy Marshall, and Corinne Bugbee-Smith. We appreciate your hard work.

GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH PORT TOWNSEND, WASHINGTON

GUN SAFETY STATEMENT

August 22, 2018

In Response to School and Community Violence

Grace Lutheran Church, Port Townsend, Washington, is a community of Christians dedicated to following Jesus’ teaching and example. We are horrified by firearms used to murder our children and other innocent people. In a document responding to community violence in 1994, the Church Council of the ELCA states, “In the face of violence, God’s resolve for peace in human communi-ties is unshakable. Deliberate acts to harm or kill inno-cent people violate God’s intention for human commu-nity. God’s commandment is: “You shall not murder” (Ex.20:13). In proclaiming God’s law, we declare that people are accountable before God and the community to honor and respect the life God has given.” Further, a social statement made by the 1995 Churchwide Assembly,

entitled, “For peace in God’s World” (1995), offered concrete implementation actions “To call upon members and leaders of this church to support our youth in their struggle to define their identity and vocation as present and future peacemakers.” These messages are as relevant today as when they were adopted in 1994 and 1995.

We believe this calls us to advocate for the life and safety of all God’s people, even in the face of complex political issues, for silence – a failure to speak out – can be seen as acceptance of our current horrors. We seek in this Statement to reject that silence and to affirm the right to life for our children.

Given the above understandings, Grace Lutheran Church commits to promote policies, practices, and laws that:

1. Allow the sale of firearms only to individuals over the age of 21.

2. Ban civilian sales of assault-type weapons, high capacity magazines, armor piercing ammunition, bump stocks, and other modifications that increase the rate and volume of fire.

3. Provide background checks for all firearm purchases, waiting periods and requirements for mandatory gun safety training.

The pastor and Synod Assembly representatives shall present these issues and concerns in the form of resolu-tions and memorials at the Synod Assembly.

Dear God, I want so much to be the person You would have me be. There are so many places in my life where I still hide from You, where I deny my love. In this moment I surrender those places to you. Please heal me, Lord.

Turn my darkness, dear Lord, into Light. May I become Your Self within me. Illumine my heart. Increase my understanding. May my footsteps go where you would have them go, and my actions be what You would have them be.

Dear Lord, please make me new.

Amen.

Marianne Williamson, Illuminata: A Return to Prayer, Copyright 1994

This prayer was submitted by Roberta Bymers

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org3

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org4

Pastor’s Message

Canoeing the Mountains

On our recent vacation I read Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory by Tod Bolsinger. Bolsinger, who has served as senior pastor of San Clemente Presbyterian Church, is the vice president for vocation and formation and teaches practical theology at Fuller Theological Seminary. The book was recommended to me by our Bishop Rick Jaech who is asking all the conference deans to read it and be prepared to discuss it at a dean’s meeting later this fall.

I found it to be an excellent, challenging and inspiring read. The title refers to the Lewis and Clark expedition which Bolsinger uses as a metaphor for the current state of the Christian church in the Western world. Lewis and Clark set out to find a navigable waterway from one end of the United States to the other. They expected, planned, and prepared to canoe up the Missouri River. When they reached the headwaters they believed that they would be able to portage their canoes a relatively manageable distance and put into the headwaters of the

Columbia River, then paddle downstream to the Pacific. But when they reached the Missouri headwaters, instead of the Columbia, they found…the Rocky Mountains. They had not planned for mountains. They were not equipped for moun-tains. They were not prepared for mountains. They were in uncharted territory. Hence the title, Canoeing the Mountains.

Bolsinger writes that the church faces the same situation as it prepares for the next century and generation. “What got us here won’t take us there.” As pastors, we have essentially been trained to lead the church of the past 200 years. As congregation members, what we know and expect is what we grew up with. But I think we all know that the church of the future is not going to be the church we grew up with. Big change is coming. This can be scary, but it can also be exciting. Bolsinger writes, “To publicly acknowledge that we are now in uncharted territory where there are no maps and few answers allowing us the freedom to innovate through experimentation, to encourage humility and inquisitive-ness, to ask questions and to invite those with us into an adventure of learning.”

I found lots of challenging ideas and suggestions in Bolsinger’s book. He asked the exciting question, “Could it be that God is taking our churches and organizations into uncharted territory for the church to become even more of a witness for the future of the world?”

This book was sufficiently moving that I want to share it with more people and see how we might put some of its ideas into practice. I am looking for a small group that would read and discuss the book together and consider and pray about what it might mean for Grace Lutheran. We know the future will be different; we don’t know exactly what it will look like, and we would like to be prepared to follow wherever God leads. If you would like to participate with me and a few others in a discussion group around Canoeing the Mountains, please contact me at pastorcoeh@gmail.com. To quote Bolsinger, “the church is…at an exciting crossroads. We are entering a new day, new terrain and a new adven-ture. We are not alone. The Spirit of God goes before us. The mission of Christ will not fail.” Hallelujah! Thanks be to God. I look forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts.

I’ve been very fortunate in my life to have good jobs and to work with good people whether at those jobs or in volunteer situations. When I start a new job, I’m fairly quiet in nature (hard to believe I know) because, hey, it’s a new job! I’m learning the ropes and getting to know my co-workers. My heart gets happy when learning the co-workers are really nice people. My heart jumps up and down when some of those co-workers turn out to become friends.

Life goes on, taking one in new and different directions, and when one has life changes, there is always the “we’ll stay in touch” comments with one’s work/volunteer friends, but deep down inside everyone knows that connection will likely not continue.

Lately, people I know from years past, who were either work friends or from volunteer activities, have been popping back into my life. We’ve found each other through Facebook, the grocery store and the county fair. We’ve been meeting for tea/coffee, lunch and wine. It’s been truly amazing and fun, literally blasts from the past. Discussions start with how we met and then morph into what we’re doing now. We’re finding things in common. Conversation never lags. It’s all been very good.

So, I feel like I‘ve been living between two worlds lately: the past and the present, with the two converging on each other all of a sudden. I’ve thanked God many times for these people re-entering my life for whatever reasons and for the friendships being revived.

There is a quote I like by Baltasar Gracian, a Spanish Jesuit, baroque prose writer and philosopher: “True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides its evils. Strive to have friends, for life without friends is like life on a desert island. To find one real friend in a lifetime is good fortune. To keep that friend is a blessing.”

And, of course, we all know who the ultimate Friend is!

My heart is jumping up and down.

God bless you all.

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org

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Penny’s Thoughts

“Living Romans” Evening Bible Study and Dinner

You are cordially invited to attend “Living Romans,” a 12-week evening dinner and Bible Study that will be held on Wednesdays at 5:15 starting September 12. The Book of Romans is one of the richest books in the New Testament. It is the longest of Paul’s letters and it is filled with the idea of Grace. This study will be in depth, and there will be some homework. But it will be well worth it; the class will be simple enough for those who have never studied the Bible before and yet deep enough for those who are well-experienced. All are welcome. We will share a

simple meal each week provided by one of four teams. You will be asked to participate in one of the dinner teams. For more information see organizer Dianne Espenson. This will be a great opportunity for those who work or can’t make one of our day-time studies. Please sign up in the Fellowship Hall to participate in this great opportunity.

Surviving a Loss Earl Kong is conducting a series of brief interviews for the Voice of Grace with people who have lost a loved one.This is the sixth in the series.

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org6

see page 7

Al Smith, as interviewed by Earl Kong.How did you survive the first day? Actually, it was the first night. Mom was not doing very well and had slowly been failing for some time (she was 97.) She was requiring more and more help, and as a result, had become a resident of Life Care. Things were emotionally rough for us as we had been concurrently dealing with the failing health of both of our moms for a very long time. Corinne’s Mom lived with us (she was 100!) and had passed just a few weeks earlier. The night my Mom passed, we had been at church celebrating Lillian’s (Corinne’s Mom) memorial. After the service and reception, my sister Deb wanted to check in with Mom on her way home, and Corinne and I went back home. When we got home, we had a message from Deb telling me that Mom had just passed during Lillian’s reception. Even though we had been expecting it for some time, I recall being surprised, saddened, relieved, guilty and not just a little surprised at the timing.

Did you have any help? Oh, yes! I was so thankful for my sister Deb. She had been watching, working with and caring for Mom for a long time, to the point where I was concerned for Deb’s health before Mom went to Life Care. Before that, Pastor Coe, Homecare and Hospice were providing much-needed care and breaks as well as much-needed other necessary interactions.

Deb was also Mom’s executor and had been dealing with those issues. Arrangements had been made ahead of time, and Mom was moved to Kosec the night she passed. Corinne and I were already fried emotionally, and my poor sister was nearing the end of her rope. We leaned on each other, along with some of our friends and some of Mom’s friends, especially Ann Bambrick and Beth Orling. Ann would visit Mom almost daily, and Beth would frequently visit and read to her. It goes without saying that Pastor Coe was there for us, and he himself was dealing with the loss of his father and father-in-law just a few days earlier. Pastor and Beth both spoke with Mom about her end of life wishes as well as what she wanted for her memorial. It seemed much easier for her to talk with them about such things rather than with us. We were comfortable with that.

As things calmed down, how did you cope? It was a little weird. We were still getting used to the loss of Corinne’s Mom, and now we were dealing with my Mom’s passing. As I said earlier, her passing was

not unexpected, but even so, the reality of it was still a little surprising and difficult to accept. Initially, I suppose we stayed busy with all the things that seem to crop up, like calling family, making plans and arranging for any number of things. There would be prayers of course, and tears. I would talk with Corinne and my sister, sometimes even laughing over some memory.

Is there any pain? For me, the grieving did not happen immediately. It crept in over a period of a few days, taking the form of sadness and sorrow, loneliness, emptiness and tears. Do not be afraid to cry. For me, the tears would bring some relief and helped to remind me that she was no longer in pain and discomfort and that she was now in a much better place.

Talk about your loved one. Mom certainly loved all of her kids. Since I’m the oldest (out of four), I guess I knew her the longest. Even so, I would have liked a closer relationship than we had. We loved each other very much, but she was always more comfortable with women, including my sisters. She never gave herself enough credit for being strong and compe-tent. More than once after Dad got transferred, she was the one who stayed behind and dealt with selling the house, arranging the move, all while wrangling four kids, and then driving them to a new home half way across the country, and doing it all well. She was loving and caring, helping friends and volunteering for many various things in the community. She really enjoyed volunteering in the hospitals. More important, though, she loved going to church, and she raised her offspring accordingly. Oh yeah, she really loved playing bridge, and she was really good at it. And she could be a pool shark!

What is the biggest surprise? Most of the paperwork and financial stuff had already been taken care of primarily by my dear sister before mom could be moved to Life Care, so there was, by then, essentially no major debts or assets to be dealt with. We had chosen to keep her apartment at Discovery View in the unlikely event she could return. We had only a few days to get her things all moved out and sorted, make all kinds of decisions of what went where, and who got what. The surprise was that the sad task of going through her things was also sweet and funny.

The project was more difficult and time consuming than we had anticipated. One of the good things that came out of this work, however, were the loads of memories and surprises we came across, causing us to stop and laugh and cry, and to slow down and pause to sit down while we looked through some pictures or read letters and cards. This part of the process was a gift from Mom that gave us some good family bonding.

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org7

What can you say to others who walk this route? Allow yourself to grieve. Don’t hold back. The tears provide very real relief. It’s an emotional time, and I experienced many different feelings from sorrow to guilt. It’s important to interact with people – hugs go a long way toward feeling better. It’s difficult for many of us, but when someone offers help, don’t be afraid to accept it. People want to help. Let them. And don’t be afraid to ask. You will probably discover that you are stronger than you give yourself credit for. Don’t forget to pray. For some reason that was difficult for me. But God is there for us, and He will definitely lighten your load.

Loss from page 6

Grace Lutheran ChurchHomeward Bound Update

August 15, 2018

Grace representatives have met again with Homeward Bound and had an extended phone call with the Port Townsend Development Services Department Director. There are lots of changes so we continue to work as closely as possible with the interested parties. As an interesting side note, a couple of the adjacent property owners are attending our Homeward Bound meetings and following our reports. Here’s the latest.

1. Homeward Bound seeking a new contractor – Homeward Bound’s contractor recently left the area (we don’t know the details) so they are having to search for a new contractor. As you can imagine, this is a diffi-cult task with such a high demand for contractors. That is part of the delay in the start of construction.

2. Potential Change to City Permitting and Planned Unit Development Process – You may recall that Homeward Bound was being required to go through a Planned Unit Development (PUD) process before they could build out and rent the four studio units that would be on the ground floor of the Carmel building. That PUD process also included the land swap with Grace Lutheran and the resolution of all the parking issues. That process has now changed. The City is now considering a code amendment that would allow Homeward Bound to build out the four studio units without a PUD process. They would need to amend or apply for another building permit, but not go through the long and involved PUD process. This essentially separates the land swap and all its related issues from the construction of the eight units in the existing Carmel building. They could complete the existing Carmel building without the land swap and without the PUD process.

The code amendment may go to the City Council in the next few weeks, where it is likely that the Council would adopt an interim amendment that would allow Homeward Bound to move forward with all eight units provided they amended their existing building permit.

3. How does Grace get its parking secured if there is no PUD process? That is a key question that was discussed with Homeward Bound since the land swap was part of the solution to long term parking issues. Since there may not be a PUD process or a land swap in the near term, Homeward Bound has proposed that they enter into a contract with Grace to allow parking on their property until such time as a PUD process is completed or other arrangements agreeable to both parties are made. Both Homeward Bound and Grace have set the development of this contract as a high priority for upcoming meetings. If this continues to develop Grace will need to seek out professional legal assistance for this contract. We think this contract approach may be a better solution than having to go through the PUD process at this time.

4. Proposed change to access to Carmel building. Prior plans have used Cass Street for access to the Carmel building and its parking lot. The latest proposals have changed to use access from Walker/Cherry Street. Homeward Bound would use the same driveway that the church currently uses. This may be a less expensive process and may meet the needs of both Homeward Bound and the church.

As you can tell, this is still a fluid situation. We are working hard to stay on top of the changes and make sure the interests of Grace Lutheran are considered.

Day by DayDay by day Day by day

Oh dear Lord Three things I pray

To see Thee more clearly Love Thee more dearly Follow thee more nearly

Day by dayA prayer ascribed to the 13th-century English bishop Saint Richard of Chichester:

Day by Day is a folk rock ballad from the 1971 Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak musical Godspell.

Real Life 101 by Corinne Bugbee-Smith

This group is created for those of us who wish to share our Real Life thoughts, hearts, and souls in a safe, loving and intimate setting with our Grace friends. Some of you have not as yet attended our wonderful, wonder-filled meetings. We are encouraging you to join us in September. You will enrich our experience and delight us with your presence. Thanks to you who have already joined us for allowing yourselves to be vulnerable, honest and loving in your communication and your desire to build relationships. You are showing how we are God's gifts to one another.

• Saturday, September 8, 11:00 a.m. • The topic: In Japan, broken objects are often repaired

with gold. The flaw is seen as a unique piece of the object's history, which adds to its beauty. Consider this when you feel broken.

• At: Grace fellowship hallEven if you haven't attended so far, PLEASE come! Some of the topics we have talked about have been setting boundaries without guilt; saying "Yes" to what God asks of us; when the bitterness returns; prayer; and, describe the perfect day. I LOVE this group!!

Men’s PicnicThe Annual Men of Grace Picnic is Saturday, September 15, at Kala Point Beach from 10:30 to 2:30. Please bring a side dish. Brats, burgers, plates, utensils, and drinks will be provided. Sign up in the fellowship hall. We hope to see you there!

Congregational MeetingA congregational meeting will be held after church on Sunday, October 7, to discuss and vote on three items: Kitchen Remodel Project, Mineral Rights Sale, and Gun Safety Statement.

What is an Ultreya?You have probably heard that there will be an Ultreya here at Grace. You may be wondering what that is.

Ultreya is a Spanish word meaning “persevere.” It is used within the Via de Cristo movement as a name for a large gathering of people who are involved in Via de Cristo and those who would like to learn more.

Grace Lutheran is going to host an Ultreya gathering from 5:00 to 8:00 on Saturday evening, September 15. It will include a potluck, a short talk, lots of singing, and communion. People from all over Western Washington are invited. You are invited too. Come and join us and learn more about Via de Cristo.

Men’s BreakfastMen of Grace meet every Friday, 7:30 a.m.at Avamere. Don Fristoe says, “It’s good food, good fellowship and good conversation with a welcoming, jovial group of guys who want to better understand God’s word. The meetings really enrich my life. The conversations are both thought-provoking and warm at the same time. I hate when I have to miss them; they’re an important part of my week.”

The pictures below show their genuine friendship. According to Don, “we all genuinely like each other, and really look forward to our Friday morning get-togethers.”

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org8

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org

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An Artist Interview: Glora Suttonby Nina Daly

When did you start working on art? When I was a little kid, my favorite thing to do was to color, cut out, and make pretty things.

Have you had any training? I did not get a chance to take any painting lessons until around 1977 when I took an oil painting class at the high school. After moving to Seattle, I took classes through the Parks Department and also from a few different teachers who held classes in their homes. I switched from oils to watercolors during that time because I thought watercolors to be more expressive. After moving to Port Townsend, I had the opportunity to take classes with Miriam Lansdon, Jeannette Best, and Danny Adams. I have also taken a few workshops with Eric Weigardt and a couple of other artists.

What or who inspired you? I guess I was inspired by just seeing other artists work. What led me to do watercolors was a show of Jerry Stitts work in Seattle one time.

Why did you choose the type of art that you do? I have done different types of crafts, etc., but painting in watercolor, pastel, and acrylic interests me the most.

Tell me about a piece of art you will be showing. In the next group, I will show my pastel of George Clooney. I did it because of the challenge of doing his shirt with all of the folds and getting his jeans to look like jeans. I also had to do a hand.

Special Chalicesby Nina Daly

August has been a busy month for Grace artists, and as of this writing we haven’t even set up our new display! The month started with a communion theme and continued for three weeks. Each week a member of the congregation spoke about their communion experiences as part of the sermon. A bulletin was designed for each of the weeks by a Grace artist.

In addition to the talks and original bulletins, special chalices were used during communion. The chalices will be on display at the gallery this month. Corinne Bugbee-Smith, Linda Gaenicke and Penny Westerfield designed the chalices.

It all began one afternoon when Penny and Corinne met with friends at the Daily Bird Pottery Store. The women shared their faith stories while working with clay. The goblets were pre-made, and each woman decorated one to make it her own. Penny’s reflected her love of leaves, and it is covered with vines. She was reminded of John 15:5, “I am the vine you are the branches.” Corinne and Penny both enjoyed the camaraderie of the women and creating something special together. At that time they did not know their goblets would be used as chalices for communion.

Corinne has two wonderful memories of her chalice being used. “Pastor Coe came to our house to give mom her last communion. I was so very moved to watch him tenderly, prayerfully offer God’s grace as symbolized in that wine served in the chalice I had formed. The connection with God and all of His creation was palpable. Mom passed away a couple of days later. The chalice went back into a cabinet until two Sundays ago. I was so humbled that Pastor Coe would want to use my very imperfect offering to serve such a spiritual and holy act. It made me weep to

watch as you - my family - held that chalice in your hands and put your lips on its rim in order to drink God’s grace. In the Order for Confession and Forgiveness, we say, “In You we live and move and have our being.” As I watched Pastor Coe serve us, I heard God say, “In you I live and move and have My being.” I felt His power and love fill me as well as imagined the same happening with each one of you.”

Penny also had a blessed memory of this time. “When Pastor Coe told me my chalice was going to be used, I had no idea it was going to be used in communion! I was deeply touched and humbled by that. It brought tears to my eyes when I realized how it was going to be used. And then taking communion, drinking the blood of Christ from that chalice was deeply moving. My chalice will be cherished from here on out.”

The current art display, which includes the chalices, will run through mid-November. The next gallery set up is scheduled for Saturday, November 24, at 10:00 a.m.

Special chalices made by Linda, Penny and Corinne.

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org

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Rally Day 2018

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org

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I Love Fall!by Mary Ronen

Here it is, fall again. The seasons all have their special qualities and I appreciate the beauty in them all. God certainly knew what He was doing there! But, I must admit, fall is my favorite season. I love the changing colors of the leaves, the fall flowers, the cool crisp morn-ings and the generally cooler weather. I love to watch the squirrels running back and forth among the trees in my yard storing up food for the winter. I love seeing the school buses again, remembering when my own chil-dren were getting ready to start back to school oh those many years ago. I love preparing for Halloween and then getting ready for Thanksgiving. I love it all.

Fall, or the Autumnal equinox, arrives this year on Saturday, September 22, here in the Northern Hemisphere. The word equinox comes from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night). At this time both hemispheres are receiving the Sun’s rays about equally. There are later dawns and earlier sunsets. The Harvest moon, the full moon that occurs closest to the first day of autumn, gave farmers longer days with which to harvest their crops. For several evenings the moonrise comes soon after sunset, giving plenty of bright light early in the evening.

So then what happens? Plants and trees slow down as sunlight decreases. Fall flowers, such as asters and chry-santhemums, are in bloom. Because of the changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperature, the leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and we see the yellow to orange colors. Voilá! Fall splendor.

Autumn Equinox is a fascinating holiday that has played a key role in many cultures, especially the agriculturally-based ones. Noting when daylight and darkness was in

balance was important for timing the harvest. The harvest season was also a time for counting your blessings. It was a fortunate time if the crop yield was plentiful, but sobering if the harvest was bad. Food would be scarce if they weren’t prepared; if there was an abundant harvest, it was time to celebrate.

Fall is a good time for looking back at both successes and failures of the past year. A few ways to celebrate Fall:

• Make a Gratitude List. Make a list of everything you are thankful for as a way of reaping your own inner harvest.

• Start a gratitude journal; gratitude brings abundance. May your inner harvest be bountiful!

• Begin something new; solstices and equinoxes are a great time to let go of the old and begin anew.

• Head to a local farm to harvest fresh foods and then eat a full harvest meal created from local seasonal foods.

• Decorate your home with fall décor. • Get outside and relish the season and the beautiful

fall color. • Relish the world that God has made.The harvest and autumn equinox is a time to reap what you have sown.

Hood Canal Dosewallips River.

Mark Your Calendar

Mark Your Calendars for These Upcoming Events: Check out the full calendar on the Grace Lutheran website: gracelutheranpt.org/calendar

Wednesday, September 5, 5:15 p.m. - Good News Band Practice Thursday, September 6, 6:00 p.m., First Choir Rehearsal Monday, September 10, 10:00 a.m., Quilting resumes Tuesday, September 11, 5:15 p.m. - Good News Band Practice Wednesdays, September 12 through November 28, 5:15 p.m. - Living Romans Saturday, September 15, 10:30 -2:30, Men’s Picnic at Kala Point Saturday, September 15, 5:00 p.m. - Via de Cristo Ultreya at the church Sunday, September 16, 2:00 p.m., Life Care Center Worship Service Saturday, October 6, 5:00 p.m., Blessing of the Animals Sunday, October 7, Congregational Meeting After Worship Saturday, December 8, 9:00 a.m. to noon, Prayer Retreat Wednedays, December 5, 12 & 19 - 5:30 p.m. Advent Soup Supper 6:30 p.m., Holden Evening Prayer

September / October BirthdaysKaren Swanson-Woolf September 7 Harlan Woolf September 8 Kathy Marshall September 15 Alex Danner September 16 Crissy Dunlap September 17 Janie Hill September 17 Mark Dembro September 26 Marjorie Ehnebuske September 27 Jim Argites September 30

Andy Dinkelmann October 1 Glora Sutton October 1 Allison Danner October 5 David Nelson October 12 Amanda Wilson October 13 Dick Dinkelmann October 15 Mark Hinkie October 15 Jerry Danner October 16 Marty Richards October 20 Nina Daly October 23 Paul Marshall October 27 Olin Reynolds October 27 Leif Dobszinsky October 29

Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 - (360) 385-1595 www.gracelutheranpt.org

Church Council

President: Penny Westerfieldtink@olypen.com

Vice President: Al SmithSecretary: Betty Oakes

Ministers:Resources (Treasurer): Dianne Espenson

Facilities: Jim LittleWorship/Music: DeeDee Norman

Stewardship: Joel PetersonSocial Concerns: Earl Kong

Church Staff

Pastor: Rev. Coe Hutchisonpastorcoeh@gmail.com

cell 206-369-0606Office Manager: Crissy Dunlap

gracelutheranpt@gmail.comOrganist/Pianist: Lisa Lanza

Choir Director: Colleen JohnsonSunday School Superintendent: Linda Wolff

Editor, Voice of Grace: Mary Ronen, ronenme@outlook.com www.gracelutheranpt.org

Photos of church events may be published in print or online. If you do not want your picture included, please contact the office at gracelutheranpt@gmail.com or (360)385-1595.

Grace Financials

Help WantedThe Voice of Grace is looking for photographers to take pictures of Grace events, and writers of stories, events, poems, or ?? The pay? Not so much (well, none, really.) But - just imagine seeing your work in print! Contact Mary at ronenme@outlook.com

$124,985 $123,831 $122,325

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Budget Expenditures Giving

Year to Date through August 31, 2018

Favorite Seasons - An Impromptu Survey

Penny – Fall; because of the the colors, the cooler weather and Halloween Nina – Fall; because of the colors Betty – Summer; she likes the warmth, the outdoor activities and everyone seems to be happier in summer Laura – Likes ALL of them! Pastor Coe – Prefers spring and the new life waking up Sue– All; because they are all moderate here Linda – Fall; because of the colors, and looking forward to the hope of newness coming in spring Lucy – Summer; because it is the warmest! Earl – Spring; seeing the earth waking up Jeff – Spring; because things are starting to green up Alana – Summer and fall; summer because of the garden and flowers; fall because of the crisp air and beautiful leaves

Curious , no one seems to care for winter!