BURLINGTON LUTHERAN CHURCH

THE BRIDGE March 2018

Greetings, BLC!

When you have little children, you can never be too prepared. Snacks, extra clothes, band aids, sunscreen, beach toys, all need to be brought alone on every excur-sion. Packing for even an afternoon with a tiny human who will do nothing to make sure that their shirt stays dry or clean but will subsequently scream bloody murder until said shirt is changed out for a clean one is a daunting task. This March we find ourselves in the season of Lent. It is the forty days that the Christian church has set aside to repent, fast and pre-pare for the Three Days and the glory of Easter morning. Lent is a preparation just as what someone caring for a tiny human must do whenever they leave the house. But rather than remem-bering all that we need to ADD, Lent gives us a chance to see what we can let go and leave behind. Preparing our hearts spiritually for the sacrifice of Good Friday and the Resurrection of Easter Sunday morning does not require that we add anything, it reminds us that we have everything we need in Jesus. In our consumeristic culture, this is a revolutionary notion. What do you need to let go and leave behind this Lent? Perhaps it is a thing, habit, relationship, vice or attitude. Anything that gets in the way of your faithful and sacred journey should not have space in your life. Spend time in prayer this Lent and consider how you could travel lighter to prepare your heart for the joy and power of the Resurrected Christ.

Peace, Pr Bethany

BLC WELCOME STATEMENT

“God is love. We are all God’s beloved children and are recipients

of God’s radical love and grace.

All are welcome in this church community. You are welcome here

if you have ever felt excluded or judged because of your gender,

ethnicity, race, religion, status, ability, sexual orientation, doubts or

questions.

We believe in Jesus’ commandments to love God and love neigh-

bor. Join us!”

LENT SERVICES Our remaining Lent services are Wednesdays, 6:30-7:30 pm on

March 7, 14, 21. These will be a time of contemplation and prayer.

GOOD FRIDAY Our Good Friday Service is Friday, March 30 at 7 pm.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LENT

Lent is the fourth season of the Christian year. Its length is the 40 days preceding Easter Day, not counting Sundays. This means Lent always begins on a Wednesday, known as Ash Wednesday. Lent commemorates Jesus’ fast and temptation in the wilderness of Judea Province, which, according to the Gospel, lasted 40 days. Just as Jesus confronted his temp-tations during these 40 days, Lent helps Christians focus on our most basic need as sinners: forgiveness. The only way our Lord’s forgiving power can become effective in our lives is by our taking the initiative to con-front our sins, confess them and repent of them. In short, Lent is a season of penitence. Some Christians fast during Lent. This denial of bodily comforts can help encourage self-reflection about the need for Jesus’ forgiveness.

SOUNDBOARD/POWERPOINT TECH VOLUNTEERS

Are you interested in running the soundboard and powerpoint slideshow during worship from time to time? We are working to build a small team of folks who can help out in the way when needed. Training provided! Let Sean know if you’re interested: seanbendickson@gmail.com. Thanks!

FIRST BREAKFAST

Join us in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday, March 4, 8:45 to 9:45 am for

our First Breakfast!

On the menu: burrito bar with sausage,

guacamole, cheese, sour cream and sal-sa, fresh scrambled eggs, seasonal fresh fruit and as-sorted pastries.

Good Friday?

At first glance, Good Friday appears to be a

misnomer. It seems inconsistent that the

day of Christ’s crucifixion should in any

way be described as “good.” But that seem-

ing inconsistency vanishes when we under-

stand that the ancient meaning of good was

“holy.” The word holy is entirely consistent

with the suffering and cross that Christ en-

dured for us. Hence, Good Friday is also

known as Holy Friday.

JOSEPHINE CARING COMMUNITY

E.C.E.A.P @ Josie’s Learning Center Since I often refer to Josephine’s ministry as an inter-generational care community, many of you are already aware that we have quite a large Childcare program: Josi-e’s Learning Center—where children blossom. It ranges from Daycare to Preschool to Kindergarten to After-School Programs—serving about 225 children altogether. This month, however, I’d like to highlight a specific pro-gram within Josie’s Learning Center: Early Childhood Edu-cation & Assistance Program (ECEAP). I’ve had the privi-lege this month to sit down with Marion Mehew, our ECEAP Family Support Specialist to learn more about the program. ECEAP is a cooperative preschool which means that this preschool experience is enriched by active parent and family involvement. I am impressed that it not only provides quality childcare (something important in its own right) but also provides educational support for parents as well as family support for the parents and children together. I’ve sat in on parts of their educational offerings which included learnings on keeping organized, nutrition, and even making budgets. I later wondered how this holistic approach might also benefit our churches in the way that we see our own Christian Education! Another aspect of this program is that it is provided as no cost to income-qualifying families. What a wonderful statement this is to families that struggle financially—often with the burdens of living paycheck to paycheck, working two jobs to make ends meet, and struggling with issues of self-worth. To me, it says that we see your struggles, we are willing to help, and that you are valuable in God’s eyes as well of ours. One phrase that Marion used throughout our interview stuck out to me: “…reaching my/their potential…” In Mari-on’s midlife, a priest used this phrase and helped Marion reach a greater potential than she could see in herself. Marion then used this phrase as she spoke to me about the ECEAP parents and children she works with. What a

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BLC QUILTERS

The quilting group will meet on Thursday, March 8, at 9 am in the Fellowship Hall. If you are interested in helping in any way, please come. No sewing experience is necessary!

ORGANIST TRAINING FUND

If you’d like to see young people learning how to play

the organ, please consider donating to the Organ

Training Fund. Money from this fund allows for con-

tinuing lessons, taught by our own Lynne Berg. Make

checks payable to Burlington Lutheran Church, and

put Organ Training Fund in the comments section.

wonderful lens from which to see! Marion takes the time to see potential in those she works with at a time when the rest of the world might not see that potential or even see the individual themselves. Are these also not the lenses that Jesus choose to see through? If you are aware of families who might benefit from our ECEAP Program, please feel from to have them call and get on our ECEAP waiting list. Thanks as always for your support—which in turn allows us to make these programs available to some of the deepest need. Partners, blessings on your continued ministries and please continue to keep Josie’s Learning Center in prayer!

Warmly, Chaplain Andy

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME BEGINS

ON SUNDAY, MARCH 11

Remember to “spring forward” one hour

before you go to bed on Saturday!

YOU ARE NEEDED!

The 2018 volunteer sheets are ready for your name! Take a

moment to look through the Sign-Up book on the table in the

Narthex to see all the ways that you can help the church run

smoothly. We have something for every age and ability.

Children’s Church volunteers are now being scheduled

through the office. If you’d like to help, let the office or Pas-

tor Bethany know!

ALTAR GUILD CLEANING

FOR EASTER

Altar Guild Ladies will meet at 10 a.m.

on Saturday, March 31 to clean and polish

the altar area in anticipation of Easter.

Please bring rags and energy to do the cleaning!

Scholarship Committee

If you are interested in helping to further the education

of our children through scholarships from BLC, consider

volunteering for our Scholarship Committee! Contact

Linnie Scott at linnie.scott@gmail.com or call the office.

+ Christian Symbols + Shamrock St. Patrick used the shamrock to teach people about the Godhead. Hold-ing up a shamrock, he challenged them, “Is this one leaf, or three?” Inevitably, people replied that it was both, prompt-ing St. Patrick to draw the analogy that so, too, is God: one God in three Per-sons — the Holy Trinity.

BURLINGTON LUTHERAN CHURCH WOMEN (BLCW)

The March meeting of BLCW will be held at “Where the Heart Is”, an assisted living facility in Burlington. We will have a Bible Study at10:30 am with Marge Ellestad, a resi-dent of the facility—who also happens to be celebrating her 98th birthday that day. Please bring a sack lunch, and dessert and beverages will be provided. We will meet at the Church on Tuesday, March 20 at10:00 am and carpool together by10:15 am. We will share birth-day cake and joy with Marge!

For more info, contact Avis Robinson or Fran Hansen.

TREASURER’S REPORT FOR MONTH END JANUARY, 2018

Following is a brief recap of the financial picture at BLC in relation to the approved budget for 2018. The information you will receive monthly will be the most current information at the time of the distribu-tion of The Bridge. Please feel free to contact me or any member of the finance committee with questions or observations you might have. Average Attendance for the month: 98 Budgeted Total Income: $15,614 Includes general offering and building use fee Received Total Income: $13,733 Over/(Under) Budget: $(1,881) We received less than anticipated Budgeted Total Expenses: $15,614 Expended Total Expenses: $13,769 (Over)/Under Budget $ 1,845 We spent less than anticipated Finance Committee: Linda Rudy, Treasurer Cindy Cohen, Finance Committee Chair

Rhonda Brown Shirley Osborn

A WORD FROM FAMILY PROMISE

Good afternoon fellow volunteers, pastors and friends, It has been a while since I have written with a program update. I appreciate your patience while we handled the beginning of the year administrative needs. I know many of you may also be getting eager to share with your church the amount of hours and money your churches have contributed to the progress and function of Family Promise. We hope to begin sending those out to each church next week. I truly believe that God is on the move within our county and within this program. So far this month we have placed two families out of the I.H.N. and two families out of the Promise House. Monday morning I will be working to move our first mom into our pregnancy room at the Promise House. Over Christmas time, we turned away a couple pregnant moms because they didn't have chil-dren in their custody and it was just almost more than any of us could bare. Here at Family Promise we try to be the solution and turning away moms ready to have there first child just didn't seem like a solu-tion. I want to take this time to thank you for allowing us to do our work. None of it is possible without the many different levels of support that we receive from all of you. I know that there has been a lot of change and growth over the last year and it is exciting, but also causes a lot of confusion and stress. I want to assure you that your hard work does not go without notice to our Father and our families. Just this morning I watched the joy on a mom's face as she said, "It feels so good to be out of the rut and making progress, it has been such a long time!" Two days ago, I listened to a mom, who has never had her own place outside of an abusive relationship, squeal with joy over placement. These are the stories that we should hold in our hearts to remind us of why we serve at this capacity. It is not always easy, but there are always rewards even if we can't see them in the moment. The next couple of weeks my focus will be on the needs of the churches and how we can make our annual plan to support the changes within your congregations. I have heard the need for annual schedules, new sup-port churches, and maybe even some switching of support churches. So hold tight just a little longer. We hear your needs and are working

hard to address them. Moving forward if there are any churches that could help us with a relief team to support our longer standing churches, please contact me. We have an immediate concern that a few of our churches, who are working very hard, just don't have enough volunteers to meet the national requirement of two volunteers per shift. I will be running monthly trainings at the office for all those interested in helping. Our main need, at this moment, seems to be overnights and at a cou-ple churches, we need fellowship/activities volunteers. Once again thank you for all that you do, it is such a joy to be serving with all of you. Audrea Woll Family Promise of Skagit Valley Office 360-854-0743 Cell 360-333-7524 http://familypromiseskagit.weebly.com

FAMILY PROMISE 2017 IN-KIND CONGREGATIONAL STATISTICS FOR BURLINGTON & EDISON CHURCHES

$8,000 Service hours ($10 value/hour) + $17,493 1,029 Meals served (# guests x # meals x $17/meal) + $12,005 343 Bed nights provided (# guests x # nights x $35/night) $37,498 In-Kind Contributions

These are funds we don’t have to raise because your con-gregation has provided these in-kind gifts! Thank you!

Melisa Aalem, Director Family Promise of Skagit Valley

First day of spring is March 20!

YOU DON’T HAVE A PROBLEM

Rev. Kirby Unti, Synod Bishop, Northwest Washington Synod Article from The Spirit, March 2018 During my formative years, my dad was the Executive Director for the Easter Seal Society of Washington. It no doubt shaped his values - and informed mine as well. Let’s just say he knew - and introduced to me - a great number of people who whose physical and mental challenges were not always easy to cope with. One such introduction was to Johnny Kemp - who was born without arms or legs. His parents were told he would be better off institutionalized. Dad convinced the Kemp family that John-ny could be fitted with artificial arms and legs and that he would do just fine. He became a life-long friend who went on to have a successful law firm - providing counsel to people with disabili-ties. Then there was Harold Wilke - who was born without arms. I remember the first time he sat at our family dinner table. Smoothly operating his knife and fork with his feet, he removed any doubt that he could do anything. You should have seen him pick out the correct paper denominations from his wallet when paying for a purchase. The stories go on, including my attendance at Easter Seal Camp with my dad where I witnessed kids my age readily do what I was unable to do given all my body parts. This background is important to understand the wisdom that dad shared with me the first time I got a dent in my first car. I was devastated. A friend sat on the hood and left an impression equal to her size. My day was ruined. More like my whole week was ruined. There was also the time I had my car window broken and my eight-track player and tapes were stolen. His response in both cases was the same, “Kirby if money can fix it, you don’t have a problem.” My dad taught me so much about perspective. How do you weigh the things in life that matter? He taught me wisdom – “The patient sorting out of what choices lead to life and what choices lead to death.”

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You can only imagine what my own girls have gone through. The first time my girls dented their cars you can be sure what words came out of my mouth. They may not be words filled with great empathy, but they are words filled with great truth. Life does present us with challenges that money can do noth-ing to fix. These are the challenges that really matter. These are the challenges that call us to place our faith in God. Johnny and Harold were both people of great faith. People who taught me that even when money can’t fix what you are fac-ing, faith can make all the difference in the world. Faith moves people from being victims to survivors - teaching all of us to see the challenges of life as opportunities to grow in faith and lean sharply into the direction of life. Let us lean into this life togeth-er, knowing that God is leading.

Why Palm Sunday?

Palm branches are mentioned in only one of the four Gospels (see John 12:12-15). So why do we call the first day of Holy Week Palm Sunday? Tradition plays an important part in church history. During Jesus’ time, Rome was the world’s leading power. Whenever the Romans were victorious in battle, citi-zens traditionally threw palm branches in the returning heroes’ path.

This was the accepted custom of reception. So when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, it was appropriate that he receive a hero’s welcome. One week later, he would be victorious over death.

LOOKING AHEAD TO APRIL!

Easter: Sunday, April 1.

Easter Breakfast: We will have a sign-up for casseroles and other breakfast items. More infor-mation will be coming soon!

Family Promise: April 1-8.

MARCH SCHEDULE

March 4: 1st Breakfast, 8:45-9:45 am, Fellowship Hall March 7: Lent Service, 6:30 pm March 8: Quilters, 9 am, Fellowship Hall March 14: Lent Service, 6:30 pm March 20: BLC Women, 10:00 am, BLC, then carpool to Where the Heart Is for the meeting March 21: Council, 6 pm, Conference Room March 21: Lent Service, 6:30 pm March 21: Deadline for April Bridge March 25: Palm Sunday March 30: Good Friday Service, 7 pm, Sanctuary March 31: Altar Guild cleaning, 10 am, Sanctuary Every Sunday: Praise Team practice, 9 am Worship Service, 10 am El Camino worship service,12 pm

Every Wednesday: Praise Team practice, 6:30-8 pm, Sanctuary (beginning at 7:30 pm during Lent)

Burlington Lutheran Church 134 E. Victoria Avenue, Burlington, WA 98233

360-755-0729 + burlingtonlutheran@gmail.com www.burlingtonlutheran.org

Office hours: 9 am-3:30 pm, Tues-Wed-Thurs

Pastor Bethany Hull Somers 360-202-7333 + burlingtonlutheranpastor@gmail.com

Check in and “Like” us on Facebook. Follow the church on twitter: @blc_pastor

BLC Staff Rev. Bethany Hull Somers, Pastor

Sean Bendickson, Worship & Music Leader Sheri Logan, Office Administrator

Lynne Berg, Organist Matthew Ranten, Sound Technician

Selena Guadamuz, Nursery Attendant Randy Dalaba, Custodian