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United VoiceUnited Lutheran Church February 2018A Reconciling in Christ Congregation

2230 Washington Street, Eugene, OR 97405 (541) 342-5808

www.unitedlutheran.org unluthch@efn.org

Worship Services: Sundays, 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.; Summer: 9:45 a.m

Education Hour: 9:45 a.m., School Year Only

Even though Christmas

is not that long gone, we will

soon walk into the Lent. We

will go from a celebration of

hope to the season where we

observe how the world

including us still can step all over it. The purpose for

such a strange combination is that if we can hold onto

the hope God gives while realizing our varied

shortcomings, we just might be able to pursue the

renewal of life while avoiding either despair on the one

side or self congratulatory blindness on the other.

In this vein, allow me to share a piece from Frederick

Buechner. He begins by saying that Jesus’ 40 days of

temptation in the wilderness were meant as a test to see

if he truly knew who he was and what he should do.

Buechner goes on to say that in Lent, Christians are

supposed to ask in one way or another, what it means to

be themselves.

And so, he writes, “If you had to bet

everything you have on whether there is a God or

whether there isn’t, which side would get your

money and why?

“When you look at your face in the mirror,

what do you see in it that you most like and what do

you see in it that you most deplore?

“Of all the things you have done in your life,

which is the one you would most like to undo?

Which is the one that makes you happiest to

remember?

“Is there any person in the world, or any

cause that, if circumstances called for it, you would be

willing to die for?

“If this were the last day of your life, what

would you do with it?

“To hear yourself try to answer questions like

these is to begin to hear something not only of who

you are but of both what you are becoming and what

you are failing to become. It can be a pretty depressing

business all in all, but if sackcloth and ashes are at the

start of it, something like Easter may be at the end.”

I share Buechner’s thoughts in the desire that, as

we enter the season of Lent, we may both hold on to the

hope we receive when the surprise of God’s continuing

love and forgiveness comes into our hearts anew and

that we will have the courage to acknowledge both the

good and bad stuff within us so that we may pursue the

new life God has for us and the world. As that happens,

I think we may experience, in fresh ways, the promise of

new life which with the dawn of Easter morning.

In Christ, Tom Dodd, pastor

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH

United’s Annual Meeting will be held Sunday,

February 4. We will have a

special schedule that day, with

only one service:

8:45 a.m. ~ Sunday School

9:45 a.m. ~ Worship

11:00 a.m. ~ Fund-raiser Lunch

for Mexico Mission

Trip: Taco Bar. Your

generosity will be

appreciated!

12:00 p.m. ~ Annual Meeting

United Voice February 2018 – Page 1

A: Martin Van Buren. All the previous presidents had been

subjects of England.

“Come and See.” This was Philip’s

response to Nathanael, who questioned

whether anything good could come out

of the small, rural town of Nazareth (John

1:46). Jesus surprises Nathanael, Jesus

surprises us, and Jesus surprises me.

Throughout this last fall and

Christmas season, I have been blessed with the

opportunity to come and see the ways that God is at

work at United Lutheran and at Good Samaritan Eugene

Village, and to join in and participate in the life of these

communities. There have been a number of pleasant

surprises along the way. Partnering with Alan

McCullough on writing the music for a liturgy that we

hope will be accessible and used at United has been a joy

and privilege. Playing the music with our newly forming

ensemble is also a great experience. I’m looking forward

to leading an Adult Education Series on Feb. 11, 18 and

25, entitled “Creation Justice: Challenge and

Opportunity.” Preaching at United has been a learning

curve for me, and it continues to be a joy and a

challenge.

I’m continually impressed with and grateful for

the deep investment of so many in the United

community in so many ways: through generous financial

giving to all aspects of the church; the gift of specialized

time and labor to keep facilities running smoothly by

John Barnum, J.P. Gustafson, Damion Kasper, and

others; the beautiful decorating of the liturgical arts

team; the food and fellowship at Wednesday evening

dinners by Diane and John Masson; and the dedicated

behind-the-scenes work of so many including the altar

guild, the youth ministry by Crystal Miller, the childcare

ministry by Jessica, and many others.

I’ve also been pleasantly surprised by the ways

God is at work at Good Samaritan Eugene Village.

Betty’s faithful piano playing for Wednesday services

and once a month Tuesday afternoons has been a joy. I

enjoy the times Kim Weiherman and Dorothea Brauer

are able to join us for worship, and I invite any other

United folks who are interested and free to come join us

Wednesday mornings at 10am. We miss Julie and Ron

Coffman at Good Sam, but we’re glad they’re able to

spend time with their new grandson Miles in Gilroy,

CA. I’m enjoying getting to know some of the staff and

appreciate the hard work they do to take care of the

residents. I’m always blessed by the insights of the

residents during bible study and by their singing voices

during Agape gatherings, as well as the time I can spend

with them one to one.

I’m glad I took the opportunity to “Come and

See” what God is up to at United and Good Samaritan,

and I’m looking forward to continuing to be a part of

these communities as this new year begins.

Intern Josh Stromberg-Wojcik

LENT BEGINS ON

FEBRUARY 14

Ash Wednesday falls on

February 14 this year. On that day

we will have no dinner,

confirmation, or other activities

that evening. The Ash Wednesday

service with Imposition of Ashes will be at 7:00 p.m.

Mid-week Lenten services will be on the

following Wednesdays in Lent, February 21, 28, March

7, 14, and 21, with Faith Speakers from the congregation.

Those services will also be at 7:00 p.m., preceded by a

soup supper at 6:15 p.m.

We look forward to having you join us for a

meaningful spiritual journey during this season of

reflection.

OPPORTUNITIES THIS

MONTH TO FEED HUNGRY

PEOPLE IN EUGENE

United’s dates for the FOOD for Lane

County Dining Room are:

Tuesday, January 30, Serving Dinner

and Clean-Up, 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.,

Tuesday, February 27, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m., Dinner

Preparation

The Dining Room is at 8th and Charnelton in

downtown Eugene. Please sign up on the sheet in the

narthex, or talk to Cara Haakanson.

Help prepare Community Court Lunches on

Thursday, February 1st at United, 6:00 p.m. We will pack

45 lunches for the Community Court and they will be

delivered on Friday morning to individuals in need of

assistance. If you would like to help, please talk to Cara

Haakanson.

United Voice February 2018 – Page 2

As most know by now,

I have decided that it is time

for me to retire. I am planning

for my last Sunday at United

to be Sept. 9th and by that time;

I will have been ordained for 40 years with 23 of them at

United. It has been a wonderful 22+ years together and

Gay and I treasure the lives and work we have shared

with so many in our congregation for so long. But with

my coming retirement, the congregation finds itself in

the situation of finding new pastoral leadership. As my

retirement is not set to begin for a number of months, I

will be as helpful as I can over this period. My guess is

that there will be a number of questions about the best

way forward. I will be working with the council to get

answers to any and all questions about the coming

process. Please know, everyone’s questions, thoughts,

and insights are important. As we listen to each other

and to God, we can utilize the best resources we have to

navigate this time. In my estimation, those resources are

the Spirit and our community. If you have anything you

would like to say about any of this, please contact a

United council member or me. I pray that God’s

blessings will continue to bless and guide our

congregation.

Pastor Tom Dodd

JOIN EUGENE’S BIG READ

AT UNITED!

United’s Book Group is

once again participating in the Big

Read through the Eugene Public

Library. On Sunday, February 18, we will meet at 12:30

to discuss this year’s book, How We Became Human: New

and Selected Poems by Native American poet, Joy Harjo.

The Big Read is funded by a grant of $14,000 from the

NEA. As such, the library has copies of the book to give

to readers. If you are interested in getting one, go to the

second floor of the library to the desk near the stairs.

How We Became Human is filled with the power

of nature, spirituality, memory, violence, and the

splintered history of America's indigenous peoples, and

infused with the rhythms, sounds, and stories of the

poet’s Creek heritage. Harjo has been honored with the

Wallace Stevens Award by the Academy of American

Poets and the William Carlos Williams Award by the

Poetry Society of America. Her memoir, Crazy Brave,

won the PEN USA Literary Award for Creative

Non-Fiction and the American Book Award.

Harjo will speak at the Library on Saturday,

February 3 at 3:00 p.m. This is free and open to the

entire community.

We welcome everyone who has read the book to

come to the discussion in the community room on

February 18.

LOOKING FOR A GOOD

BOOK?

Available now on the church

library Book Cart in the narthex is

Miz Lil by one of our favorite authors,

Pastor Walter Wangerin. This is an

easy to read account of Wangerin’s

real-life experiences, the agonies of school, and

preparing for the ministry, plus serving the people of a

church called Grace.

GERALD CURRENS

1928 - 2018

Pastor Gerry Currens,

formerly a member of United, died

on January 16 after a protracted

illness. He is survived by his wife,

Ginny (Virginia), his son Ken, and four grandchildren

(two of whom, Kenny and Kolu Westcott grew up at

United.) Daughter Beth Westcott died in 2012. He and

Ginny moved to Tacoma a few years ago to be closer to

Ken, and his funeral will be there. Later in the year a

committal service will be held in Eugene.

Gerry was born in Liberia on March 25, 1928.

Later, after seminary and marriage to Ginny, he returned

to Liberia as a missionary and spent a large part of his

ministry there. Ken and Beth were born and grew up in

Liberia. Gerry earned a PhD from the University of

Oregon in the 1970's, the Currens joining United during

those years. They returned to Liberia, and later moved

to New York City so Gerry could oversee the Lutheran

Church in America’s mission program. When the ELCA

was formed, the Currens moved to Chicago for the

national office. Upon retirement in the 1990's they

returned to Eugene where Beth and her family lived, re-

joining United in 1996.

We thank God for the life and service of Gerry

and hold his loved ones in our prayers as they mourn

his death.

United Voice February 2018 – Page 3

BIRTHDAYS

2 - Genevieve Brandt

3 - Bink Drouet

4 - Bill Bezuk, Monica Hample

8 - Cade Wisecaver

10 - Brent Whittaker

11 - Susan Lunas

12 - Joanne Gulsvig, Michael Glass

16 - David Hample

19 - Tom Landon

22 - Julia Frantz

23 - Randy Sullivan

24 - Alison Dodd

27 - Carolee Horning

28 - Nancy Gradwohl, John Gustafson

ANNIVERSARIES

20 - Kathy & Tom Mains

BAPTISMAL ANNIVERSARIES

7 - Hannah Neckels, Jackson Neckels

Tessa Neckels

9 - John Masson

10 - Betty Fuller

15 - Katie Johnson, Ellen Krueger

17 - Tom Mains

21 - Kingston Baxter

United is a “Reconciling in Christ”

congregation. We are a congregation

“united” in our desire to provide a

hospitable and

welcoming

environment

for ALL people

to join us in

worship.

YOUR UNITED VOICE IS BROUGHT

TO YOU BY:

Thank you to Ellen Krueger, Pamela

Krause, and Bob and Sherlene Schmidt for their

help in preparing the January United Voice for

mailing. If you would like to help get the March issue ready to mail, that

work party will be Friday, February 16, at 2:00 p.m. in the community

room. Questions? Talk to Gay Kramer-Dodd

EARLY DEADLINE FOR

THE MARCH ISSUE

With February being a

short month, the newsletter

deadline for the March issue of

the United Voice will be early, on

Tuesday, February 13. So please

have your articles for the month, including those

pertaining to Holy Week (March 25-31) and Easter

(April 1) in to the church office by then. You may email

them to the church. Thank you!

United Voice February 2018 – Page 4

MARY MAGDALENE CIRCLE

will meet on Tuesday,

February 13, at 6:30 p.m., at the

home of Eileen Peterson.

Pamela Krause will lead the

discussion of the Gather Bible

Study, “Multiple Meanings:

Learning from Other

Interpretations, Session Two, Prepare the Way of the

Lord,” found on page 20 of the January/February 2018

issue of the magazine.

CHURCH WOMEN UNITED will meet on Friday, February

2, 9:00 a.m., at Asbury United Methodist Church, 1090

Berntzen Rd., in west Eugene. The topic is Universal

Health Care, featuring a speaker from Health Care for

All Oregon. We will get an update on the Affordable

Care Act and also about how the passing (or failing) of

Measure 101 will affect health care coverage in Oregon.

The Breakfast at Brails continues the discussion on

Tuesday, February 6, 7:30 a.m. at Brails Restaurant, 16th

and Willamette, Eugene.

EARTHKEEPERS NEWS

By Eunice Kjaer

Charity Navigator is a

helpful tool for making charitable

contributions during 2018. It is

designed to aid in researching

agencies, their purposes, and how well they use

donations. Simply type “Charity Navigator” into your

search engine and find an amazing list of organization,

at no charge. All charities evaluated by Charity

Navigator must be a 501(c)3 to qualify for a tax

deduction.

To maximize the impact of your giving ask

these questions:

< Does the charity match your passions?

< Is the charity fiscally responsible, ethical, and

effective?

a. Examine the charity’s finances.

b. Is it accountable and transparent?

c. Look for signs of effectiveness and

ability to bring about meaningful and

long-lasting change in the world.

< Do you trust it enough to give without strings

attached? Take time to research so you know

you can trust the charity; find evidence of its

impact.

< Does the charity have strong leadership?

< Watch for charities that overpay their For-

Profit Fund Raisers with very little going to

programs and services.

< CEO salaries are listed to bring transparency to

the charitable sector and to educate donors.

An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power, will be

shown at Central Lutheran Church on Sunday, January

28, 2:30 p.m. Free!

FROM PAPER TO POTTERY

by Eileen Peterson

Many United members have provided mugs for

coffee times as a way to have a smaller environmental

impact than using paper cups. Please be sure to wash

the cup after using it and before replacing it on the tray.

If you have not yet brought a mug for your coffee or tea,

I strongly encourage you to do so.

Check the trays in the fellowship hall to see if

you recognize a cup that you may have brought so that

you may use it. We will set up a means to eliminate

mugs not claimed and not in use.

UNITED WOMEN ON

SERVICE/LEARNING TRIPS

Deborah Hample is using her “gap year” before

she enrolls in college, to work with and learn from

people developing nations. On January 31 she leaves for

three months in Tacloban City, Leyte Island, Philippines.

She will be working with the organization Volunteer for

the Visayans on a nutrition project.

Camille Haakanson, who graduated from

California Lutheran University with a degree in

Spanish, will be going to Granada, Nicaragua,

February 9 through May 4, through ELI, Experiential

Learning International. She will live with a Spanish-

speaking family and volunteer at a Girl’s Home,

where she will have “the opportunity to work with

orphan girls (huérfanas) who have endured physical

and psychological abuse. The organization strives to

help huérfanas overcome their traumas from

physical and emotional abuses by providing a safe

and caring environment where the girls can develop

their self-esteem. Volunteers will support local nuns,

nurses, and care providers in a variety of tasks aimed

at healing and nurturing these extraordinary

children.”

Please hold Camille and Deborah in prayer as

they travel, work, and learn.

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United Voice February 2018 – Page 5

Reprinted by Permission of Christianity Today.

A: Eight presidents were born in Virginia.

From ReconcilingWorksDecember 13, 2017

On behalf of ReconcilingWorks, thank

you for your recent donation of $250,

which we received on December 11,

2017. . . . ReconcilingWorks strives, in

partnership with you, to create a

church where all people can experience God’s genuine

welcome. . . Go to [our] website to see what your

contribution makes possible:

www.ReconcilingWorks.org/Donate/WhyGive.

Aubrey Thonvold, Executive Director

From Lutheran World ReliefDecember 12, 2017

Thank you for supporting the work of Lutheran

World Relief with your gifts of $125 and $299, given

through the Oregon Synod of the ELCA. . . . Your gifts

change lives around the world! I hope you will visit our

website, http://lwr.org for updates. . . .

On behalf of LWR, our partners and those we

serve, please accept my thanks for your gift and all that

it will do. God bless you!

Warm regards, Daniel V. Speckhard

President and CEO

NOW HIRING

SUMMER STAFF!!

Looking for a job that

offers something more this

summer? Spend your summer working at Camp

Lutherwood Oregon!

Gain valuable skills: leadership experience,

interpersonal communication, public speaking, problem

solving skills, and teamwork. Working at Camp doesn’t

just help your resume, camp also provides the space for

you to grow in your faith and make memories with new

friends.

Positions include: lifeguard, assistant cooks,

cabin counselors, Day Camp team members, nurse,

naturalist, site support, and program support. Staff

Training begins on June 12 and is a mandatory two

weeks. The last day of work is August 13, 2018.

Apply online at

http://www.lutherwoodoregon.org/involvedwithus/sum

mer-employment/ and click the link for NLOMA’s joint

recruitment application. Make sure you mark Camp

Lutherwood Oregon as your first choice!

TICKETS NOW ON SALE

FOR ST. OLAF CHOIR

The St. Olaf Choir is including a stop in Eugene

on their West Coast tour. They will perform at First

United Methodist Church, 1376 Olive St., Eugene, on

Friday, February 2, 7:00 p.m. Tickets are now on sale at

https://wp.stolaf.edu/tickets/: $30 per person, $10

student.

WHAT MAKES FISH SWIM?

In 2017, Eugene’s FISH (Friends in Service to

Humanity) provided 27,500 meals and 955 hygiene kits.

It helped fulfill 280 prescriptions and filled about 550

propane tanks. This ministry is made possible by your

donations of cash and donated food. Over 20 churches

(United is one), numerous individuals, and over 50

volunteers make it happen. Thank you!

You made put donations of non-perishable

foods and paper goods in the FISH box in the narthex

near the doors to the sanctuary.

United Voice February 2018 – Page 6

February 4 Isaiah 40:21-31; Psalm 147:1-11, 20c; 1 Corinthians 9:16-23; Mark 1:29-39

February 11 1 Kings 2:1-12; Psalm 40:1-6; 2 Corinthians 4:3-6; Mark 9:2-9

February 14 Joel 2:1-2, 12-17; Psalm 51:1-17; 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

February 18 Genesis 9:8-17; Psalm 25:1-10; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Mark 1:9-15

February 25 Genesis 17:1-7, 25-16; Psalm 22:23-31; Romans 4:13-25; Mark 8:31-38

UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH

2230 WASHINGTON ST

EUGENE OR 97405

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Especially for:

NON-PROFIT ORG

U. S. POSTAGE

PAID

EUGENE, OREGON

PERMIT NO 119

United Voiceis published monthly by

United Lutheran Church

Editor: Gay Kramer-Dodd

Publication Deadline: Middle of month

email unluthch@efn.org

Pastor: Thomas Dodd

Director of Music: Philip Bayles

Intern: Josh Stromberg-Wojcik

Congregational Ministry Assistant: Crystal Miller

Secretary: Linda Anderson

Mid-Week Meal Cook: Diane Masson

Child Care: Jessica Graham

Council: Carolee Horning, Pres., Bob Johnson, V. P., Sally

Krueger, Sec., Sue Bowers, Treas., Becci Buenau, Paul

Greene, Kristin Landon, Mark Raney, Marc Spence,

Veronica Vold, Meegan Ward, and Denise Wendt.