Remember to wear red on Sunday!
Family and Friends of Tom Bonasiak
PRAYERS – Jon Cook; Millie Mutka; Jim Moravec; Myria Strong; Kathy Mayo; Barb Zima’s friends Mick, Ruth Bonasiak; Steven and Marilyn Hummel; Gregory Bowens; Laurie Nelson; Amber Ross’s daughter Linda; Jerrie Van Haverbeke’s niece Jolane Gervasi; Sandy Bishop’s friend Kelly Newman; Randy & Diane Niemczyk’s daughter Julia VanAvery, niece Sarah Joda, Denise Runde and Denise Hazel; Dick Volland; Valeria Hesselberg; Chris Markussen; Anne Verona’s sister/brother-in-law Pat & Woody Woodworth and friends Dennis Peterson, Natalie Madine, Eli Peters and Randy Ballard; Strong’s friend Erin Molle; Debbie Cyrtmus’ mother, Rose Wicker and sister, Corrie Trittin; the Ebert’s friend Patricia Kulzick; Karen Stanton’s friend Mary Lou Zelinski; Patricia Rasmussen’s sister Christine; Joyce Leander’s cousin Laurie Nelson and friend Casey Hohs; Bishop’s friend Pastor Bob Dahm and Sandy’s brother Larry; Ashley Clark’s friends Keith & Becky Hernandez; the Waggoner’s sister-in-law Cheryl Busse; Karen Engels niece Lisa and friend Bob; Ann Carlson’s people Walt, Martin, Darren, Curt and Troy; peace for all nations and comfort for those in distress.
Praise God for answered prayers! Dave Sullivan; Rachel Strong
PRAYER LIST PROCEDURE – Submit your prayer requests to the office in writing, by phone, by email or in person. If requesting prayers for someone other than yourself or an immediate family member, please obtain permission – unless the circumstances are public in nature.
GUESTS – if you are visiting us today, please sign our book at the entrance to the sanctuary.
LIVESTREAM –we are started livestreaming only on YouTube @PastorPriceofPeaceEagleRiverW
BLOOD PRESSURE – no blood pressure checks until November.
GRAB A CUP? GRAB TWO ! – we need assistance with coffee hour. There is a sign up sheet in the Fellowship Hall. Please consider assisting with set-up or clean-up.
ENDOWMENT GRANTS – Help the Endowment Team use our Endowment Fund as effectively as possible to enhance the mission outreach of Prince of Peace. As the fund’s custodian, the team is looking for ways to help the church ministry in the community. If you would like to offer a suggestion to the Endowment Team or financially contribute, get a request form from the narthex, the church office or the website. A donation of any amount will help immensely and be much appreciated. Recently our endowment made a contribution of $1,000 to the Children’s Museum, $250 to Leathernecks of the North, and $1,000 to Praise in the Pines.
MEET and TREAT – Miss seeing all of the kids dressed up in their Halloween costumes? We have a great opportunity for you! Prince of Peace will be hosting a Trick or Treat event in the Narthex. Bring 200 treats and decorate your space. It’s a ghoulishly good time. Fri, Oct 31 from 4 to 6 pm. Sign up in the Narthex to reserve your space.
KITCHEN CLEAN UP – If you’ve brought a dish to church in the last year or so and aren’t sure if you remembered to take it home – check out the table in the Fellowship Hall. There is currently quite the collection of ‘lost’ items. Claim yours today!
CHRISTIAN WOMEN’s LUNCHEON – is on again for November. Sue Waggoner is the hostess. Lunch will be at the Pine Knot in St. Germain on Nov 12 at 11:30. Please RSVP to gabby999@sbcglobel.net. This will be the last luncheon for the CWL in 2025. No turkeys allowed.
YELLOW PAGES UPDATE – In January of 2026 – a new church directory will be created (in house) with the updates since the last one. Please check, verify and update your information in the accordion binder on the name badge table. If a change is made, place it in the accordion binder vertically and we will update “accordionly”. (hee hee). Please add your birthday and/or anniversary if you would like us to recognize these dates. (This will be a ‘no picture’ directory)
FUN FACTS – The History of Reformation Sunday*
Our story begins in the 16th century – 1517, to be exact. Bear with us here – what follows is a very simplified explanation of complex theological, political, and economic events that all coincided.
Across Europe, the Roman Catholic Church was engaged in one of the greatest fundraisers in all of history.
If a person – out of contrition for their sins and as a sign of repentance – made a financial gift to help with the building Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, then the church would furnish that person with a certificate acknowledging that gift and promising that they or their loved ones would be freed from a portion of the misery expected in the afterlife.
In short, the church at that time taught that even those bound for heaven had to be cleansed of their earthly sins and this cleansing (purging) in the afterlife took place in a place called Purgatory. The certificates offered by the church (called “Indulgences”) promised to lessen this time of cleansing for oneself or others who have already died.
There were some very nuanced explanations of this practice at the time.
And there were other very crass explanations that basically amounted to people paying to be forgiven.
November 1st was an important day for the selling and buying of these indulgences, known as All Saints Day on the church’s calendar.
The day before a German Monk named Martin Luther posted a list of 95 Theses – 95 reasons that he objected to this practice of selling indulgences. Along with other writings by Martin Luther, those 95 Reasons went viral. {Note from Pastor Grant – it wasn’t all about indulgences – it was about gripes he had against the Pope’s power and other teachings of the Catholic Church}
Luther insisted that we are not forgiven because of anything we do – including the buying of Indulgences or doing enough good work. Instead, we are forgiven because of who God is. We are loved and forgiven because God is full of grace and mercy.
His teachings and writings got Martin Luther kicked out of the church. But he didn’t go alone. Others agreed with him, and after his death those who agreed with Luther became known as Lutherans and also as Protestants {Note from Pastor Grant – Protestant means “Protestor”}.
Every Protestant church traces their roots back to this moment in history.
Why Does Reformation Sunday Matter?
October 31st, 1517 was a long time ago. Why does it continue to matter and be remembered in our churches today?
1. Reformation Sunday gives us a chance to tell our story – a chance to remember.
We all have a family story – how we got to this point in history. Stories about parents and grandparents, about the things that have shaped our families over the years. Reformation Sunday is a day when we remember and re-tell the family stories of our faith. Stories about men and women who came before us and taught us about the faith. Stories about people who risked everything so that we would be able to gather and worship in the manner that we do.
2. Reformation Sunday reminds us of the most important things.
Throughout the year we preach about many things in church. About how we live our daily lives, the choices we make, the habits of our faith. On Reformation Sunday we are brought back to the most important thing – the thing that compelled Luther and others to risk their lives.
On Reformation Sunday, we return to the core of our faith: God loved us first, and God continues to shower us with grace and mercy.
3. Reformation Sunday challenges us to do better
Through re-telling our story and returning to the core of our faith, Reformation Sunday prods us to do better.
We are called to be more loving and grace-filled, because God was gracious and merciful to us.
We are called to repent of the times that we have placed barriers that have kept others from hearing the Good News.
We are called to remember that all that we are is a gift from God.
In the church in Wittenberg where Martin Luther preached, there is a wonderful painting. In it Luther stands in the pulpit on the right hand side, and the people stand on the left. In between people and the preacher is Christ on the cross. Reformation Sunday is a reminder that this is the bedrock of our faith – the grace and mercy given to us in Jesus Christ. Keeping the most important thing in the center of the picture is the only hope for for our faith and for this community that we call “church.”
(*From the Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church – The Woodlands, TX)
NOTES FROM ANN – Well, well, well – guess who has been holding out on us? Sherry Van Lishout – thats who! She is an extraordinary gifted artist! The picture at the top of the email was painted by Sherry when Pastor Grant was ordained. It is called “The Body of Christ”. I wasn’t able to get a great picture of it due to reflections etc (the blurry spot on the right hand side is due to me “erasing” a reflection – the original painting doesn’t have that). I saw it hanging in Pastor Grant’s office today and fell in love with it. The symbolism, the layers of meaning, the execution – its beautiful. You can always pretend you’re stopping in to say “hit” to Pastor Grant and instead check out the painting – I highly recommend it.
Below – I have to share a picture of the Luther Rose. One of these days I’m going to try and create a version of it in stained glass. If you come to church on Sunday – we will have a handout discussing the Luther Rose.
Have a great week!
