Prayers for the Family and Friends of John Abel
Jon Cook; Millie Mutka, Zima family friends Cary Gramsch, Stefan Sladek, Mick, Steven and Marilyn Hummel; Gregory Bowens; Roger Jehnke; Amber Ross’s daughter Linda; Randy & Diane Niemczyk’s niece Sarah Joda, their dear friend Denise Hazel and Nancy Sexton; Valeria Hesselberg; Chris Markussen; Anne Verona’s sister/brother-in-law Pat & Woody Woodworth; Dawn Gonitzke’s brother Scott Premo; the Eberts friend Patricia Kulzick; the Ebert’s friend John Oliver; the Waggoner’s sister-in-law Cheryl Busse; Karen Engels’ niece Lisa and friends Bob and Dawn; Ann Carlson’s people Dwight, Stacy, Sarah, Ben, Staci and Janice; continued safe travels for all of us and our family and friends; and the people of Israel, Russia, Palestine and Ukraine.
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. You may also submit a prayer request for events. For example – a family gathering and seeking prayers for safe travels to/from.
WORSHIP ON FACEBOOK – Live on Facebook on Sundays at 9:00 am and posted for later viewing.
BIRTHDAY/ANNIVERSARY SUNDAY – Come celebrate after worship! Happy August birthdays to: Chris Roberts, Sue Crist, Jack Palmer, David Strong, Beverly Epping, Judy Laatsch, Sandy (Nancy) Bishop, Rachel Strong, (Sandy and Rachel are birthday buddies), Lowell Petersen, Roger Jehnke, Ann Currie, Lisa Kohlman, Sharlene Waskow, David Mroczynski, and Kathleen Fugina.
And a special shout out to our couples celebrating their anniversaries this month: Del Pontes, Schmidts, Nordines, Andersons and the Thomas’.
GUESTS – if you are visiting us today, please sign our book at the entrance to the sanctuary.
BRASS QUINTET – how lucky are we? Today please welcome The Brass Quintet!
PHOTOGRAPHS – if you submitted an actual photograph for the directory – they are available for you to pick up in the Front Office.
ELECTRONIC RECYCLING – if you missed it last year – there will be another electronic recycling event on Aug 24th. 9 am – 1 pm. Eagle River Elementary School, 1700 Pleasure Island Road, Eagle River. Please bring a food item for the food pantry to donate. Not required.
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 $500 to Worship in the Wild and $250 to Northwoods Share.
GOD’S WORK OUR HANDS – There will be a celebration of the 10th anniversary of GWOH’s on Sep 8th. Lunch will be provided after worship for those assisting in putting together the personal care kits.
PERSONAL CARE KIT – God’s Work – Our Hands has a new project for us! If interested, pick up a flyer in the Narthex at the collection table. We will be collecting these items until Sep 1st.
AND THAT’S NOT ALL – GOLF ANYONE? God’s Work Our Hands has another event for us! After church Sunday, August 25th, 11:00 am we will head to Eagle Falls Mini Golf Course for a competitive (my word) round of golf! The cost will be $9 per person. (They’ve given us a $2. discount.) 25 spaces have been reserved, but that number is flexible. Bring your guests, bring your family, bring your pew neighbor!
FUN FACT: Early brass instruments were made from hollow items found in nature such as termite hollowed eucalyptus or conch shells. Thousands of years ago, straight and curved trumpets were constructed of a variety of materials including wood, bronze, and silver, such as the Greek salpinx and the Roman tuba, lituus, and buccina. Other early brass instruments were flared horns made of bronze or animal horn, like the Scandinavian lur, the Roman cornu, and the Hebrew shofar (which is still used in Jewish ceremonies today).
1400-1600 – During the Renaissance, brass instruments began to develop into the instruments we know and recognize today. The earliest known curved trumpets were developed in the early 15th century, which was followed by the folded and slide trumpets. The trombone developed out of the slide trumpet around 1450, referred to as the sackbut. (Is anyone else giggling or is it just me?)
During this period, the trumpet and horn existed, but they were considered functional, non-musical instruments. European courts maintained corps of trumpeters used for signal heralding.
In 1597 Italian composer Giovanni Gabrieli, then the organist at Saith Mark’s Cathedral in Venice, composed the earliest known piece to call for specific brass instruments, Sonate pian’forte.
1600-1750 Brass instruments began to be used more extensively in the 17th century as ensemble instruments. Brass instruments had little use as solo instruments. With the sacred associations of the trombone from the previous century it was natural for composers to utilize trombones to help portray religious or supernatural effects in operas of the late 18th century. Two of the most easily recognizable examples of this were in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute.
The trumpet developed as a virtuosic instrument during the first half of the 18th century, reaching its peak in the compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach, originally written for trumpet virtuoso Gottgried Reiche.
1750-today The 19th century was the period of greatest development and modernization of brass instruments. The vast majority of literature for brass instruments performed today was written from the late 19th century through today. This is largely due to developments in brass instruments starting in the late 1700s that allowed for greater ease of chromatic manipulation and expressive performance. By the Classical period, trumpet and horn were standard fixtures of the orchestra with trombone and tuba following in the 1800s.
The keyed trumpet was developed by Viennese trumpeter, Anton Weidinger, to allow for chromatic performance on trumpet around 1770. While this instrument was short lived due to problems in tone consistency, it opened the possibility of the trumpet to be used as a chromatic solo instrument. In 1818, the first horn rotor was patented by Heirich Stölzel and Friedrich Blümel in Germany, and around 1826, German instrument makers began producing valved trumpets. The development of rotors and valves made instruments far superior to hand stopped or keyed versions of brass instruments due to their consistency and dexterity, and were quickly adopted by composers. By 1835, the first tuba, pitched in F with five valves, was invented by Berlin instrument makers Wilhelm Wieprecht and Johann Gottfried Moritz, followed by the earliest euphonium in 1843 by Sommer of Weimar.
Various instruments have come and gone throughout this time period as well. These include novelty instruments such as the double-belled euphonium (Dr. Seuss anyone?), alternatives to modern instruments such as the saxhorn, and various bass instruments including ophicleides (No relation to Ophelia).
At the same time, the concert band developed with the brass section playing a significant role with the inclusions of sections of trumpets, cornets, horns, trombones, euphonium/baritones, and tubas. Significant portions of this were adapted from Steven Maxwell’s Teaching Low Brass
Origin of the Phrase ‘Get Down to Brass Tacks’
The idiom “get down to brass tacks” is often associated with another “metal idiom,” “dead as a doornail.” Both tacks and nails are made of metals, but tacks have flat heads. Some derivations of the word refer to actual tacks and not “figurative tacks.”
First, brass-headed tacks function as fabric tools in the furniture industry. They were common during the Tudor period. Some argue that the phrase comes from the idea of removing all the tacks and coverings before reupholstering the items.
The second derivation of actual brass tacks comes from the haberdashery industry. The idea is to measure cloth yardage between brass tacks more accurately than using the arm’s length.
There’s not much proof to support these two theories of phrase origins. But there’s another theory of its American origin that has something to do with coffin tacks.
President Lincoln’s coffin was designed with massive silver tacks, making it unique from those usually decorated with brass tacks. The row of silver tacks framed the coffin’s top. It looked like a shield of coffin nails two inches from the edge.
A few years later, in 1868, an article was published about the meaning of the figurative expression “coming down to brass tacks.” According to the writer, it meant “coming down to the serious business… of death.”
But this theory isn’t confirmed either. The now-common expression’s first usage dates back to 1863. Fred Shapiro said, “When you come down to brass tacks – if we may be allowed the expression– everybody is governed by selfishness.”
[all information swiped from the internet. No guarantee any of it is 100% accurate]
HOT OFF THE PRESS – This information did not make it into this week’s paper bulletin, but we wanted to let you know that Kerry and Tom Walker are moving to Arizona! Here is their new contact information beginning September 6.
9602 West Rolling Hills Drive
Sun City, AZ 85351-2459
Kerry’s Cell: 715-617-1602
kerry-walker@hotmail.com
(FYI – if it hadn’t been for Kerry’s thorough handoff (not even in person! She did it all via documentation) – there is no way I would have been able to figure out all of this stuff. I still need work. But if you like how I’ve been doing it – thank Kerry!)
NOTES: Had to kick this email off with a spectacular picture taken by Jen Anderson. She took this picture at 1:40 am on 8/11/2024 in the Northwoods of WI. Sunday, you will be glad to know, is Bad Poetry Day. In order to not disappoint, I will end today’s note with a bad poem. I don’t know about you – but this summer has flown by. It never seemed to stop and “be” summer. A lot of rain. Low temps. Only a couple of good hot days. We haven’t been out on the lake nearly enough this year. And our August is turning into a jam packed month. Guests left on Sunday. We are heading out of state (sort of, we will be bouncing back and forth over the IL/WI border) for a wedding. The day after we get back, I head to Minneapolis to pick up my niece. She is staying for a week (with tons of stuff planned – who knows what we will actually do). Two days after she leaves, a family of six is coming to stay with us. And that will take us to Sep 3. Brief respite – then the September visits start. Only two scheduled so far!
Which brings me to this. I was discussing my niece’s tentative schedule with Pastor. Burt and I have set up our guest rooms with chairs and reading lights. So if someone wants to take a time out from the chaos – they are free to do so. Living up here, you do want to share this good life with others – and finding the line between being a good host and not caring for your own time can get blurred. Burt and I are in the midst of a big project. We are insulating, drywalling and finishing our mudroom. It is hard to stop work and go for a ride to see the Hodag. I like seeing the Hodag. I don’t really care how many times I have seen – I still like posing underneath its mighty claws. Bond Falls is beautiful and different every time I have been there, but it is also about three hours out of my day. Pastor mentioned incorporating church into your travels. For your travels as well as the travels of your guests.
I found this article written by Don Straka from June 7, 2017. It is a good one.
“No one should ever take a break from God, his glory, and the mission he gives each of us. When we break for the summer — from Sunday school, small group, community outreach, or wherever you serve in your local church — God still calls us to seek him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
The Bible constantly calls believers to an all-out, full-abandoned pursuit of wisdom. For example, Proverbs 2:2–5 exhorts, “[Make] your ear attentive to wisdom and [incline] your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”
This is not a seasonal calling. The summer does not give us permission to pull up a lawn chair and watch the race instead of running the race. When we say we are taking the summer off, we mean something radically different than disengaging from seeking God. Instead, we suspend certain ministry activities or events and fill that time with softball leagues, board game nights, and music in the park.
We’re not breaking from God, but swinging, competing, and listening for more of him. Filling our week with these activities does not transport us from engaging in the significant part of the Christian life (Sunday school and service projects) to the insignificant (ice cream cones and Florida vacations). No, it simply moves us from formal to informal (of course never neglecting to meet together in weekly corporate worship).
God designed all of our summer activities so that we would know him more, love him better, and have more fuel to live for his glory.
Indirect Godwardness
We cannot afford to take a break from the Bible’s call to search for wisdom with all our hearts. So, how do we search as we devour ice cream cones, watch the Minnesota Twins win at home, and paddle out on the lake? God says that we can enjoy each of these with a Godward gaze (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Now, we won’t be able to engage in these summer activities in the same way that we drop to our knees to pray and study the Bible. Joe Rigney helpfully calls habits like studying the Bible direct godwardness. “Direct godwardness involves our conscious, intentional focus on God himself,” writes Rigney (The Things of Earth, 120). He compares that with what he calls indirect godwardness: “a subconscious focus on God while engaging with the world that God made” (121).
Direct and indirect godwardness serve one another. This idea doesn’t seem strange when we think of direct godwardness informing our indirect godwardness. This process happens when your Bible time informs how you go about your day. For example, Psalm 19:7 says, “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.”
How indirect godwardness serves direct godwardness may not be as obvious, though. Once again, Rigney helps us by explaining, “Indirect godwardness and a robust enjoyment of God’s gifts serves and increases direct godwardness by creating new mental, emotional, and spiritual categories for our enjoyment of God. It keeps us from being vague and indistinct in our minds” (126).
New Categories, Deeper Joy
This summer, God plans to flood you with input that requires you to seek wisdom and pursue knowledge. So, how can we leverage our summers for the glory of God? We use our time engaging in the world God designed for his glory to build categories for our direct godwardness. God designed our activities of playing outside to serve our time in the word and prayer together. They keep us from being vague when we read about God in his word.
But what might it look like this summer? My small group has decided for several reasons to take a break this summer. I love my small group; I love meeting with my small group; and I love the reasons we have decided not to meet for the next couple of months. So, here are two examples of how I hope our indirect summer godwardness fuels our direct godwardness.
Overnight at a Cabin: A family has invited our small group to stay at their cabin over a weekend. How might that help us know and enjoy God more?
Although we go to sleep that night, we will wake up the next day and still be together. This is a foretaste of the never-ending fellowship we will have in heaven (John 14:1–4; Revelation 5:13; 7:9).
The wonder we feel when we taste bacon in the morning not only reminds us how sweet it is that God has made all foods clean, but also declares that we have dominion over all creation. God enables us to raise pigs to delight our taste buds (Genesis 1:28; Mark 7:19).
Drive-in Movie: Our group is already planning to watch a movie (or more) together outside during these weeks when we are not meeting.
The sense of anticipation we feel watching a thrilling scene unfold gives us a tangible experience that shows what it means to be waiting, longing, and feeling anxious for the second coming of Christ (Matthew 25:1–13; 1 Corinthians 16:22).
The laughter that overtakes you in a comedy demonstrates that you were made for joy. There is nothing you can do to stop laughter. God wants you to know that he designed you to be happy, ultimately in him (Psalm 37:4; John 6:35; 16:22).
Don’t waste your summer by ceasing to pursue God in all you do. Taking the summer off from formal ministry is not a move from the significant to the insignificant, but from formal to informal, from direct to indirect. Overnights at cabins and drive-in movies serve our long-term ministry.
Use this summer to seek wisdom, to know God, to love him more, and to live for his glory.”
Might have to save this for a repeat next summer.
Finally – as promised – bad poetry:
There once was a church in Wisconsin
where birthdays required attention
We came to eat cake
And make no mistake
Anniversaries received an honorable mention!
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Sigh of relief
The NOTES are through!
WOO HOO! Bad Poetry Day ROCKS!
(Oh and I will be out of the office tomorrow, Aug 15)
