Jon Cook; Millie Mutka, Zima family friends Cary Gramsch, Stefan Sladek, Dave Butschli, 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, Dana, Curt 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.
GUESTS – if you are visiting us today, please sign our book at the entrance to the sanctuary.
COFFEE AND LUNCH HOUR TODAY – We are celebrating the 10th anniversary of GWOH’s. T-shirts have arrived! If you ordered a shirt, please have your $15 with you and see Barb Zima to pick up your shirt. We did order extra t-shirts – so if you want one – please bring your $15 to purchase one.
God’s Work – Our Hands invites you to help put together care kits after worship. So far, Prince of Peace has knocked it out of the park. Over FIFTY (5-0!) care kits have been donated.
There will be lunch and coffee served for EVERYONE after worship. Come for a bite to eat. Assemble a care package. Enjoy fellowship!
QUILTER SHOUT OUT – A HUGE shoutout to all of our quilters and especially to their fearless leader, Marlys Tipple. Marlys and her merry band of quilters created the TWENTY EIGHT quilts you see today. Plus side projects. Many thanks to the time and talents of: Paula Copes, Darlene Eaton, Dawn Gonitzke, Mary Kunau, Millie Mutka, Diane Niemczyk (who also brought treats), Susan Palmer, Rachel Strong, Mary Thomas and Barb Zima.
COLD/FLU/COVID – if you aren’t feeling well, feel free to stay at home and join us on Facebook. If you are feeling well enough, but would like to take extra precautions, feel free to wear a mask and load up on hand sanitizer. During the Giving of Peace, feel free to bump elbows, air high five or wave from afar. Do what makes you feel comfortable and be safe with your health and the health of others.
GARBAGE VS RECYCLABLES – there are two garbage cans in the parking lot across from the Front Office door. One is for garbage and one is for recyclables. Please make sure you are using the correct can when disposing of items. We are fortunate to have a volunteer take our garbage and our recyclables to the dump for us at no-cost to the church. It isn’t fair to them to have to sort through it.
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.
NORTHERN LIGHTS NEWSLETTER – if you are interested in what is going on with the Northern Great Lakes Synod – please know the newsletter is posted on the bulletin board. Also – if you would like to receive an electronic version of the newsletter – go to https://mailchi.mp/nglsynod/
LADIES THAT LUNCH – are lunching again in September. Sep 11th to be accurate. At 11:30 AM. Chanticleer Inn. Diane Franzen and Carol Teshky are the hostesses with the most-esses. Please RSVP to Diane at 715-891-9266 or email here at vilascountyjoy@gmail.com. Boys still not allowed.
SIGN UPDATE – Oh boy – we are getting closer! Waiting for the final tweaks and we will be in business shortly. We also have another surprise up our sleeve(s). Stand by for more!
FUN FACT: 10 years of “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday is the ELCA’s annual day of service, and in 2023 we celebrated the 10th anniversary!
This day is an opportunity to celebrate who we are as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America — one church, freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor.
Service activities offer an opportunity for us to explore one of our most basic convictions as Lutherans: that all of life in Jesus Christ – every act of service, in every daily calling, in every corner of life — flows freely from a living, daring confidence in God’s grace.
A hymn titled “God’s Work, Our Hands,” written by Wayne Wold, was selected as the winning entry in the ELCA’s “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday hymn contest in 2019. More than 120 entries were submitted to be considered as a hymn for the ELCA’s annual dedicated day of service. The selected hymn represents the official tagline of the ELCA and expresses how the people of this church live in service for the life of the world. We offer our thanks to all who submitted original compositions — the large number of entries gives witness to the enthusiasm that “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday has inspired throughout this church and in our communities. The selected hymn includes music to a familiar tune as well as music to an original composition. The hymn is available as a year-round worship resource.
Wold is a professor and chair of the music department at Hood College in Frederick, Md., where he also serves as concert manager and college organist. He is also the director of music ministry at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ellicott City, Md.
NOTES: I couldn’t find the original article that sparked this bit. We had company this past week. With them came four children – 13 years of age and under. Urban kids. The last night they were here, we had a campfire and made smores. As the sun set and the horizon faded to black, the stars POPPED. The kids were in awe of how many stars they could see here. Took great joy in spotting satellites and we even saw a couple of shooting stars. My phone must have been listening in – as phones do – and an article popped up from a couple of years ago regarding the shift in perspective from an astronaut. I was unable to find the article to share with you, but I found this regarding the “overview effect”.
The overview effect is a cognitive shift reported by some astronauts while viewing the Earth from space. Researchers have characterized the effect as “a state of awe with self-transcendent
In regards to the pictured called Earthrise (1968). Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders recalled, “When I looked up and saw the Earth coming up on this very stark, beat-up Moon horizon, I was immediately almost overcome with the thought, ‘Here we came all this way to the Moon, and yet the most significant thing we’re seeing is our own home planet, the Earth.'”
I cannot even imagine the feeling the astronauts get – it has to be overwhelming. I do know I have been in places of beauty – big and small – and have felt a transformative shift.
I also know – this week – I am in dire need of a cognitive shift. I’ve been having some pain issues. I am crabby. Not a little bit crabby – but a lot of bit crabby. Patience factor is sitting at zero. I had a great laugh today because someone crabbier than me showed up. They walked into the church with a lot of energy. I gave out an enthusiastic “Hey!” because I like seeing this person. I received a muttered “hey” through the glass – that almost sounded like a “meh”. I had to laugh. They laughed too – thank goodness. We shared the “blah” of being crabbier, smiled and parted ways in a better mood.
We have had a lot going on here at the church. Behind the scenes stuff – that like making sausage – no one really wants to know about, but it is necessary in order to have things turn out great. Some of it is really exciting. Some of it is boring and tedious. Some of it is making me want to throw the computer across the room (I won’t – but I’m hoping you all can relate).
BUT – the yuck cannot compare to the yay. And the yay comes in many forms. Check out the picture of all of the quilts! What a fantastic job the Quilt Brigade did.
And then – check out what we saw yesterday during a meeting. The stained glass piece of art in the Fellowship Hall cast a most wonderful shadow in the meeting room. It was a “look – squirrel” moment for me. I stepped out of the meeting so I could capture the moment before it was gone. Worthwhile I think.
I’m still working through my needed shift – but all of these things help. May you find yours if needed.